e bags and headed for the door. Cade let him out and came back
to lean against the desk.
When he didn't ask, Mandi said, "UPS is easier. Safer for the stuff in them,
too."
Nodding, Cade said, "Figured that."
She parted a finger from her cup to indicate Cade's cup and asked, "You
don't like champagne?"
"Nah. I'm more of a beer person. Or Dr Pepper. Or gin and bitter lemon."
Andrea's snort almost startled him.
When he looked at her, she said, "I just don't believe this, that's all. Gin
and bitter lemon? Me, too. I didn't think anyone else drank those."
"Hm," said Cade. "Horses, cats, gin and bitter lemon, and gorgeous eyes.
That's a damned good score so far. Will you be very surprised if I propose to
you later, ma'am?"
"No, probably not. Will you be very surprised if I accept?"
Cocking his head, Cade said, "Oh, yeah. I'm pretty sure I would be. You
can't look that delicious and not be married if married is what you want to be."
"Maybe I'm just waiting for Mr. Right."
Shaking his head, Cade said, "Nope. Doesn't seem to fit. Can't say exactly
why, but I don't think that's the answer."
Mandi laughed and asked, "Did I tell you he seems to be fairly smart, too?"
"Yes, indeed you did. Notice how he mixed that compliment with undeniable
logic before he stated an intuition?"
Standing up, Mandi said, "Sure did. If nobody's going to drink any more
champagne, I think it's dinnertime."
Andrea and Cade agreed and they trooped out of the room and down the hall to
the elevator, which was moving with a bit more alacrity since the convention
crowd had begun thinning.
Cade had expected Andrea to produce a car and simply drive them to the
restaurant she'd mentioned, so it surprised him a bit when Mandi poked the
button for the top floor.
During the ride up, he considered a few things. Mandi had likely spent some
time discussing him with Andrea. Call it a briefing of sorts. She'd known about
his cats and his preference for gin and bitter lemon was in his records.
Horses were another matter; he couldn't remember having mentioned his
childhood horse to Mandi, but John knew about Cloud and knew Cade had owned part
of a riding stable in Germany back in the seventies; after all, the agency had
used the place as a meeting point dozens of times.
Andrea was nearly six feet tall and had striking eyes. John might also have
mentioned Giselle, who'd had sim