When Jayne Met Erik

“It will all make sense to you when I explain,” he promised, swaying her further.

Jayne gazed into his eyes, nearly losing herself in their dark-brown depths. He was allowing her to call all the shots, letting her set up their date—or whatever it was—in any way that would make her feel safe and comfortable. Just because he had a reputation for being eccentric, that was no reason to say no, was it? she asked herself. Were he any other charming, irresistible and cute—did she mention cute?—man asking her out to dinner under the same circumstances, she’d probably say yes.

And he was awfully cute.

“Look, I’ll tell you what,” Erik said when she still didn’t reply one way or the other to his invitation. “J.J.’s Deli is right up the street. What time do you get off from work?”

“Five,” Jayne said before she could stop herself.

He smiled. “Fine. I’ll be at J.J.’s Deli at seven o’clock tonight. If you decide to come, wonderful. If you decide not to…”

His voice trailed off, and she was surprised at the depth of disappointment she heard in it.

“If you decide not to,” he said again, sighing heavily, “well, I guess I’ll survive. Somehow.”

She smiled back at him, but still couldn’t quite bring herself to accept.

“But I think, Jayne, that if you do decide to come, we could have a very nice time, and a very interesting conversation. Seven o’clock,” he repeated. “J.J.’s Deli. I hope you’ll come.”

And then Erik Randolph, eccentric, cute guy, potential multimillionaire, spun around and exited Colette without a backward glance.

And all Jayne could do was shake her head in mystification, and wonder what on earth had just happened.