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“You have to quit flirting. You’re way too good at your job. I still have men calling from dinners you worked months ago.”
“I don’t flirt,” she said, smiling to herself. “I’m friendly.”
Claudia made a sound of disbelief. “You flirt and the guys love it. That’s why I’m always delighted when you say you’ll work a dinner. Tell me about Saturday night.”
“It was an interesting group,” she answered, even though her thoughts for the past two days had focused on only one interesting man in that group. Dr. Mac, the veterinarian.
He didn’t look like a vet. More like a stockbroker. Clean-cut. Intelligent brow, strong, determined nose that looked as if it may have once been broken. Wonderful smile with straight, even teeth. But it was his eyes that had caught Cassie’s attention. They were round with just a fraction of white visible below the dark iris, which showed he possessed great sensitivity.
Which she was certain he used to his advantage. He had used his charm on her and even she, with all her practice, had nearly fallen for it. She had a feeling, however, that he was just another good-looking guy looking for an ornament to dangle from his arm. She’d met quite a few of them through the dating service.
“Sounds as if everyone had a good time,” Claudia remarked.
“So you should be happy I did my job well,” she pointed out. “It’s what you want me to do, isn’t it? Keep the conversation going?”
“Yes, it is, and I know you can’t help but be your usual charming self, but this time three of the four men from Saturday night requested another meeting with you.”
“Three?” That was unusual. Maybe one or, sometimes on the rare occasion, two would request another date with her, but three? “You did tell them I don’t share their interest, right?”
“Of course I did and two of them understood, but there was one who refused to take no for an answer. He says you told him you wanted to see him again.”
“Now that I know I didn’t do,” she answered honestly. “And you know I didn’t, either. The only reason I attend the dinners is because I enjoy dining out and being with people who are interesting.”
Claudia sighed. “I don’t know how you do it, Cassie.”
“Do what?”
“Meet so many good-looking men and not get the least bit interested in any of them.”
“It’s just a job, Claudia.”
“But aren’t you even the least bit curious to hear who it is that wants to get to know you better?”
She was. The memory of Dr. Mac, the veterinarian, smiling into her face and telling her he liked a challenge popped into her head. Part of her wanted it to be him, the other part didn’t.
“I’m not interested in dating anyone. You know that.”
“I do, but I keep thinking that one of these times you’ll forget that you’re doing a job and simply enjoy yourself.”
“I do enjoy myself,” she insisted.
“So do you want to know which client won’t stop asking about you?”
Cassie groaned. “All right. Tell me.”
“It’s Michael the veterinarian.”
At the mention of his name, she felt a tiny shiver travel up and down her spine. “Oh, it was Dr. Mac,” she said more to herself than to her friend.
“You don’t sound surprised.”
“Maybe I did go a bit overboard with the flirting, but not once did I say I wanted to see him again. I told him what I tell all the men I meet—that if he’s interested he should contact you.”
“He took that as a yes.”
Her heart fluttered at the thought. “Then you’re going to have to convince him that it’s a no.”
“I tried to, but I didn’t have much luck. What did you do to the guy?”
“Do? I didn’t do anything,” she answered. It would have been more accurate to say that he had done something to her. Ever since Saturday night he’d been occupying her thoughts far too much of the time, which was one of the reasons for her lack of concentration this morning. In the two years she’d worked for the dating service she hadn’t met anyone who’d had that effect on her.
“What part of no doesn’t he understand?” she asked a bit impatiently.
“It’s nothing to get upset about,” Claudia said in a soothing tone. “I said he was persistent, not obsessive.”
She relaxed a bit. “You’re right. We only used our first names so it’s not like he can track me down, is it? And you’ve done background checks on all your clients.”
“That’s right. I just wanted to check with you before I throw a bucket of water on his ardor. He was rather cute, wasn’t he?”
“I’m not sure ‘cute’ is the right word,” she said evasively. “‘Charming’ would have been a better adjective. He’s a player.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. I wonder why he was at the dinner. Players usually don’t need to use a dating service to find a companion.”
Claudia didn’t comment but asked, “Are you available for next Saturday?”
“Did he ask to attend another dinner with me?”
“Of course he asked, but you know I’d never do that. I wouldn’t do it to a client and I certainly wouldn’t do it to a friend.” There was indignation in her friend’s voice.
“I’m sorry, Claudia. I know you wouldn’t. Sure, I’m available next Saturday.”
They talked for another few minutes about matters totally unrelated to Dinner Date. By the time Cassie hung up the phone, she’d forgotten all about Dr. Mac.
Which was a good thing. The only reason she’d been able to accept the job with the dating service was because she truly could attend the dinners with a sense of detachment. She had no interest in meeting a suitable companion. No interest in dating. No interest in men.
A man like Dr. Mac had the potential of being able to change all of that. As she returned to her painting she was grateful that she’d never see him again.
“MOM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” Michael asked when he stepped into examining room number four and saw Tessie sitting there.
“Cleo’s not well,” she answered, nodding toward the Abyssinian that sat curled up on her lap.
“She looks okay,” he observed, lifting the purring cat from her lap.
“Oh, but she’s not. She wouldn’t eat this morning,” she answered.
“Maybe she wasn’t hungry,” he said, placing Cleo on the examining table. “We all like to skip a meal now and then.”
“Speaking of meals…” Tessie took her place next to him and watched as he did a routine exam. “You didn’t call and let me know how the dinner went on Saturday.”
So that was the true reason for the visit to the clinic. “It was fine. Just as Cleo is fine now.”
“You’re sure?”
“About the dinner or Cleo?” he quipped.
She clicked her tongue. “I know you’re a good vet. If you say Cleo is fine, she’s fine. Did you enjoy yourself at the dinner?”
“As a matter of fact I did,” he answered, reaching for a cat treat.
He watched his mother’s eyes light up at the thought. She smiled smugly and said, “I knew you would.”
“They served the most wonderful coq au vin. You would have loved it. The mushroom sauce was exquisite, prepared just the way you like it. And they had those little baby carrots in a wine sauce and escargots…you know how much I like escargots.”
She fluttered her fingers nervously in midair. “I don’t care about the food. Tell me about the people. Did you meet anyone interesting?”
“There was a very nice engineer who’d worked on that new overpass on the interstate right outside of downtown, you know, the one that opened in April. He had some very interesting observations.”
Again her fingers flailed about in midair. “I don’t care about the men at the dinner, Michael. Tell me about the women.”
He shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. They were nice.”
She frowned. “Is that all you can find to say about them? They were nice?”
“Actually, there was one who was very nice.” His mouth automatically split into a grin at the memory of Cassie the artist.
“Nice enough that you might have dinner with her again?”
He’d been debating whether or not he should tell her about Cassie the artist. Now that the opportunity had arrived, he decided the less said the better. “No. It was a very nice evening and I thank you.”
“But what about the four women? They didn’t share your interests?”
Again he thought of Cassie. “Not exactly,” he hedged. “Did you ever think that maybe none of them were attracted to me?”
Tessie gasped. “That’s impossible! Look at you. You’re the complete package.”
He couldn’t help but smile again, this time at her maternal defense of him. “Not everyone sees me through your eyes, Mom.”
“I’m not just saying that because I’m your mother. Ask any of the Mums, they’ll say the same thing.” She shook her head in bemusement. “What is wrong with the youth of today? When a handsome young man like you has trouble getting a date…”
“I can find a date,” he assured her.
She dismissed his comment with a flap of her hand. “You don’t need to pretend with me. I know that you spend a lot of your free time alone.”
Guilt washed over him. He hadn’t been completely honest with Tessie over the years. He wasn’t often without female companionship, yet Tessie was unaware of his love life. He’d deliberately kept it that way, because he hadn’t wanted her getting attached to any of the women in his life, because he knew none of them would last.
“Mom, there are other places to meet women than through a dating service,” he said gently.
“I know that, dear, but I had hoped that my gift would be a lasting one,” she said on a sigh. “You’re thirty-five, Michael, and I’m eighty-one. Time is running out.”
He pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug. “Now you stop your worrying. We have plenty of time—both of us. Your birthday gift was unique and I haven’t given up on finding a special lady.”
She pushed him away. “You haven’t?”
“No. If there’s someone out there for me, I’ll find her. You know that.”
“You always have loved a challenge, haven’t you?” she said with a knowing grin.
Yes, he did, and he didn’t consider this one to be over yet.
Chapter Three
“We’ll discuss old business first,” Louella Gibbons addressed the Mums gathered around Betty Jean’s dining room table. “We’ll start with Dr. Mac, since Tessie has to leave early for a dentist appointment.”
“Thank you, Lou.” Tessie rose to her feet, clearing her throat. “By now you all know we didn’t get the desired results we hoped for with Dinner Date.”
The chorus of groans indicated that everyone was as disappointed as Tessie.
“Maybe we should try another one?” Edith suggested.
Tessie shook her head. “It’s not cost-effective. We need another plan.”
“I agree,” Mildred spoke up. “We are better matchmakers than those dating services. I say we make up our own list of eligible young ladies and do our own matchmaking.”
Several comments supporting Mildred’s suggestion came at once.
Louella clapped her gavel. “One at a time, ladies, please.”
“I think Mildred’s right,” Agnes said. “That’s what we did for Francine’s granddaughter and look at those results.”
“She’s happily married and expecting a baby and all because we sent her on a blind date with Betty Jean’s cousin’s grandson,” Louella stated.
“But Michael refuses to go on a blind date,” Tessie pointed out.
“Then we’ll just have to get to know this girl ourselves and invite her to a Mum gathering that Michael plans to attend,” Edith stated simply, as if it would be the easiest thing in the world to orchestrate.
“Do we have a young lady in mind?” Louella asked.
“I do,” Dorothy Sandberg said with a furtive twinkle in her eye. “Her name is…”
“IT IS AN HONOR to have such a beautiful display of art in our center.”
Cassie accepted the compliment graciously, smiling at the gray-haired gentleman. “I am the one who is honored, Emmet. I can’t think of a better place to exhibit my work.”
“But you could have gone to any of the galleries in town and had your opening. For you to allow us to show these beautiful portraits here…well, it is very good for the center.”
“And you have been good to me,” she acknowledged, appreciating the assistance the director of the senior citizen center had given her. From helping her find models to sit for her portraits to making the arrangements so that she could exhibit her work at the center, Emmet Sandberg had done everything he could to help her turn her dream into a reality.
