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not going to do anything! Jesus, I’m not even sure if he’s attracted to me, so this entire conversation is just a waste of time. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
    Now I saw the sympathy I expected earlier. “Nothing like the fear of rejection, is there?” she asked. “Especially since your ex-husband seems to have mastered the art of escape and evade.”
    I squirmed in my chair as her words perfectly expressed the crux of the matter. The fact that Charles and I worked together wasn’t even the major obstacle. It was my own fear of rejection. Cooper Stevens abandoned more than his sick daughter when he left. He ran away from me too. As much as I hated to admit it, that screwed up my self-confidence and my ability to trust in others and, most especially, myself.
    Tanya leaned forward and grabbed my hand. “Look, I can’t tell you what to do. Just promise me that you won’t let the actions of your fuckwad of an ex keep you from finding something better. Will you give it some thought?”
    I nodded.
    She released my hand. “Okay, enough of the girlie shit. I’m too hungry for that.”
    I laughed. Her little pep talk had restored my hunger for food, even though it hadn’t cleared up much of my confusion. Still, I appreciated her efforts. We chatted about inconsequential things as we ate, settling into our usual sarcastic banter.
    As we carried our empty cartons to the trash, I spied Charles coming out of the coffee shop. My heart began to beat a little faster as he smiled and walked toward us.
    “And who is that heading in our direction?” Tanya asked me under her breath.
    I cursed my fair complexion as I felt the blood rising into my cheeks. “That’s Charles.”
    “He’s very handsome.”
    “I know,” I muttered just before he got within earshot.
    “Hi, Yancy.” He grinned down at me as he spoke, that damned dimple appearing in his cheek.
    “Hi, Charles.” I gestured toward Tanya. “This is my friend, Tanya Blake. She works at the law firm on the twentieth floor.”
    He turned his high wattage smile to her, taking her hand when she offered it. “Nice to meet you, Tanya. I’m Charles Faulkner.”
    She gave his hand a firm shake. “Pleasure, Charles.” Before the silence became awkward, Tanya looked at me. “I almost forgot. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
    Charles took the subtle hint. “I’ll see you in a half hour, Yancy. I’m going to grab a quick lunch.”
    Relieved, I said, “Great. Do you need a little more time? I don’t mind postponing the meeting until two.”
    He shook his head, already stepping back. “No, it’s fine. I’ll grab something and be back in plenty of time.” He nodded to Tanya. “Bye, Tanya.”
    She tilted her head in response. We watched as he walked away and she leaned over to whisper in my ear. “I don’t think you have to worry about the attraction issue. It’s definitely mutual.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Why do you say that?”
    Tanya scoffed. “Please, a man that’s not attracted to you doesn’t make a point to stop and say hello when he sees you. If he’s not interested, he waves and moves on.” She chuckled a little. “He also doesn’t stare at you the way Charles did.”
    I scowled at her. “How did he stare at me?”
    Her chuckle was louder. “Like he was wondering what was underneath the blouse you’re wearing.”
    “I think you need to have your vision checked,” I quipped. “Now, I have a couple of things to do in the next thirty minutes, so I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
    As I walked toward the stairwell, Tanya followed. “Be sure to touch up your perfume and lipstick. And maybe pop a mint or two. You never know what can happen during a meeting.”
    I rolled my eyes. “As if. You would never behave so unprofessionally.” As soon as I saw the look on her face, I stopped walking. “Tanya? What’s wrong?”
    She shook her head. “Nothing. And don’t be so sure about what I would or wouldn’t do, Yancy.