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your equipment,” he called to her. “And I’ll bring mine.”
    Mark caught the flash of her silver purse being slung over her shoulder as she closed the door. Where had that idiotic comment come from? He jumped up and clutched his head with both hands, pacing. He’d never made suggestive comments to women he’d worked with. Willing women were plentiful, he’d never had to worry about mixing business with pleasure and risking a ruinous outcome. He cursed, rubbed his eyes, and walked the length of his office to his liquor cabinet. Appraising the newly stocked shelves, he selected a fine Kentucky bourbon, and poured himself a shot.
    Tomorrow he’d conduct himself like the professional he was. He’d refuse to rise to her bait, no matter how enticing. The last thing he needed was for a nut like Ellie Sutherland to complicate his life.

3
    â€œY OU’RE JOKING.” Manny said, his eyes wide.
    â€œNope,” Ellie declared, swallowing a bite of cheese omelette. “It was him, in the flesh.”
    â€œWas he as dreamy as you remembered?”
    She nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely.”
    â€œAnd single?”
    Ellie frowned. “I didn’t notice a wedding ring, and he was kind of...flirtatious. But that doesn’t mean anything these days.”
    â€œYou said it, girlfriend.”
    â€œHe’s too stuffy, and way out of my league. He probably has a black book full of women named Muffy and Phoebe.”
    Manny touched her forearm. “You’re probably right.” Then he grinned. “So why don’t you introduce him to me?”
    â€œSorry,” Ellie said, and pulled a sympathetic face, “but I don’t think Mark Blackwell is your type, either.”
    â€œI can put on a skirt if he insists,” Manny said, pouting.
    â€œI’ll see if I can work it into the conversation today,” she offered sarcastically.
    Manny lifted a sausage link to his mouth and bit off an end suggestively.
    â€œYou’re a kook,” she said, laughing.
    â€œMe?” he asked. “Who’s the one who sneaked into the men’s room and listened to him pee?”
    â€œI didn’t see anything.”
    â€œOh, so you did look?”
    â€œNo!” She grinned sheepishly. “Okay, I peeked, but I only saw a sliver of his back. Cut the wisecracks for a minute. I have to tell you the strange things that happened yesterday.”
    â€œI’m all ears.”
    Ellie told him about the incidents with men on the street, with Steve Willis, her co-worker, the taxi driver and some of the things Mark Blackwell had said to her. “And when I got home, Steve Willis had left a message on my machine. I haven’t had that many men flirt with me in my lifetime,” she asserted, reaching for the bottle of pink tablets. “It has to be these pheromones working.”
    â€œWell, aren’t you glad they’re working? What’s the name of the manufacturer? I’m buying stock.” He reached down to stroke Esmerelda’s ears.
    â€œDo you think I’m imagining things?”
    â€œI think you’re horny. You haven’t had a relationship since...Drew, wasn’t it? That was ages ago. I’ve forgotten, why did you end it?”
    â€œHis penis had attention deficit disorder.”
    â€œOh, yeah, right.” Manny nodded. “Well, if you want to see if the pheromones are causing all the hullabaloo, don’t doll up today and see if you get the same results.”
    Ellie snapped her fingers. “Good idea.”
    Â 
    THE LAW OFFICES of Ivan, Grant, Beecham and Blackwell were several blocks away, but easily accessible by bicycle. Ellie pulled on a neon green helmet that matched her bike, strapped on her backpack of supplies and jumped on to begin pedaling away her breakfast calories. No man could possibly flirt with her at this speed.
    It was another beautiful day, too nice to be cooped up inside.