rth it, Beth, and yours are
definitely worth it."
"Hey!" Cade snapped in mock anger, "Watch it, dude. You guys work in the
same office. You can put the make on her anytime, but tonight she's my date."
Putting on the jacket and adjusting the fit, he said, "See, Beth? An unbiased
second opinion, offered without the slightest hint of duress."
Beth snorted and said, "Unbiased. Sure. He's a man. Like he said, 'Can't
help it'."
"Finish the quote," said Cade, "'Only if they're worth it'. Need to make any
stops before we go?"
She shook her head as she slung her purse on her shoulder and said, "No. I'm
starving. I haven't eaten since breakfast."
Opening the door for her, Cade asked, "So I'm just some poor, susceptible
schmuck you're tapping for a meal, huh?"
With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Beth said, "Oh, Jesus. If you've got any
objections, now's the time, Cade."
He paused to look thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Yeah, one. No Mexican
food," and pulled the door shut.
Across the corridor, Mandi had watched and listened as Cade had led Beth
into tacitly accepting -- or at least acknowledging -- a personal compliment.
She realized that Beth was a woman who felt a need to try to be 'one of the
guys' when on duty, and she understood well the kinds of barriers such women
maintained against anything that might somehow dent that image.
Mandi also realized that Cade hadn't been in any particular need of a dinner
date. He could have simply swapped jackets and headed downstairs alone to
contend with his hunger.
As Beth and Cade waited for an elevator, Mandi studied Beth; her posture,
her figure, her vitals. Heartbeat and respiration were up slightly. Beth was
somewhat nervous, switching her weight from leg to leg, but that may have been
because she'd been on them all day.
She surreptitiously checked the lay of her clothing, tapped her earrings,
and touched her hair to make sure it was in place, then glanced at Cade, who
said, "Relax. You look fine, Beth."
Leaning on the doorframe, Mandi continued to watch them. Yes, Beth
definitely had things other than dinner in mind. Out of all the other men on the
teams, she'd decided to consider Cade, but when? Before or after he'd called her
beautiful?
He was only in his first day of conversion, so if he was very careful... It
seemed unlikely that he'd be careless with Beth, especially with two other
inadverten