pte

a ho

with a playful glint. Then beep, beep, beep. Her pager went off, and she glanced

f the room. Jay watched her go, tapping his fingers nervously on the edge of his cof

was talking into the phone and jotting down notes. He couldn't help but notice how easily she moved-like she belo

an eyebrow. "How do you know

ng in confusion as he brought the cu

e dropped lower as he nodded towar

rd them. His breath caught at the back of his throat, and before he could react, hot coffee splashed onto his tongue, bu

sked, his voice laced with amusem

She was walking slowly toward them, completely unaware of the effect she had on him. She had a satchel ov

king. This girl was average height, with a plain face, and her baggy jersey was an odd, dull-grey color that seemed to wash out her complexion, making h

step, trying to figure out why she made him feel so off balance. She looked nervous,

enough, but there was something distant in her gaze. She didn't acknowledge Jay at all.

turning his chair slightly toward

His stomach twisted into a knot, a strange feeling of

ith an easy grin. "It's her, mate. Once you

oice had taken on a skeptical edge, but

chest. "If you show them that she's the type of girl you're into-although, I'm

wer? Could hiring someone like this woman-someone who didn't even fit the description of what he thought he wan

g finished her phone call. She dropped back into her seat across f

sy," Peter s

here are those with colds and the flu. Can't they just go to their GP?" She rolled her eye

fine," he muttered, suddenly self-conscious under her gaze. His mind was still reeling from

ain, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, we should go out Saturday night," she suggeste

roat, seemingly eager to change the direction of the conversa

but Peter simply shrugged his shoulders and put on a ridiculously innocent expression that didn't fool anyone

o brush off the tension in the a

im or offering more than a polite smile to Peter. There was something about her that unsettled him, and it wasn't just her appearance. It was the way she

he couldn't escape the feeling that something wasn't right. Something about this entire

." But as the words left his mouth, he couldn't help but feel the weight of them. Was he really rea

pleased with the turn of events. "

it was the awkwardness of the situation or the strange girl who had left such a lasting impression on him, b