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“Luca, come in”

He ambled into the office She’d been here early, hadon picnics and ro beneath the stars That wasn’t reality Reality was the Cascade and the job at hand How easily she’d forgotten How coed to distract her

He took a seat across fro an ankle over his knee “I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier I had breakfast with Gina And she doesn’t rise early If I had known you wanted to see me…”

“You’d have what?” She folded her hands on top of the papers neatly arranged in front of her

“I’d have made myself available”

The dizzying thought of Luca h her veins, the anticipation of possibility seducing her away frooal No one had everoff for her before But for all she knew that could just be pretty words

“You’re here now And since ere out yesterday afternoon, there’s a lot to catch up on”

She began explaining about contractors and unions while he was looking at her She stuttered over a word, realizing he was gazing at her face, her neck, the buttons on her jacket He wasn’t paying attention Scratch that He was paying too much attention!

“Luca, are you listening?”

He straightened his shoulders and leaned forward a little “Intently”

Oh, indeed he was She blinked, forced herself to keep to the topic at hand “I needed to see you about these invoices” She held out a sheaf of papers “Luca, those nu the spa facilities, but the nu in didn’t make any sense to her

He glanced down at the sheets “Yes, that’s right” He tossed off the matter “What’s on your schedule for this afternoon?”

Her face blanched as she ignored his last question and focused on the fact that he’d said the invoices were accurate “Look again That deciht”

He handed them back to her “It’s all in order, Mari”

She tapped her pen against the blotter, unsure of how to proceed Surely he could see the folly in laying out soShe had seen the bill for the new draperies for the Athabasca Rooone way beyond what they’d agreed when they’d laid out the budget Now this…