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And just like that, the heat of anger turned to embarrassment. She was standing there in a messy bun, leggings, and that ridiculous T-shirt. And no make-up. She did her best to recover the situation. “It was a Christmas present from my best friend. She was trying to cheer me up after a breakup, but it’s ancient history now.” She fixated on his brown eyes, and he stared back confidently, with a kind expression. Finally, Sara wrenched her gaze to the measuring cup and pulled it toward her.
“Gourmet mac and cheese, huh?”
She shrugged. “It seemed like a sensible first choice. Not sure I’d go so far as gourmet, though.”
“You know, I’ve got a reputation as a great mac and cheese taste tester.” Then he opened his eyes wide, as if he couldn’t believe he had just said that. He straightened, and the spell was broken.
Sara lifted the full measuring cup. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ve managed to have one conversation without a disaster. I think we should leave it at that.”
He nodded, and she was pleased to see a blush rise over his face. “Probably a good idea. Otherwise, I might spill it all over you.”
Sara turned back just before leaving. “Tell you what. If it turns out to be edible, I’ll leave a container for you at work tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 9
The next morning, Sara’s first stop was the lobby, giving front-desk clerk Martine a friendly hello as she passed by. Her pleasant expression fell as soon as she eyed the office. Hope was already at work, but general manager Patti Thomas’s desk was empty. Sara closed the door and sat down in the chair in front of her sister’s desk, crossing her arms.
Hope glanced up. “Good morning. We’re having a shut-door meeting?”
“You set me up, didn’t you?”
Hope’s face registered nothing but blank surprise, and she was the worst liar in the world. Sara had almost called her as soon as she returned from Jack’s apartment, but a cooling-off period wasn’t a bad idea, so she finished dinner instead. A container of the mac and cheese was buried in her purse, to be left in the restaurant kitchen for Jack’s lunch, as promised. She was trying not to think about the ramifications of that.
“Sara, what are you talking about?”
“You know nothing about my downstairs neighbor? Really?”
Hope’s face was blank. “No, why should I?”
Sara narrowed her eyes, inspecting her sister carefully. She reluctantly concluded Hope was telling the truth and relaxed her shoulders. “I had to borrow some milk last night. I went downstairs to meet my neighbor and kill two birds with one stone.”
“Eminently practical. But I still don’t see why you’re accusing me of a set-up.”
“My downstairs neighbor is Jack.”
At first, Hope just stared at her. Then she sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth, trying to keep a neutral expression. Sara scowled and Hope finally lost it, raising both hands to her face as she burst into laughter. “Oh my God! That’s hilarious. Did he have any water buckets handy?”
“Well, I’m glad I can provide your comic entertainment for the day. I didn’t find it funny.”
“What did you do?”
“We stared at each other for a long time. I’m pretty sure he was as shocked as I was. But we managed to have a reasonably civil conversation, and I got my milk. And escaped bodily harm too.”
“That sounds like progress.”
“You really had no idea he lived there?”
Hope held up both hands, biting her cheek. “None, I swear! Alex processed his paperwork, and I doubt he even asked where Jack lived.”
Mollified now, Sara stood. “Ok, you’re forgiven.”
“I didn’t do anything!”
“That’s why I’m letting you off so easily. I’d better get to work.”
Turning her mind back to her job, Sara headed to the spa. Selena stood in the massage room, changing the sheets. Sara leaned against the open doorframe. “It’s a crying shame we only have one massage table in here. I need to talk to Hope about that. At a romantic tropical resort, we need to offer couples massages.”
“I’ve had plenty of requests for it.”
