Barefoot Kisses (The Kisses 7)

I stopped typing and looked up at her. “The one where an incredibly hot guy asked why I was going out to celebrate, and I didn't have the guts to tell him that I was supposed to go have dinner to celebrate the raise I didn't get.” I shrugged to try and brush away the hurt. “Winning a case just sounded better.”

“You didn't get the raise?” Righteous indignation filled her voice and it made me feel just a little bit better to know I wasn't the only one upset by it. “But you earned it! You put in more hours here than some of the attorneys!”

“I know.” I smiled bitterly. “Remind me to thank Alexa later.”

“Alexa gave you a bad review?” Darcie stomped over to the desk. I was slightly afraid she was going to pick up Alexa's stapler and throw it. “After all you've done for her?”

I plastered the biggest, most sarcastic grin I could muster and gave her two big thumbs up. “I have the greatest boss ever!” I didn't hold the smile long. “At least Louisa was still able to use the reservations. She went with her boyfriend instead.”

“How is your sister?” Darcie asked, clearing a small corner of the desk and perching on the edge.

“She's good,” I told her, turning back to the computer to finish my task. “She's loving college and being away from mom and dad. It's good for her. I'm super bummed I missed dinner with her. We've been planning this for a month. She drove up here just for this.”

Darcie's mouth twisted in commiseration. “That sucks. What about-”

“Do you know where I can find Lena the Lawyer's office?” a young man interrupted. He stood in the doorway holding two big

brown bags and looking completely lost. “Guy said it should be around here.”

“I'm Lena,” I said. “But I'm not a law-”

“Good enough for me,” the delivery guy said before I could finish. He dropped the two bags on the desk, nearly knocking Darcie off in the process.

“I didn't order anything,” I told him, frowning at the bags. “I don't have any money to pay you.”

The delivery guy shrugged. “Guy who ordered it already paid. Tip and everything.”

I reached for one of the bags, hoping to find a receipt. There had to be some sort of mistake. The food was probably for the lawyers upstairs. I looked up to ask the delivery guy for more information, but he was already gone.

“He left...” I said, staring at the empty door and then at the bags.

“Well, open it.” Darcie grabbed one of the bags, pulled it open, and started pulling out containers of food. I did the same to the other bag until all the food was laid out on the desk.

“Wow. I hope you're hungry,” Darcie murmured. There was meatloaf with mashed potatoes, salmon with some sort of rice, roasted chicken on a bed of noodles, a big bowl of amazing looking salad with three different kinds of dressing on the side, and a huge plate of decadent-looking brownies. It was enough food to feed an army.

“It must be for upstairs...” It smelled so good. My mouth watered and I hated the idea of giving it away and eating a crusty granola bar.

“Well, here's a note...” Darcie informed me, pulling a card out from her food bag. She cleared her throat and began reading. “Dear Lena, congratulations on your case. I hope this is better than pizza. Aiden.”

“Aiden?” I grabbed the note from her hand. The note was typed and very clear. “He sent me dinner. He sent me dinner?”

“Someone's got an admirer,” Darcie sang. I fully expected her to start into “Lena and Aiden sitting in a tree...”

“How hungry did he think I am?” I asked her, looking at all the food. I was having trouble comprehending just how nice it was to have someone send me dinner. He was basically a stranger, but he had listened and cared enough to send me exactly what I needed. I thought I might cry.

“Beef, chicken, fish, and vegetarian,” Darcie explained, pointing to each dish. “He was just making sure you got something you liked. I hope you got his number.”

I flipped the card over. Other than the fourteen words congratulating me, it was empty. “Nope. I didn't even get his last name. I think he was a client's assistant or something.”

“Well, he can assist me anytime he wants,” Darcie said with a wink. “If he fed me this well, I don't think Greg would even mind.”

I snickered. Greg, Darcie's husband and love of her life, would most certainly mind. Unless Aiden fed him too. Then he might go along with it.

“There's no way I'm going to be able to eat all of this. You want some?” I motioned to all the food.

“I thought you'd never ask,” she replied, handing me a plastic fork. “Polite or our usual?”

“Do you even have to ask?” I stabbed my fork into the salmon that was open in front of her. It exploded in my mouth with lemony goodness. She reached over my arm and took a heaping fork-full of mashed potatoes and stuck them in her mouth.