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She was relieved to set free her old ghosts, but was she setting herself up acquiring a new one?
“Hey, where did you go?” Stephen nudged her arm.
“Confusing times,” Sophie murmured.
“Your look tells me it’s about more than work.” Her friend was eyeing her shrewdly.
Sophie rolled her eyes. “Yes—OK. It’s Derek. He’s confusing me.”
“Is he acting like a jerk again?” Stephen asked sharply.
“What? No, he’s been perfect.”
“But?” Stephen was looking at her impatiently.
“Well, it’s just that…” She felt her face flush and then lowered her voice. “After some wild and primitive sex last Sunday, we have not had sex since.”
“Sweetie, it’s Wednesday. Two days without sex does not make it the end of the world.”
“Are you forgetting the man in question here?”
Stephen’s lips curved downwards as he nodded in agreement. “You have a point.”
“Well?”
“Well what?”
“Any advice?” Sophie asked, exasperated.
“Jeez, chill sweetie. I have an idea, let’s call Beth and analyze Derek Lockwood to death.”
Stephen brought out his phone and punched a speed dial number.
“I can’t leave without Derek.”
“Since when do you do as you’re told?” Stephen teased.
Sophie shrugged. “You have a point.”
* * *
Sophie debatedthe lunch choices before picking a Cuban sandwich and handing the menu back to their server. The lunch cafe in old town Alexandria was quite a way from Silver Fire Research but for the first time in her life, Sophie found the lab a bit stifling, like she wanted to get away from it for a while. Beth was debating whether to get a glass of wine or a craft beer with her fish tacos even as Stephen was glowering at her. He was starving and had not even looked at the menu when he ordered his lamb burger.
“You girls are crazy wanting to sit outside in this heat,” Stephen complained as he loosened his tie. He had earlier discarded his suit jacket. July in Northern Virginia was unpredictable but was frequently hot and humid.
“You’re the one who keeps insisting on wearing a suit, Stephen,” Sophie reminded him. She had dressed casually this morning in an embroidered white linen blouse, capris and espadrilles. Derek had raised an eyebrow at her casual attire but at the moment she didn’t care.
“So what’s going on, baby girl?” Beth asked.
“What? I can’t just have lunch with my best friend?”
“It’s the middle of the work week, and I thought you were backed up at the lab, what with the days you were closed.”
“The projects that matter are on track,” Sophie replied, thinking of her business with MDI. Their meeting yesterday had been brief. MDI knew how to hire good people. Their design engineers were brilliant, and Sophie had no difficulty explaining to them how to leverage the infinite power of enriched zefinium. “The plans on rebuilding the house had stalled.”
“That’s because you want to re-design it,” Stephen reminded her.
“Not all of it.”
