The Promotion (Contemporary Reverse Harem 3)

To say she looked surprised was an understatement. But I was okay with that. You had to put yourself out there, and I did just that on occasion.

She gave me a studied look, and I met her gaze head-on. She was free to turn me down—no harm, no foul. We were all adults.

“Sure.”

“Sure?” I asked.

“Sure, I’d love to get a drink.”

Well, then.

She jotted her number on a piece of paper she’d pulled from her purse. “Thank you. That would be fun,” she said.

Sparkle continued talking into her bag as they headed out the door.

I finished the last of my paperwork while waiting for the night assistant to arrive, but I had trouble concentrating. Something about Maizy, and the quiet way she helped her distraught sister, had moved me. And it didn’t hurt that she was drop-dead gorgeous.

The minute I got out to my SUV in the parking lot, I texted her.

u free tomorrow night?

To my delight, she texted right back.

tomorrow night would be great. meet at arnold’s?

I loved a woman who knew what she wanted.

c u there

Next day, all I thought about was Maizy. Through the six cats I spayed and neutered, to the stray mutt I de-loused, to the yellow lab that barfed all over my floor, Maizy—her blonde curls, big eyeglasses, long legs, and serious work look—was not far from my thoughts. I wasn’t sure what it was about her, but I sure as hell was going to find out.

When I was done with my last animal, I zipped home to get the animal smells off me with what must have been the world’s fastest shower.

I walked into Arnold’s, an old corner bar near China Town, and wouldn’t you know, Maizy was already there at the bar with her nose in her phone. But when she saw me, the phone went right in her bag, and she lit up with a huge smile.

Yeah.

“Good to see you again,” I said, settling into the barstool next to her.

“Likewise. Did you see a lot of patients today?”

I nodded. “I certainly did, but none as memorable as the rat named Cher.”

She threw her head back with a delicious laugh. “Yeah, well. That’s my sister. She’s always been the eccentric one.”

“And what about you?” I asked.

“What about me?”

“It sounds like you’re the responsible sibling. You never do anything crazy.”

She snapped her head back. “What? How would you know?”

Indignity had replaced her smile. I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing.

“You’re cute when you’re mad,” I said.

“Ugh. Don’t tell me that’s your best line.”