“In all honesty, I did arrive early. I’d be pleased if you’d accompany me to lunch Ginny,” said Patrick. “Right phrase, so this is the one Cal is trying to set me up with. Might as well see how it goes,” Patrick thought.
Ginny hesitated for just a second. “Oh, Okay. Cal would you let Meg know to listen for the phones?” she asked as she stood up and grabbed her coat and handbag.
“Sure Ginny. Have a good lunch you two,” said Cal as he and Peter headed back to the warehouse.
Ginny nodded and headed out the door with Patrick. “I take it you’re a steak on the rare side kinda guy?” she asked. Her nose told her he was a shifter, but she still asked to be polite.
“Yes, and I hope you know a really good place for a meal,” he said. “I feel half starved. Breakfast was about five hours ago.”
“Oh geeze. I know just the place. It does organic hamburgers and lamb burgers to order,” said Ginny.
“Lamb?” he asked.
Ginny nodded.
“Then what are we waiting for?” he asked as they headed for her car. A minute later, they were out of the parking lot and heading down the street.
Cal and Peter watched from the loading bay. Tentative smiles crossed their faces.
“What big order from Wintronics?” asked Peter.
“Oh, the one I fabricated an invoice for yesterday with Luc and stuck on Ginny’s desk,” said Cal. The two men laughed.
*
Luc watched as Ginny’s car turned into the parking lot just as he was locking the door. Meg was standing next to the car watching.
“Where have you been?” asked Luc as Ginny got out of the car. He watched a man get out of the passengers side of the car.
“Um… Cal’s cousin came by and Cal had to work, so I took him to lunch and then we talked and I drove him around town and well,… I lost track of time,” she said.
“Hi, I’m Patrick Dorret,” Patrick said as he walked up to Luc. “You must be Luc Moreau, Cal’s boss.” He shook Luc’s hand with a firm grasp.
“Yes, I am. Nice to meet you. This is my mate, Margaret Stewart,” he finished as Meg walked up to the two me.
“Just call me Meg, and ignore him if he starts growling and getting all protective,” said Meg. She’d realized that Patrick had to be a shifter by the graceful way he walked and the easy way he had about him. He moved like Andrew and Luc.
“Nice to met you Meg. Ginny and I have been talking about how you saved Luc from being grizzly bait,” he said.
“Ah, no family secrets eh?” said Meg.
“No, none at all,” said Ginny.
“So, are you going to show him where Cal lives since Cal left about twenty minutes ago?” Luc asked.
“I guess I am,” said Ginny. “Sorry about dominating your afternoon Patrick,” she said to him.
“No problem. That was perhaps the best lamb burger I’ve had in ages,” said Patrick. “Plus, the conversation was delightful.”
Ginny smiled. “Shall we go?” she asked. “I promise to drive slow.”
“Okay. Just give me a minute to get the car started,” said Patrick as he headed off to his Subaru.
Luc headed for his car and Meg followed. Both of them buckled in and watched as the two cars left the parking lot.
“YES!” shouted Luc the moment the two cars disappeared out of sight.
“Good grief! Think you were loud enough?” Meg asked.
“Maybe,” Luc said with a smile. “I think that the cousin is going to work out,” he said as he leaned over and kissed Meg.
“You’re awfully certain after meeting the man for five minutes,” she said.
“Ah, but you see, I have a nose. A nose that smells all sorts of lovely things like pheromones. Ginny’s all said ‘YES’ and so did his. I’ll be surprised if Ginny makes it to work in the morning,” he said. “Plus, he drives a Subaru.”
“What?” asked Meg wondering where the kind of car a person drove fit into this mix.
“Yeah, a Subbie! Haven’t you noticed that most of us drive them?” Luc said with a smile.
Meg thought for a moment. She started counting cars on her fingers. “Am I the only one in this company that doesn’t drive a Subaru?” she asked.
“Yes, and that is why I said he was a good match too,” Luc said.
“But, is this a local phenomena? Or is it some planet wide conspiracy?” she asked.
“Just local, but it’s a good sign,” he said.
“So, you think they’ll jump each other that fast?” asked Meg changing the subject.
“Yes, I do. It all depends on how well Cal handles things this evening,” said Luc.
“Cal? Not Ginny or Patrick?” asked Meg.
“Yes. Cal has to make it easy for Patrick to be with Ginny without it looking like he asked his cousin to come by just for Ginny,” he said.
“Okay, I can see that,” she said. “Since we aren’t chaperoning them, how about we go home and see how some of that lingerie I have goes over with you tonight,” Meg said.
“I like that idea. Lamb burgers for dinner first?” he asked.
“Definitely!” said Meg.
Luc started the car and headed for their favorite burger joint.
*
Ginny drove away from Cal’s house as Patrick parked his car and headed inside. She pulled out into traffic and headed home feeling happier than she had in a month. “Damn he smells good and pushes all the right buttons,” she thought as she shifted in her seat. “Wonder if he’d be interested in sex?” Ginny’s thoughts were interrupted by a honk from the car behind her. She looked up to see that the light had turned green. She headed home.
Pulling into the driveway, she saw that George was there, but Sandy’s car was gone. She grabbed her stuff and headed inside. She dropped her bag by the coat rack and hung up her jacket. She could hear a little bit of noise, but no kids. Walking into the living room, she saw why. George was racked out on her couch covered in a mound of small children raptly watching a Pixar movie.
“Hey George,” she said softly.