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I dropped my stuff in the bottoratitude

"Thank you

And thanks for yesterday, too"

His dark eyes ith concern

"I’m surprised you’re here today"

"I need to work"

Iall twisted up and achy inside

Nothing was right in ht between me and Gideon

"Catch me up on what I missed"

Thepassed swiftly

I had a checklist of follow-ups waiting from the week before, and Mark had an eleven thirty deadline to turn around a request for proposal for a promotional items manufacturer

By the ti to just forget Gideon’s htmare and hadn’t slept well

I decided call him when lunchtime rolled around, just in case

And then I checked le alert I’d set up for Gideon’s naet an idea of what heon

The words former fiancee in some of the headlines leaped out at hter than before

I clicked on the first link, and it tookpictures of Gideon and Corinne having dinner at Tableau One

They sat close together in the front , her hand resting inti the suit he’d worn to the hospital the day before, but I checked the date anyway, desperately hoping the photos were old

They weren’t

My palh all the links and studying every photo I found

He was s reirlfriend was at a hospital with her beaten-half-to-death best friend

I felt like throwing up

Or screa hi on

He’d blown o to dinner with his ex

I ju

I picked it up and woodenly recited, "Mark Garrity’s office, Eva Trau as bubbly as usual

"There’s so for you downstairs - Brett Kline"

I sat there for a longthat sink into est to Gideon’s e-mail so he’d know that I knew

Then I said, "I’ll be right down"

I saw Brett in the lobby the h the security turnstiles

He wore black jeans and a Six-Ninths T-shirt

Sunglasses hid his eyes, but the spiky hair with its bleached tips was eye-catching, as was his body

Brett was tall and muscular, more muscular than Gideon, as powerful without any bulk

Brett’s hands ca, his posture straightening

"Hey

Look at you"

I glanced down atand acknowledged that he’d never seen me dressed up

"I’m surprised you’re still in town"

More surprised that he’d looked lad he had, because I’d been worried about him

"We sold out our Jones Beach show over the weekend, then played the Meadowlands last night

I skipped out on the guys because I wanted to see you before we head south

I searched for you online, found out where you worked, and cahtout for you now

Do you have tirab lunch?" "Yes"

His answer ca

I was pissed, extreainst Gideon, but I didn’t want tohiraphed together, in the hopes of getting caught by the paparazzi again

It would serve Gideon right to see what it felt like

On the cab ride over, Brett asked about Cary and wasn’t surprised to learn that my best friend had moved across the country with me

"You tere always inseparable," he said

"Except when he was getting laid

Tell him I said hi"

"Sure"

I didn’t mention that Cary was in the hospital, because it felt too private to share

It wasn’t until ere seated in the restaurant that Brett took off his shades, so that was the first tiliht eyebron to his cheekbone

"Jesus," I breathed, wincing

"I’e

And you’ve seen ood hits in, didn’t I?" Re on Gideon’s jaw and back, I nodded