Sweet On You - By Kate Perry Page 0,20

working, she flips out. And she's picky about the jobs she takes."

"That's a good thing though. I'm picky about the clients I take on."

"But you wouldn't turn down clients who forward your career."

"I might, if they were a pain in the ass." He pointed at her with his fork. "But Daniela's being stubborn about something that's bothering you."

"Is it that obvious?"

"You're like an open comic book." He smiled. "Tell me about it."

"The Food Network wants her to do another show but she won't even let me tell her the terms." Marley picked at her salad, thinking about it. "She's got something else going on, and it's distracting her from her business, and I can't figure it out."

"Maybe she met a guy."

"Daniela?" Marley frowned, trying to picture that. There were always men who wanted her boss. And why not? She was petite and striking and passionate. But Daniela was always disinterested in getting involved beyond a fling every now and then. "I don't know. Whatever it is, I need to figure it out soon."

"You will," Brian said confidently.

"Why are you single?" She studied him, trying to puzzle him out. "You're nice, employed, and decent looking."

"Gee. Thanks." He rolled his eyes.

"It just seems like you'd be able to find dates without employing a matchmaking service."

He blushed. "Actually, Valentine and I dated very briefly. We weren't good together, but we stayed great friends. She asked me to do this favor for her."

Marley stared at him and then started to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

She shook her head, trying to catch her breath. "So all those questions she asked me about how many children I wanted were in vain?"

"Actually, Valentine is good at matching people up. She comes by it naturally. Her mother and grandmother were both matchmakers. She's just awful at pairing herself with anyone." He shook his head. "It defies logic. Lots of guys go out with her too. They become totally devoted to her and are at her beck and call, but none of them fall for her. It's strange and ironic."

"Do you think there's one right person for everyone? Or do you think there are people who are good enough?"

"There's not one right person." He faced her, meeting her eyes seriously. "I think we find someone who clicks and then have to work to make it right. When you stop working, it falls apart. Most people are lazy and just want it to be perfect, but a relationship takes effort."

"So how is it you aren't with someone?"

"Maybe I'm waiting for Catwoman, just like you're waiting for Batman."

It wasn't Batman she was waiting for—it was Antonio Rossi. Batman was flawed but, as far as she could tell, Tony was perfect. It made winning him more difficult.

But not impossible, especially if she got Daniela to agree to the Food Network deal.

"Is waiting for Catwoman worth it?" she asked Brian on a whim.

"Hell yes, but then I seem to have a thing for surly women." He dropped some bills on the counter and then stood. "Ready?"

She nodded, surprisingly reluctant to have lunch end. She shoved away the feeling, knowing it was residual from the bike ride.

Which was just as excellent on the way home.

Chapter Ten

"Look at this." Lola held up a package. "It talks, it flashes, and it shoots."

Daniela looked up from the doll she held in her hands. "A talking and flashing toy gun?"

"Can you believe it?" She put it back on the shelf. "When I was a kid, the fanciest toy on the market was Barbie's Corvette."

"I had Barbie's Corvette, but my brother used to steal it and have his action figures cruise in it."

"I played with blocks. Do they even have blocks anymore?"

"If they do, they sparkle and make phone calls now." Winking at her friend, Daniela dropped the doll in her cart and rolled down the aisle.

Lola strolled alongside her, hands in the pockets of her hoodie. "You never told me what we're doing here."

"We're buying things." Shopping with a friend was always more fun, and doing it before they headed to Eve's house for girls' night seemed like as good a time as any.

"I see that. But who are we buying for? Your nieces and nephews?"

"I don't have any." She tried to picture Tony with children. At one time, he'd have made a great father, but now she could only see him telling his kids not to get their sticky fingers on his five thousand dollar suit. Of course, she may have been a little biased.

The jerk.

"So...?" Lola waited expectantly.

"It's