Stress and The City

“I think he still wants to jump your bones. And I’m insulted you could even question the purity of my chocolate.”

“Jump my bones?”

Leo grinned. “I told you. Biker date last night. I’m still in the mind-set.”

Cassie folded her arms across her chest. “Well, Ty’s engaged, so it doesn’t matter if he wants me. Besides, the entire conversation is moot because I’m not going to take him on as a client and I’m never dating anyone ever again, anyway. And are you really positive it’s not diet chocolate or something?”

“You’re going to turn him down? Are you kidding? You have one kiss with the man and you can’t cope with being in the same room with him? I’d have to go into isolation if I couldn’t handle being in the presence of any man I’d kissed. And of course it’s not diet.”

But this kiss was different. It had been more than a kiss. It had been a connecting of their souls.

“Is Ty stressed?”

“No.” Liar! Liar! Liar!

“Cassie…”

“Okay, fine. There’s a distinct possibility he’s stressed. So what?”

“So, you’re going to abandon a person in need of your services? Don’t you have any compassion?”

“I—He—” Where was her brain? Cassie was totally unable to fabricate even a weak excuse, let alone a viable one.

“Face it, Cassie. You called this chocolate relief session because you’re feeling guilty for refusing to help him because of your own baggage.”

“I have no baggage.”

Leo rolled her eyes. “The wedding? Finding Drew naked with another woman? Him declaring his love for you at the dance? Throwing yourself at some hot guy? Your first kiss in four years with someone other than Drew? Broke from your own wedding?”

“Well, when you say it like that…” Forget the stupid red fruit. She needed chocolate straight up. Cassie scooped up another spoonful, blew on it, then dumped the entire contents in her mouth. Swirled it around. Twice. Swallowed.

Nothing!

No respite at all.

Was she building up an immunity?

Just what she needed: a resistance to chocolate. Not.

It certainly couldn’t be that she was so tense that even her fail-safe stress reliever was rendered impotent. That would be unacceptable. Could she even imagine a stress-management consultant who was a complete basket case? Yes, that was definitely something that would add to her credentials.

Leo set her cellphone in Cassie’s hand. “Call him.”

Was she insane? “Ah…No.” Cassie tossed the phone onto the counter.