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DANA’S HEART PULSED faster. She drew in a deep breath to try to calm the fluttering in her chest.
He’s just a guy, Dana. Relax already. Answer that darn phone.
She finally picked up the ringing phone.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Ms Sweet. It’s Detective Anders. You called?”
“Um...well, yes, Troy.”
She caught Katie grinning and making funny ‘in-love’ expressions from the corner of her eyes. Katie then shook her head and went back into the kitchen.
Just then Truffles scooted over to her and climbed on her lap. Just what she really needed, a cuddly friend in case her conversation went the wrong way.
Was she really going to ask him out? She’d never asked a guy out before, it had always been the opposite. But then again, look how those relationships turned out? Maybe she should be like Katie and try it for once, be bold. Go for what she wanted.
“I wanted to speak with you about the victim’s button.”
Well, so much for asking him out and small talk. Dana just didn’t have the nerve. That dang fear of rejection was way too strong for her right now, like steaming black coffee in a cup.
“The victim’s button?”
“Yes. Remember what we just spoke about earlier?”
“Yes, I do.” He sighed deeply.
Did he feel that she was wasting his time?
“I tell you what,” he said. “Would you like to go for a bite to eat? I can pick you up in an hour.”
Waves of pleasure washed over Dana. She didn’t know why, but she was ecstatic that he’d asked her to go out for a bite. Maybe it was true that some cops could read minds, especially detectives. They were good at picking up on people’s emotions, weren’t they? It must be that natural instinct thing that made them good at being cops in the first place. One thing was for sure, she didn’t think she could ever fool Troy for some reason. He could read her like a recipe book.
“Sure, why not?”
* * *
LATER, A SENSE OF INADEQUACY swept over Dana as she rummaged through her closet trying to find something nice to wear.
Her best friends, Katie and Truffles sat on the bed, watching her. It was way too funny.
“I told you to wear that nice black number,” Katie sighed, flipping through an issue of Cosmo.
“But I don’t want him to think I want him.”
Katie rolled her eyes. “That’s exactly what you want him to think, cuz. You need to stop with the man-repellant attire.”
“Man-repellant attire?” Dana shot back defensively. “My clothes are not man-repellant, thank you very much.”
“You would think so? You always wear bulky sweaters.”
“With leggings and knee-high leather boots,” Dana added.
“Your hair is always up in a granny bun. I swear sometimes, Grandma Rae used to dress more youthful than you.”
Dana sighed heavily. “I guess you do have a point.” Grandma Rae was very stylish for her age and looked very young. Dana missed her like crazy. She knew that if she were here with them now, she’d give Dana the perfect advice.
A flash of loneliness stabbed at Dana.
Katie was right. Dana always made sure that stuff at the café was taken care of, but Katie and Bea would practically have to drag her down to Bea’s salon to take care of herself. Had she subconsciously made sure she was so busy that she didn’t give that much energy to taking care of herself first? Like really pampering herself and making herself all glamorous and everything. Just because she was a small business owner who worked practically twenty-four hours a day, didn’t mean that she couldn’t take time for herself and focus on what really mattered.
She held up the black hip hugging dress that she’d bought back in Manhattan last year. She hadn’t had a chance to wear it. She’d bought it when she was supposed to be going out with her ex to officially announce their engagement. But that never happen, did it?
She’d tossed it to the back of the closet when she moved to Berry Cove and forgotten about it until Katie pulled it out and placed it on the bed for her to wear.
Her mind swirled with doubts on whether or not she could be sexy again. Of course, she could. She was still young, right?
“I think on a subconscious level you don’t want to attract men because you’re afraid of getting bitten in the butt again by a heartbreaker, but trust me, this Troy Anders guy is the real deal. He’s so hot,” Katie added.
“Because he’s so hot, he’s the real deal?”
“No, no, girl. You know what I mean. He’s got it going on in every direction. He’s successful. He’s strong, handsome, protective, intuitive, sinfully sexy. Did I mention sexy?” Katie winked.
Truffles seemed to purr with delight too, as if she agreed.
Dana had a thick sweater on the bed that already had a hole in it and the string coming loose. She was going to wear that with some leggings and her boots, her easy outfit.
But then Truffles got up from where she sat on the bed and started to fuss with the sweater.
Her little kitty started to tug at the sweater again.
“Truffles, no, sweetie.”
But it was too late, her sweet little claws got tangled in the thread of the sweater and started to pull on it.
Katie couldn’t help but laugh. “See, I guess Truffles agrees with me. That ugly sweater’s got to go. Well, you can’t wear that anymore once she’s done with it.”
Dana couldn’t help but laugh, too.
Maybe Truffles was special after all. She seemed to have some super instincts going on for her.
Well, that settled it then.
The black dress it would be.