if I wanted people to take me seriously.
The thought must have shown on my face, because my new friend frowned. Then he gave me a long, considering look, as if he had something he wanted to say but wasn’t sure he should say it. Finally, he opened his mouth and took the leap.
“You look as if you’ve had nearly as bad a day as I have,” he said quietly. “Like you could use a night off and some friendly conversation. Maybe a drink. Maybe two. And definitely some food.”
I stared at him, shocked… and pleased. Because that was one more thing that hadn’t happened in way, way too long: a man asking me out. I’d been on top for so long, and built such a reputation, that few men bothered anymore. Most men didn’t like powerful women—and they didn’t like women who were used to being in charge.
Of course, this guy didn’t know who I was or what I did for a living, and that probably had a lot to do with it. He didn’t know I was in charge of anything but a set of very lethal shoes. It must have made him braver than the average Silicon Valley male. Or at least more willing to take a chance.
I probably should have been offended. I mean who was this guy, that he suddenly thought he knew me? Making jokes about my shoes and now assuming that I’d had a hard day and that I needed to go out and get drunk? Assuming that I’d just jump at the chance to have drinks with him, like he was some Greek god and was such a gift in my life that I’d just fall right into his arms, some swooning damsel?
Well, he had another think coming. I had a daughter, for one thing, and responsibilities, for another. I had places to go and things to do and…
And actually, I realized, I didn’t. Rhea, my daughter, had robotics club after school today. She wouldn’t even be available until five o’clock, and it was—I glanced at my watch—only two in the afternoon. And even after she was finished, we’d made arrangements for her to spend the night at her best friend’s house tonight.
Which meant I’d have the house entirely to myself. It had sounded like such a good idea at the time, when I was just thinking about having some peace and quiet. Time in which I could really get some work done. Now, as off-balance as I was after that meeting, and with the thoughts I’d been having earlier still floating around in my head…
I suddenly realized that I didn’t know if I even wanted to be alone. Alone meant too much time to think. Alone meant coming up with problems that had to be solved—or problems that I couldn’t solve. It meant delving deeper into whether my life was going the way I wanted it to, and whether I actually wanted to do anything to change that. It meant second-guessing myself and my choices up to this point. And second-guessing myself was one of my least favorite activities. It led to regret, which was, for the most part, a complete waste of time.
And with all that in mind, I realized that now that it came down to it, being alone felt like the last thing I wanted.
Besides, hadn’t I told Zoe that I was going to come to the park to try to re-center myself? Maybe this was a chance to do just that. A chance to let loose and have a little fun.
“You’re on,” I said with a smile. I stuck my hand out to shake his. “My name’s Alice, by the way.”
He took my hand, the touch of his skin sending waves of goosebumps up my arm. “Jack,” he said, smiling softly in return.
Hell, I thought, for a smile like that, I might even go all out and spend the whole night with him. Who knew?
Chapter 4
Jack
I watched her smile back at me, her thoughts practically screaming at me as she thought them, and found my grin growing even larger than it had been.
Alice was quite possibly the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, all curly chocolate-colored hair and rich, almond-shaped brown eyes. She had smooth, pale skin that clearly hadn’t seen the sun in quite a while, but would have tanned to a beautiful light bronze. She looked like she’d get cute freckles if she’d let herself sit out in the sun for long enough. If she’d actually