“Oh, Jonas,” she sighed. There was more of that tantalizing rustling. “You’re so very good for my ego!”

Chapter Twenty-three

“Dr.Bimm is lucky to have a friend like you,” Dr. Barb was saying over arctic char half an hour later. They were at the Legal’s right by the NEA, within sight of the building in her charge. As long as she was sitting where she could see tourists weren’t stampeding out, or the building wasn’t collapsing in flames, she was almost relaxed. “It was so sweet of you to take me shopping. Especially when you were the one who needed a new shirt.”

Note to self: Fred owes me a new shirt, I ruined a Ralph Lauren polo for that ungrateful harpy! “Yeah, well, I was free. And it was fun. I love to shop. And I got three new shirts out of it, too.” Dr. Barb had insisted on paying for his clothes, even though he’d dunked his coffee on himself on purpose. And Fred still owed him a new shirt. He could have been scalded to death!

“I don’t understand how it’s possible for a man like you to have a free Saturday. Why haven’t you ever settled down, Jonas? Too young?”

He laughed. “You’re talking like you’re ready for a nursing home. You’ve only got about fifteen years on me.”

Dr. Barb looked away. “Ah—don’t remind me. But let’s get back to you. Why hasn’t someone snapped you up?”

“Well. I’ve been—I mean, you know, I see people. I get out. A helluva lot more than you NEA geeks, that’s for sure.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “I think you should set your goals a bit higher.”

He laughed again. “Right, right.” The waitress brought him his appletini and a ginger ale for Dr. Barb. They clicked glasses. “To the new, sexy, awesomely gorgeous you, who really isn’t new, but now other people will figure it out, too.”

She blushed—God, he didn’t know women still did that!—and they clinked glasses again. Then he resumed the chatter that either irritated Fred or bored the hell out of her, but which the luscious Dr. Barb appeared to find fascinating.

“Anyway, I see people and go out and there’s always a party going on and stuff like that, but I just, you know, haven’t found that special someone.”

“That’s amazing to me. You must have people lining up.”

“Well… I don’t know about that… but I’ve kind of got a crush on someone. So it makes it hard to want to get to know someone else, get it?”

Dr. Barb nodded. “Of course, I understand perfectly. What is that you’re drinking? It’s the color of lamb jelly.”

“Appletini. Try.”

She picked up his glass and took a sip, raised her eyebrows, and took another one. “Oh. That’s wonderful! I’ll have one when I’m not working.”

“You’re not working today, Dr. Barb.”

She giggled. Giggled. He thought it was adorable. He wanted her to do it again. Maybe if I juggled? “Oh yes I am. I’m going back after lunch.”