Page 20 of Set to Love

I arch an eyebrow, leaning against the chair opposite him. “Ouch. That bad? What happened?”

He grimaces, leaning back in his seat. “Carelessness with one of our coasters in Tampa. One of my site visits didn’t go as planned.”

I decide not to ask more details about it. I learned a long time ago that the man has a knack for getting too technical when he’s explaining something. “I’m sorry,” I offer.

“It happens.” His eyes drift to the two plates. “What does Lina need?”

“She wants you to be the tiebreaker on the tiramisu offering for next week. Do you want a dark roast or the house blend to go with it?”

“Dark,” he says without hesitation. “I shouldn’t have coffee this late, but it’s been one of those days.”

I pop into the back, prep a quick cup of the heavy stuff, and bring it out. As I set it down, Theo catches my eye. “So,” he says, his tone shifting into that casual, teasing territory that only comes from years of knowing each other. “How was your outing with the theatre chap?”

I blanch. “You too?”

Theo chuckles. “Katie, it’s Lina. Would you expect her to remain tight-lipped about one of her work children going on a date?”

“No, I guess not,” I say, glancing toward kitchen. I catch a glimpse of her checking up on us through the porthole window. I shake my head and return my attention to Theo.

He dips his fork into the raspberry ramekin first. “Mmm. This is nice and light.” He smacks his lips, considering the flavor. “Strawberry?”

“Raspberry.”

“Ah.” He takes another generous forkful. “It’s delicious.”

“I’ll pass it along. And for the record, I had a great time. I’m actually taking him to Blue Spring tomorrow.”

“Good choice. I’ve heard great things about that place. I haven’t gotten there myself yet, but I’d love to take Kao—a friend sometime.”

Nice cover-up, Theo. I let it slide, pretending I didn’t notice his slip. “I haven’t been in a couple of years either.” I sigh. “I just hope we see something. Summer is dead season for manatees.”

Theo takes a long sip of his coffee. A thoughtful look crosses his face. “If it doesn’t work out, you could take him to a theme park like Neptune Bay. I’ve got a friend who works there. I can probably get you a behind-the-scenes tour.”

I stare at him, stunned. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

“Of course,” he says, then pauses, his expression turning uncharacteristically sheepish. “But . . . I might need some advice from you in exchange.”

“Sure,” I say, leaning in. “Name it.”

“Don’t tell Lina, but I, uh . . . was thinking about asking Kaori to dinner,” he says, dropping his voice as if the walls might be listening.

Finally! “Theo, that’s amazing!”

“Thank you,” he adds quickly. “It’s a work dinner. Strictly professional.”

“Of course.” I smirk.

Even though he’s trying to play it cool, the reddening tips of his ears and dazed look in his eyes tell a different story. When Cupid’s arrow flies, it doesn’t care about professional boundaries.

“I was wondering,” he continues, “if you could recommend where to get some chocolates to send her. I thought about flowers, but I don’t want it to be too much. Chocolates, I can get away with.”

“Is budget an issue?”

“No.”

“Then you want Juniper Row,” I say instantly. “It’s a high-end, family-owned shop off International Drive near the resort area. Everything they make is incredible.” I blow a chef’s kiss. “I always splurge on their English toffee when I have a spare twenty bucks. Get her the gold-dusted truffles.”

He nods, pulling out his phone to make a note. “Any other recommendations? Just in case?”