LITMIR.BIZ

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Peters, who looked like George Clooney and acted like Don Juan. Though at least he wasn’t fattening.

      “Is Nathan cute?” Candy cut off a small piece of Danish and put it on her plate.

      “Yes, but …” Kim wrinkled her nose. “He’s one of those guys who had so much fun partying in college he never stopped. He and my brother still spend too much time drinking and trying to score.”

      “Oh, that type.” Darcy grimaced. “Men with the depth of a toddler pool. Keep your distance.”

      “Trust me, that won’t be a problem.” Kim ate the last bite of doughnut with obvious enjoyment. Marie forced herself to look away, then found herself gazing at the cake again and had to turn away from that, too. Damn toast. How about curvaceous hips?

      “What does Nathan do again?” Candy asked.

      “He finished the course work for a master’s in architecture at UW Milwaukee, but can’t make himself finish his thesis project. He’s surviving on odd jobs, barista in the morning at Alterra, bartender in the evening at the Hi Hat, delaying real life as long as possible is my guess.” She shrugged. “I put up with him as a favor to Kent. And his help with the rent.”

      “I say we toast new beginnings for Kim.” Marie lifted her coffee, wishing she hadn’t just said “toast.”

      “Here’s to you getting the Carter job.”

      “Hear, hear.” Darcy and the others raised their cups.

      “And …” Marie smiled at Kim. “I’ve been thinking about another new beginning for you, not lucrative, but a lot more fun.”

      Kim stopped wiping sugar off her fingers. “What do you mean?”

      “Ha!” Candy started laughing. “I know that look, Marie. You turned it on me in January.”

      “And look what happened to her. Trapped. Chained. Ruined.” Darcy shook her head in mock despair.

      Marie winked at Candy. “Kim, you set your thirtieth birthday as your deadline for Charlotte’s Web sinking or swimming. I’m thinking it’s also a good milestone for finding a man.”

      “Oh.” Kim straightened in her chair. “Well, actually I’m thinking—”

      “I’d be thinking run if I were you,” Darcy said.

      “She’s not you.” Candy grasped Kim’s forearm. “Go see Marie, she’s amazing. Dating is just what you need to jazz up life. I had a blast, and of course, I found Justin.”

      “And got your very own engagement ring stuck in a pizza.” Darcy snorted.

      Candy’s smile only got wider. “Right then pizza was as good as black velvet to me. You think you want everything a certain way, but when the guy is right, none of the showy stuff matters at all.”

      “Very true.” Marie beamed proudly at Candy. “You have learned well, Grasshopper.”

      The women burst into giggles. Even Darcy.

      “So what do you think, Kim? Come see me?” Marie pulled out her iPhone and called up the calendar. “I even have someone in mind for you.”

      Kim looked taken aback. “Oh, well, I’m—”

      “Ooh, tell us about him.” Candy leaned forward eagerly.

      “Troy Cahill. Sound familiar?”

      “Oh! Yes! Perfect!” Candy all but bounced in her seat. “Oh gosh, this is so great. He’s Justin’s best friend and his coauthor on the interactive computer manual. We can go on double dates and—”

      “Down, girl.” Darcy playfully restrained her. “The sparkles from that diamond have gone to your head.”

      “No, seriously.” Candy shook her fingers as if they were burning. “And he is sooo hot.”

      Kim laughed, her blush making her eyes brighter. Shyness might make Kim easy to overlook at first, but her smile or the occasional glint of mischief in her eyes gradually made the blond girl-next-door beauty more obvious, as well as her strength. “I was already thinking I’d—”

      “Friday, Kim?” Marie smiled approvingly at the blush. The timing was right. “Morning?”

      “Yes! Friday!” Kim threw up her hands. “I’ve been trying to tell you all that I have been thinking about dating. Because of my birthday, and then after seeing Candy so happy. Nine-thirty?”

      “Nine-thirty, Friday.” Marie chuckled, entering the appointment into her iPhone. She had picked out Troy for Kim initially, but another profile had also caught her eye, a recent sign-up, Dale Swallow. Unfortunate name, but an interesting guy. She could see him being good for Kim, helping challenge her with new experiences to grow her confidence. There was more to Kim under that reserve and shyness, and Marie had a feeling the right man could get at it. Besides, Marie wasn’t sure Troy had made enough of an effort yet to get over his old girlfriend.

      Either way, Kim was coming to see her without having put up a fight, and Marie could find her the happiness she deserved. This was going to be a piece of cake.

      Piece of cake. Mmm.

      She gave in and lifted a slice of coffee cake onto her plate.

      Goodbye toast. Hello womanly hips.

       1

      “HI, YOU MUST BE KIM.“ Marie’s red-haired receptionist extended her hand for a shake. “I’m Jane.”

      “Hi, Jane.” Kim smiled politely, refraining from pointing out that they’d met a couple of times before. The first time when Marie moved into these offices, and Kim, Candy and Darcy had brought over flowers and champagne for an impromptu celebration. Then two weeks ago, when Kim had come by to pick up Marie for lunch. “Think it will ever be spring?”

      “According to the calendar next week. But given that it’s Wisconsin …” She gestured to the counter across from her desk. “Help yourself to coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Is it snowing?”

      “Not accumulating, but it’s coming down, yes.”

      “Enough to foul up traffic and remind us it’s still winter.” Jane rolled her eyes, blue behind narrow black glasses. “Marie is finishing up with someone. She’ll be done soon.”

      “That’s fine. I’m early.” Kim poured a cup of coffee she didn’t need, since Nathan kept their apartment stocked with fresh-roasted beans from Alterra, and splashed in some milk. She was early because she’d been pacing nervously around her apartment all morning, too keyed up to get work done and not in the mood for anything else. Finally she’d figured it was better just to get going, drive slowly and hope for delaying traffic, which the snow had made possible.

      Kim had been thinking about trying online dating for a while. She’d delayed, waiting for the perfect time, hoping Charlotte’s Web would take off so she could come into a relationship from a position of confidence and financial security. However, with her thirtieth birthday looming, she realized a lot of years had gone by without a “perfect time,” and that if she won the Carter bid and was no longer constantly teetering on the brink of insolvency, she might be too busy to date. Marie pressing her for an appointment now had clinched it.

      “You can go in.” Jane pointed back toward Marie’s office, from which a younger woman had just emerged. “Marie’s got a treat for you.”

      “A treat?”

      Jane waggled her brows. “One of our new listings. Adorable.”

      “Oh.” Kim laughed uncomfortably, ducking her head when the woman Marie had been meeting with passed behind her. Being here made her feel exposed, as if she was announcing to the world that she couldn’t get dates the normal way. Whatever normal was these days. Probably being

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