“So you said you wanted to make an adjustment?”
“Yes.” She swept an arm over the view. “The sketches Josh sent were wonderful. I was hoping he might be able to add a water feature here, right in the center of the garden. Do you think that’s possible?”
He pulled a pen from his bag, and popped off the cap with his teeth. These types of questions could really be done over email. The job being theirs and all, it was time to hand meetings like this over to Josh, but he’d grown kind of fond of Mrs. Jansen and he hadn’t minded the trip into the city. Besides, Josh was presenting a course at a conference in a few weeks and he’d been handing everything he could off to the new guy so he could prepare for it. Dylan wasn’t sending a rookie to this building. He’d worked too hard to close them.
“I’m sure I can make that happen,” he said. He tried not to look at his watch as he jotted down her ideas. He was hoping to finagle lunch with Dani since he was there. “Let me get this back to Josh and have him email you a new file.”
“Thank you, darling. Listen, I know you’re done pitching us, and you probably have weekends full, but I wanted to invite you to another event. We’ve only just begun to put an exploratory committee together, but there’s a hotel downtown we’re thinking of bidding on. Another historical renovation. Of course, if we get it, you get it, and I’d love to have your input from the beginning.” She turned to make her way back inside, and Dylan followed. “There’s an auction there next month. My husband and I have made a donation and plan to attend. We want to use the evening to discuss the possibilities, along with the dinner and dancing. Will you and Josh join us?”
Dylan did a mental fist pump. He was already typing a text to Josh in his head to relay what she’d just said. “If we get it, you get it.” It wasn’t a signed contract, but he had a feeling Mrs. Jansen’s word was just as good.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Anything you need.”
“Excellent. I’ll send you the details. And bring Dani.”
Damn right. He couldn’t wait to tell her.
After a quick goodbye, he hustled back to his car to get out of the wind. The cold had come early. It felt like it could snow any second and it wasn’t even November.
He dialed Josh as he started the engine, blasting the heat, but he only got voicemail. “Call me back, bro. Got some Jansen news. And tell that little bun in Cat’s oven, Uncle Dylan just paid for its nursery or whatever babies want.” He hung up the phone, slightly disappointed that he’d had to put off that announcement, but he still had another call to make. He swept his thumb over the number and transferred to hands-free.
“Hey, Danica.”
Her sigh crackled over the line. “I’m gonna let that slide since you sound like you’re in a good mood. What’s up?”
“You eat yet?”
“No.”
“I’m in town. I’m coming to get you for a celebratory lunch.”
“What are we celebrat—”
“See you in ten.” He hung up and pulled away from the curb, his face stuck in a grin.
“Scratch off my lunch order,” Dani said.
Benji raised an eyebrow curiously from his desk. “You get a better offer on that phone call?”
“Maybe.”
“Oh, really? Is this one of the matches?” Now he was rolling his chair across the office, lunch order forgotten.
Shoot. She wiggled uncomfortably in her seat. She hadn’t mentioned any of this to Benji, but to be fair, it had just happened.
“So, I actually have some news.”
He clapped his hands together like a circus seal, and she rolled her eyes.
“It’s not the app, but I have been seeing someone.”
“How the hell did you manage to see someone else while you were trying to fit in eight soulmate dates? I swear your social calendar is life goals.”
Dani pulled a lipstick out of her bag and touched up in the mirror on her desk. “You might not say that when you hear my story.”
“Regale me.”
“So, remember when we were talking about the ‘fine print’ and how I didn’t think I could make it all those weeks…”
“Yesss. And I gave you my most supportive side-eye?”
“And I told you I found a little work-around. Well… I kinda sorta started dating him for real.”
“Kinda sorta?”
“Yes, and you know what?” She squared her shoulders, preemptive indignance bubbling in her chest. “This just proves that rule was a terrible idea because, trust me, if I wasn’t sleeping with Dylan, this never would have happened. Clearly sex was a crucial component in our compatibility which goes against everything—”
“Woah, Nelly,” Benji said, waving a finger at her. “Dylan? Cat’s husband’s best friend is the freebie?”
Dani felt her cheeks burn. “That same one.”
“The one you’ve known for years and who, by the way, I’ve been saying you had something with for years?”
“Yes. Him. Why does everyone feel the need to clarify so many times? Geesh.”
“Because you specifically said, and I quote—”
Luckily for her, Benji’s court stenographer act was cut short when the man himself rapped his knuckles on her office door. Dylan leaned on the frame, crossing his legs at the ankles and gave her his Good Boy smile. She was butter.
Apparently so was Benji. Dani shot her officemate a look, and he pulled his chin off the ground.
“Dylan, hey.”
“Hey, babe. You ready?”
Benji mouthed the word “babe” in her direction as he turned and rolled back to his desk.
She ignored him. “Yeah. Just let me shut down my laptop. This is my friend Benji, by the way.”
Dylan’s eyebrows jumped in recognition. “Benji,” he said, drawing the word out. “Nice to meet you. He crossed the room to shake Benji’s hand and Benji gave him a “you too” that sounded like he had a mouthful of marbles from holding in a laugh. When she got back from this lunch, they were officially fighting.
“Let’s go, Dylan. Benj, I’ll see you in an hour.”
“I’ll be right in this very spot,” he said.
“So why the midday celebration?” she asked when they were alone in the elevator.
“Uh uh. First, say hello to me right.” Dylan wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged until she stumbled against his chest. He kissed her long and slow, his other hand caressing her cheek with a wide, affection-filled swoop of his thumb.