One Night with the Sexiest Man Alive (The One 1)

“Did you? You’re. You just. You were. Called. You called and OH MY GOD. You’re His Sexiness,” she spluttered.

“Hi, yes I’m Haydn Delany and this is Rick and you are,” he paused for the obvious filler.

“I’m so. I’m so. So, so. Sophie, my name is so-Sophie. I’m, hello, wow. Sophie.”

He grinned at her, but kept the wattage down, didn’t want to break anything. “So-Sophie, is there any way I could see Teela?”

“Holy shit! Teeelaa!” she yelled.

“That might work.” It did. Teela appeared from a doorway behind so-so-Sophie’s desk. She was barefoot and frowning. Not a great start. He did the shoulder-squaring thing again. When did he become so ridiculous over a one-night stand? “Hi. I called.”

Teela’s eyes got big. “You did?”

“I knew it,” Sophie said.

“You hung up on me,” he said. Damn if he didn’t sound delighted by that.

“I thought it was a prank.”

“I know what that feels like. I wondered if I could take you to lunch.”

“You,” Sophie said. “Her. Oh God, you’re responsible for the flowers.” She turned to Teela. “Why did he give you flowers, Teela? Teela? Oh my God. You and him and sexy stuff I shouldn’t know about. I can’t believe it. And you lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie,” Teela said.

“You omitted big time,” Sophie said, and behind him Rick muffled a laugh, badly.

“Haydn, I don’t think I,” Teela began and then faltered.

“That’s fine, he held up the bag. I bought lunch in case you were busy.”

“You want to have lunch with me?”

“I do.”

“I thought after—” she looked away.

“Yeah, about that.”

“This is fantastic,” Sophie said. She sat between him and Teela and her head might pop off if this back and forth kept up.

“Rick, take Sophie to lunch,” he said.

“I’m fine here. I’ve eaten,” Sophie said.

That was enough for Teela. “Sophie. For goodness sake, go with Rick, get an ice cream. Haydn, come with me.”

He grinned at Rick, who had done a lot in the game of distraction during their time together but had never been sent out for ice cream, and went after Teela. He found her in a little kitchen overlooking a gritty back alley that never saw sunlight.

“This is cute.”

“It’s cheap rent is what it is. We’re moving to something better soon.”

He should’ve kept quiet, she was defensive enough. “You and so-so-Sophie.”

“And everyone else I

gave the day off to.”