I shrugged. “La Jolla is a very touristy area.”
She nodded and smiled. “We love it here.” She gestured to me and Lori. “What about you two? A honeymoon?”
Lori and I glanced at each other.
“Us?” I said.
Lori bit her bottom lip. “No, no.”
“We’re just—”
“We work together.”
I hesitated. “Yes. We’re coworkers.”
“Who work together,” Lori said, blushing and looking like she wanted to flee this conversation and quite possible the city or state.
“At work.”
The man looked a little suspicious, his glance bouncing back and forth between me and Lori. “And you’re working right now?”
I shook my head. “No, not now, but earlier yes.”
The woman sat down on the bench and stared back up at us. “You certainly look like a couple to me.”
Lori shook her head, now checking her nails and avoiding eye contact. “Just coworkers.”
“That’s right. In fact, we should get back to work.”
“We should.”
I waved goodbye. “You two enjoy the rest of your stay here.”
We turned and walked back up the path toward the street.
As we headed back up the hill, Lori grabbed me by the arm and stopped me. “You never asked the last question.”
I hit my forehead with my palm. “I totally forgot.” I pulled out my phone and searched Google again. “Okay, let’s see . . .”
“Last question,” Lori said. “Make it a good one.”
“I will do my best.”
“No zombies this time.”
“Got it.”
“Or vampires.”
I chuckled and scrolled through a few questions before settling on one that hit pretty close to home and was much too hard to resist. “Okay—last question. Have you ever vehemently disliked something and then changed your mind later?”
Lori hesitated, opening her mouth and then closing it.
She blinked, locking her gaze with mine. “Yes.”
I nodded, not able to take my eyes off her.
My heart thumped in my chest, and I felt something in my stomach.
What the hell was going on?
I was a little bit disoriented.
Or a lot.
A thousand thoughts were running through my mind.
“And you?” Lori asked.
I took a deep breath, trying to focus. “Me, what?”
“Have you ever vehemently disliked something and then changed your mind later?”
“Oh . . .” I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes. Same as you.”
She studied me for a moment, but then seemed to snap out of whatever spell we both happened to be under. “We should get going, right?”
I nodded. “Right. Good idea.”
We turned and headed toward our cars, silent the entire way, peeking in the windows of some of the shops, people watching, admiring some of the expensive cars parking on the street and driving by.
Something had definitely changed between me and Lori in the span of just a few hours.
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye.
As if she felt my gaze on her, she looked over.
I turned my focus back to the sidewalk in front of us.
Then I glanced over at her again when she wasn’t looking.
My mixed emotions were making themselves more clear.
I had enjoyed Lori’s company immensely.
She was a smart, funny, caring, and beautiful woman, so why should I have been surprised?
The woman was a catch.
Wait a minute . . .
It made sense why my nerves were all out of whack.
I liked her.
I was attracted to Lori Martin.
Not good.
Not good at all.
Chapter Thirteen
LORI
“Five seconds . . .” Ben slid on his headphones and pressed the microphone button. “Welcome to another beautiful day in San Diego! Are you ready for another three hours of Dr. Tough Love? Give us a call and let us know what’s on your mind. We’re here for you, whatever your woes may be.”
I laughed. “I have to admit, the word woes is starting to grow on me.”
“Wow. I think we’ve had a major breakthrough, folks.” Ben chuckled. “And please welcome my cohost, Lori Martin!”
I stared at Ben, shocked.
He has never called me cohost.
I didn’t think he ever would.
“Lori? I can see you, but your mouth isn’t moving, which is new to me.” He chuckled. “And dead air is not good!”
“Sorry,” I was finally able to say. “I’m recovering from the shock. Thank you. It’s good to be here.”
“She’s alive!” He held up his mocha and grinned. “Thanks again for the mocha. Much appreciated.”
“You’re welcome.”
“If I behave every day do I get a mocha every day?”
“You’re living in a fantasy world.”
Ben laughed. “Well then, let’s get right to the phones because we have a lot of people waiting. Jeremy in Rancho Bernardo, you’re on the air.”
“Thanks for taking my call,” Jeremy said. “Your show rocks.”
“Thank you. What’s going on this morning?”
“I have a problem with my in-laws.”
“You and half the world.” Ben chuckled. “What’s the specific issue?”
“They don’t like me. And they’re dramatic and overly sensitive about everything.”
“Give us an example,” I said.
“For one, they say I don’t spoil their daughter enough. They tell me I’m cheap. They tell me I don’t care about their family.”
“Are any of those things true?”
“I’m not cheap, I’ll tell you that much. The last time they called me that they were specifically talking about the wedding ring that I bought her. It’s a half carat, but they keep telling me she deserves at least a carat for having to put up with me for the last five years.”
“More bling does not make a bad relationship sing.”
“Here we go with the rhymes again,” I said, shaking my head. “Do you see your in-laws much, Jeremy?”
“Honestly, they say so many rude and disrespectful things to me that I make up excuses to skip family gatherings over at their house. And then my wife gives me crap about that since she wants to do everything with them. Just about every weekend they have something going on because her family is huge. Anyway, she says I should ignore her family and go with her because I love her, but then when I go she abandons me and I’m left standing there to take the brunt of insults from her parents and her grandparents.”
“So, your wife never stands up for you in front of her family?” Ben asked.
“No. Never. Whenever we argue, she walks away.”
“That right there is a bigger problem than you not getting along with your in-laws. Your wife is not putting you first in her life. She should be a guide for how they’re treating you, so if she doesn’t have your back, you’re screwed, my man.”
“I agree,” I said. “She should be standing up for you.”