Sydney chuckled. “I forgot. Give me a minute to remember.”
* * *
“SORRY, YOU GUYS,” Sydney said as she rushed into Dawson’s Diner and slid into the booth next to Laura. “I got here as fast as I could.”
Isabel and Laura immediately stopped talking. With their heads together, it looked as if they’d been having an intense discussion. They were an unusual pair with Laura’s blinding yellow halter top and fire-engine red shorts and Isabel’s pink polka-dot dress.
“Are you okay?” Laura asked as she studied Sydney closely. “You look a little flustered.”
Sydney fought the urge to blush. She had taken the time to go home and change before getting back to work, but she didn’t think it was enough to hide the fact that she’d had mind-blowing sex in the mayor’s office earlier today.
She was surprised Laura hadn’t spotted it instantly. Sex was always on the redhead’s mind. But if Laura didn’t catch it, Isabel’s attention to detail might cause Sydney some awkward moments.
“I’m fine,” Sydney said. She smiled at the waitress who brought a glass of water for her. She grabbed it and took a healthy swallow. “I got your text and ran here as fast as I could. Since when does our book club have emergency meetings?”
“You ran here? The newspaper office is only a block away,” Isabel said. “Where were you?”
Sydney lowered her head. “City hall,” she muttered against the rim of her glass.
Isabel frowned. “I thought you were temporarily excusing yourself from reporting on local government.”
“It couldn’t be avoided,” Sydney said with a shrug. “Wendy had to take care of a family matter and I filled in. No big deal. I was mostly talking to the parks and recreation department.”
“Did you see Matthew?” Laura asked.
“As a matter of fact, I did.” She tried to sound casual but she felt the heat blooming beneath her skin. “I had to follow up with him on some questions.”
Isabel leaned back. “What do you think of him?” she asked with a casual grace.
Sydney smiled. She couldn’t help it. “I really admire how he takes care of the people around him. The community and his family. But it’s more than that. He’s funny and optimistic. He can be sweet and gentle. I—”
“Uh-oh. You’ve fallen for him,” Isabel said.
Sydney froze. That couldn’t be possible. She didn’t fall for a guy easily. She was careful in this area of her life. Sometimes too careful. “No, it’s too early for that.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Laura said. “You interact with him almost every day. You’ve seen him at his best and at his worst.”
That was true. Matthew had revealed a little of himself every day, and she’d been fascinated by every aspect of his character. Whenever he had faced a challenge at work, Matthew never blamed others or small-town bureaucracy. If he believed in something, he never gave up. And when he achieved his goals, Matthew didn’t gloat or take all the credit. She’d been impressed by that, and she couldn’t help but admire him.
“Notice anything different about him lately?”
Different? Sydney pondered Isabel’s question. She’d seen his romantic nature. The erotic side of him. The naked side... Sydney took another gulp of water. “Like what?”
“Wow, you are really blushing,” Laura said and gasped. “You two slept together, didn’t you?”
Sydney pressed her lips together, refusing to respond. As much as she wanted to share her joy with her friends, she needed to keep her relationship private.
Laura squealed with excitement and clapped her hands. “This would explain the smile on your face and the spring in your step. I don’t know why I didn’t catch it sooner. Good for you!”
“No,” Isabel said forcefully. “This is not good. Not good at all.”
Sydney didn’t like the sound of that. She clenched her water glass as she fought off the warning in the pit of her stomach. “What’s going on? I thought you liked Matthew. You’re the one who told me he was a great guy.”
Isabel gestured back at Sydney. “And you’re the one who told me that you needed to stay away from Matthew to protect your professional reputation.”
“I’m not going to advertise our relationship, but I don’t have to worry about Matthew using me for political gain. He’s not anything like my ex-boyfriend and he isn’t going to do anything to hurt me.”
She knew Matthew was protective of her. He didn’t have it in him to betray someone. Maybe she had fallen for Matthew. But she wasn’t worried or afraid. This time she was going to enjoy every minute of the ride. As long as it stayed secret.