her to put him at ease. To give him just enough to smooth the crease from his brow. A nod. A half-smile.
Instead, she settled on the truth. “I’m a single mother, Duke. I have two boys.”
The shock on his face was as priceless as it was painful. Eyes wide, almost amused, Duke shook his head.
“You do?” A smile spread over his lips. “But you are single,” he said, leveling a serious look at her.
“Yes.” Somehow, despite the wild rush of adrenaline coursing through her limbs at the unplanned confession, Viv felt a grin sneaking onto her lips as well.
“Two?” He put emphasis on the word. “How old?”
“Eight. Both of them. Well,” she added with a shrug. “Almost nine.”
“Twins?” The way his face lit up reminded Viv of the old days. His genuine interest and delight at topics they’d discuss into the late night hours.
She nodded as the grin won out. “Identical.”
“Vivi, that’s amazing.” At once, he was on his feet and shuffling around the table to give her a hug.
She couldn’t deny him the embrace, but inwardly Viv was shocked by Duke’s reaction. Scents of his spicy cologne hit her just as his solid arms wrapped around her back. “I can’t believe you have twins,” he said under his breath.
Viv returned his warm embrace, tingles washing over her at his touch. “I know. It’s crazy.”
Duke pulled back and looked at her, seeming to assess her with new eyes. “I bet you’re a great mom.”
A second dose of heat rushed to her face. Viv managed a shrug. “I try. They’re really great kids.”
“Wow,” he said while making his way back to his seat. Viv sat in hers as well.
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to turn the tables on the interview here. I have a million questions for you.”
And just like that—the unbreakable layer of ice had been broken. It felt as if he was actually seeing her. The woman she was now. Or at least, a very revealing side—her role as a mother was more important to her than anything.
“How about we go tit for tat?” she suggested, forcing her mind on a question that had come up a moment ago. That’s right, Viv. Stop swooning and get back on track.
Sure, her body would cycle the residual thrill at their interaction for the next four hours, no doubt. Simultaneously, her mind would work to remind her that she and Duke had taken a very positive turn which would, in essence, keep sparking that thrill into action again.
But Viv had a job to do, and she planned to do it.
She hit record on her voice memo once more. “This is a million dollar jet,” she said, revealing that she’d done her research since boarding. “You’ve got a menu that offers the same selection we’d see in, say, a downtown deli. Is that the regular menu when you fly?”
Duke had just taken a bite of his sandwich. He dabbed his mouth and shook his head while he chewed. After a quick sip of his drink, he rested an elbow on the table. “No. Tiff has several different menus she offers during the flights, depending on our preference. If it’s a last minute flight, I let her surprise me.”
“Did Tiff pick out this one?”
He shook his head. “No. I did.”
Viv nodded, recalling the way she’d introduced him to Bizoli’s, a deli-style pub with a similar menu. His friends used to razz him about going to the hole in the wall, but he’d taken a real liking to it.
“What are your boys’ names?” Duke asked.
“Diego and Dante,” she said.
“Both Italian names…Is their father Italian?”
“No.” And she really didn’t want to talk about their father. In fact, she was wondering if he was doing the math in his head. She and Duke dated nearly their entire freshmen year, until prom hit in late spring. She’d dated the kids’ dad—more of a summer romance—for a couple of months, and had the twins nearly one year after she and Duke broke up.
“Your mom,” Duke said. “She’d always recite these Italian expressions when she got worked up. Does she still do that?”
Viv chuckled. “Totally.”
“Is she doing well, and your dad?”
Viv nodded and grinned as a memory of her own came to mind. “Yes, thank you. I remember you eating caviar back in the day. Did you really like the stuff, or was that just for show?”
Duke pushed up his bottom lip as he considered. “Probably both. It’s an acquired taste, for sure. I kept trying it as a