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Have you ever had to have lunch with your lover’s fiancé? It was a first for me, too There were four of us at lunch, but only one of us was new to half the table Dr Ellen Radborne was about th brunette hair that I ht was black, but my hair was black, so I knew hers was really just dark brown Her eyes were brown, like ain mine were a little darker She had a pale summer tan, to my nearly white skin, but then my skin never tanned, it just burned, and then went back to being pale She was curvy, h the chest as me, but no man who liked breasts would coh not as fit as I, but then I doubt she needed to hit the weights and cardio as hard for her job as I did for mine

We’d chatted through ordering food, eating food, and finally ordered coffee and tea, and still they hadn’t brought up anything serious, or anything to do with the reason for thisI hadn't had to endure this much small talk in years We’d learned a lot about each other, but unless ere looking to date, I didn’t see the point

She taught college level biology, and continued to do research field work in the suirlfriends he’s had He certainly had a type, as if only the naed for his short, dark haired wo it was alo, cli, and all sorts of outdoor stuff I had, at one time, enjoyed all of that, but my job as a U S Marshal for the preternatural branch didn’t leave me much room for hobbies

My gym time was more serious, because my life could depend on how fast I could run, how hard I could hit, and just how tough I could be Dr Radborne probably didn’t have to worry about any of that It meant I could have out arm wrestled her, but she probably had a more reasonable work schedule

We sat across fro, but her eyes were a little uncertain, and I was trying very hard not to make my eyes look empty Most women took eyes that were too neutral as unfriendly Men understood that sometimes you didn’t want to smile, but you weren’t mad either, while women expect other women to be pleasant, and if you’re not they think you don’t like them There are so many reasons that most of my friends are men

The only saving grace to this Saturday lunch fiasco was that eren’t alone, though in some ways that also made it more aard I was still happy to have a hand to hold onon the arm of her fiancé across the table from us

The us was Micah Callahan, as the saood doctor and ht Micah earing a forest green t-shirt that was actuallyfor a t-shirt, but since it also made it petably soft and looked fabulous on hireen around his irises more vibrant, and the circle of yellow on the outside of theold, so that his eyes were even le of his dark skinned face He still had his su but shorts, so he was dark and his eyes were jewel-like in the almost feminine beauty of his face The shirt also fit every curve of his upper body, showing just how much muscle was under there He had broad shoulders for his size, and a nice chest that went down to a waist so slender we could share some of our jeans, but in too ht for every ounce of y beside Dr Ellen Radborne

Richard Zeeman was 6' 1" and had always muscled easily, and it showed in his broad shoulders, iainst his own cotton t-shirt, which was also forest green It hadn’t occurred toDr Ellen had asked Richard to ask what I earing, so that I’d had to think about it ahead of time more than I normally would for a Saturday I’d told her jeans and a t-shirt with boots, because it was fall I earing skinny black jeans tucked into some really nice boots, and a silk t-shirt that matched Micah’s except for color -- ht out the flaured I’d need soht, but Ellen had worn more ordinary blue jeans tucked into dressy broboy boots, and a button up dress shirt in a blue that complimented the jeans more than her skin tone, or at least, that was my opinion, which I kept tonearly identical t-shirts, and that they both had their summer tans and looked fabulous in them Micah looked better in his, but it was the eyes Richard’s eyes were a deep, even, milk chocolate brown, lovely eyes, but they couldn’t co jeans, Micah in black, Richard in blue, so again we each coordinated with our other half Micah earing black cordovan leather designer shoes so that with my three inch heels I was actually taller than he was, but he never cared, he was secure in all sorts of ways Richard earing brown hiking boots, which was one of his favorite types of shoes on the weekends

Richard’s hair fell in foa enough sunlight I knew that there were threads of coppery red in it, so that saying he had brown hair never did it justice Micah’s hair was curly, not wavy, and he normally wore it back in a pony tail, or a braid of some kind, but since this lunch was supposed to help Dr Ellen understand that I had other yummy men in my life so I didn’t need to steal Richard from her, Micah had left the hair unbound around his shoulders so that it trailed deep brown chestnut curls to th, and I realized, weirdly, that both Richard’s and Dr Ellen’s hair was just past their shoulders They say that after awhile couples begin to look alike

She gave Richard’s arh his, and then sat up more evenly in her own chair “Well, this is ht it would be,” she said

“It’s about as aard as I thought it would be,” I said

Micah squeezed my hand under the table, a silent bid for me to play nice I smiled harder, and did my best to push it up into my eyes

“I’m sorry, I did force this on all of us,” she said, and she looked genuinely uncomfortable

I sighed “I’m sorry, Ellen, I just meant that Miss Manners doesn’t cover this, and I don’t knohat to say either”

She smiled a little uncertainly at me, but nodded, and took Richard’s hand across the white table cloth “Do you understand why I wanted to meet?”

I shrugged, because I couldn’t think of anything good to say Richard’s agenda for the lunchhad been to reassure his recent fiancé that I had otherto steal him back and keep him all to myself Why did I feel ed Richard this lunch? He wasn’t an ex-lover, but a current lover, and Ellen knew that, so socially aard didn’t even begin to cover today’s little event

I tried to take a sip of the coffee in front of me, but the smell alone made me put it back down Weird, but it just smelled bitter Micah hadn’t touched his either; maybe it wasn’t just me Richard and Ellen had both ordered different kinds of hot tea, though they weren’t drinking either I think we’d all ordered sier without the waiter bitching

Micah said, “You wanted some reassurance”

“Yes,” she said, slance went back toto end up reassured”