“Aha! Got you little bugger.” Charlotte enjoyed debugging better than coding. She leaned back in her chair. As the CEO of her company, she didn’t get the chance to do much technical work. This morning, she’d come in early, needing the distraction. She peered at the screen, shoulders hunched. Still more bugs to find.

The office door squeaked. She jumped.

“You’re here already?” Karen clomped over and dropped a stack of mail on her desk. Why was her assistant smirking?

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. “Okay what’s up?”

Karen placed her hand on her chest. “Me? Nothing.” She stepped closer. “What’s up with you?”

“Work.”

“What about the phone call you got last night?”

She slumped. “That’s why I’m here now. To forget.” 

Karen bent forward. Her dark hair brushed the top of Charlotte’s desk. “Oh no. I thought you liked him.” Had Karen lost her mind?

Charlotte leaned away from the desk. “Liked who?”

Karen straightened. “Dennis didn’t call last night?”

A knot formed in Charlotte’s stomach. “Oh, I turned off my phone after Mom called.”

“What now?”

Charlotte groaned. “She’s threatening to move here.”

“Visiting for a month at a time isn’t long enough?” Karen glided toward the door. “At least she wouldn’t be living with you.”

Charlotte snorted. “That’s what you think. I’d have to move out of my condo to avoid it.”

“No.” Karen’s eyes widened. 

“That’s what she says she wants.”

“What did you say?” Karen raised her eyebrows. 

Charlotte shrugged. “What can I say?”

“Try ‘no.’” 

Charlotte pursed her lips. “Come on. You’ve met my mother.”

“And I always marvel at how well adjusted you are.” She shook her head.

“Yeah, right.” Charlotte buried her face in her screen.

Karen cleared her throat. 

“What?”

“Aren’t you going to check your phone?”

Charlotte squinted at her assistant. “How would you know he called?” 

Karen rolled her eyes. “He texted me for your number.”

“Oh.” She rubbed her neck. She’d hoped he would call all day yesterday after their impromptu private dinner at the fundraiser the night before. In fact, when her mother called, she’d answered without looking, hoping it was him. But men never called her back. Not the ones she liked. “He still might not have called.”

“Or he might have. He seemed eager to speak to you.” Karen stepped toward her. “I think he’d had a bad night. Another fund raiser.”

She shuddered. “Two in a row? Ew.”

“Yeah. He said he wanted to get them over with.” Karen locked eyes with her. “So?”

“Oh, all right.” She sighed, pulled out the central desk drawer, and picked up her phone. “He left a voice-mail.”

Karen rushed to the desk. “Play it.”

Charlotte laid the phone to the side of her desk and scowled. “When you leave.”

“You know I’ll listen at the door.” Karen flicked her wrist. “Besides, I’m the one who brought you two together.”

“You mean you meddled in my life.” She blew a quick raspberry. “I’d rather you offer to host my mother.”

Karen backed up, her hands out in front of her. “No way.”

 “Go.” Charlotte shooed her out.

Karen flounced out of the office and closed the door behind her.

Charlotte glanced at her phone, then concentrated on the program. The glimmer of the phone screen intruded into her peripheral vision. Unable to concentrate, she snatched her phone and listened to Dennis’s voicemail.

At his deep voice, a smile grew on her lips. “Um. I enjoyed our dinner last night. Please let me know if you want to meet again sometime.” He couldn’t have practiced beforehand like she usually did. Did that endear him or not? 

She considered him attractive and fun, though they had nothing in common other than both being single. She groaned. Forty and still single. No wonder her mother thought she could muscle in.

Charlotte sat up straight. If she was seeing somebody. . . No. She shook her head. Her mother would be more likely to show up. 

She bit her lip. What did she want? It wouldn’t hurt to see him again. Maybe a walk in Piedmont Park down the street? She had no idea how close his apartment was, but his law practice advertised the address as Midtown Atlanta.

Or she could just text back and say she’d like to meet again. Her finger hovered over the text screen. Better to wait at least until lunch. She didn’t want to appear too eager.

Ugh. She hated dating. 

Not a minute later, she grabbed her phone and sent: “I’d love to meet again sometime.” 

She shrugged. The worst thing that could happen is he’d never call back. 

Her phone rang. Dennis. She gaped at the screen for a second before she answered. “Hi there.” Why did her pulse race?

“Hey. I hope I’m not intruding on your work day.”

“No. About to get started.” 

“Great. Uh. Listen, I’m slammed this week.”

“It’s okay. I get it.” Of course, he changed his mind. She closed her eyes.

“Are you busy on Saturday? We could get out of the city. Stone mountain?”

She perked up, no need to check her calendar. “Sure. Text the details.”

“Great. I look forward to it.”

She ended the call and let her hand go limp. The phone tumbled onto the desk. He even sounded more eager than she had. How could that be? Her skin prickled. How well did Karen know this guy? A lump formed in her throat. 

Maybe seeming too eager really was a turn-off.