“Well, duh. Ask her.” Luna laid the diary down on a piece of tissue paper on the table. She then folded her arms. “What are you waiting for?”

“Me? What are you waiting for?” Cullen snapped back.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She brooded. “Besides, this is a conversation about you, buster. Just ask her if she’d like to have dinner with you. How hard is that?”

“Last night, when I was driving her back here, we discussed certain protocols. I told her that because of all the sexual harassment going on, it’s as if a woman has to invite a man to kiss her.”

“Say what?” Luna knitted her eyebrows. “You said that?”

“Yeah. Kinda stupid, but it was the only way I could explain it.”

“Jeez. So now you’re waiting for her to make a move?”

“Yes. And if she was interested, why didn’t she ‘invite’ me?” he asked, using air quotes.

“Well, I think that topic deserves a little more attention before you start making assumptions.” Luna was being the thoughtful sister now. “I think you should ‘invite’ her to dinner.” Luna returned the air-quote gesture. “By the end of the evening, I am sure she will give you the green light.”

“And if she doesn’t?” Cullen frowned.

“Then you keep being her friend. Listen, you don’t have to make any decisions about what action needs to be taken. Invite her to dinner and play it by ear. She is probably just as nervous as you are.”

“You think so?” Cullen looked a bit more uplifted.

“Oh, come on. The two of you are just as wacky as me and Chris. Speaking of whom, did he say anything about me last night? Huh? Huh? Huh?”

“Oh, now we’re making this about you?”

“I thought we were finished talking about you,” she teased. “I told you what to do. Next subject. Me.”

Cullen gave her a wry grin. “Yes, the marshal asked about you.” He paused deliberately. “Well, not exactly.”

“What? What?” She was going to choke it out of him if he didn’t answer soon.

“We talked about some personal stuff. I told him my theory about relationships and how people are almost forced to pair up so they’ll be invited to things that only couples get invited to. Like dinner parties.”

“So? Where does the stuff about me come in?”

“I said you were usually my plus-one because you weren’t involved with anyone either.”

“And?”

“And that’s it.”

“That can’t be it! Spill, brother, spill!”

“OK. If you must know, and I know you must, I wanted to let him know you were unattached; and no, I didn’t tell him you were all googly-eyed over him.”

“Thank goodness for some miracles.” Luna smirked. “And what about him? Is he involved with anyone?”