“Three?” He frowned. “They have to approve your dates?”
She laughed. “I don’t date very often.”
“I’d like to change that,” he said. “Maybe, if you’re free, you’d consider having dinner with me?”
He was nice. And handsome. The kind of guy that would be easy to fall into a relationship with. Maybe she should give it a try. It had been two years since she broke up with Benjamin. And there were times she forgot she was a young woman with every right to a social life.
“When would this dinner date be?” she asked. “I’m on call for…a while.” Six weeks sounded like a put-off, and she didn’t want him to think she wasn’t interested. He was definite maybe.
“After a while sounds good,” he said, smiling. “Since I’m thinking you’ll be needing more baby supplies in the meantime?”
“Probably,” she agreed.
He nodded, leveling her with a look of pure masculine appreciation.
She heard the intercom buzzer and hurried from the room.
“Yes?”
“Miss Talbot? There’s a Mr. Harry Talbot here to see you?” the doorman’s voice crackled.
“Please send him up,” she said, pressing the button.
Five minutes later, Harry arrived. His confusion was almost comical.
“What’s going on?” he asked, lugging her large suitcase behind him. “You’re shacking up with your boss?”
She rolled her eyes. “Really, Harry? I’m not shacking up with anyone.” She took the smaller suitcase from him and led him down the hall to her room. “I am helping Mr. Dean out for a while,” she explained. “Did you bring everything I asked?”
He followed her into her room. “I hope so. Nice digs,” he said. “This is only for a couple of weeks, right?”
“Maybe more.” She nodded, intentionally vague to prevent full-blown panic on the home front. She and Oscar would be making regular visits; she was certain of that. “You found the schedule I emailed? There are plenty of casseroles in the freezer to last a while. Do not order pizza every night.”
Harry sighed.
“I mean it,” she continued. “Pizza is expensive and, unless you get a second job, an extravagance we can’t afford.”
“I know,” he said. “This the rug rat?” he asked, looking at Oscar sleeping on the bed. “He’s cute. Super new, from the looks of him.”
“This is Oscar,” she said. Oscar kept right on snoozing, making her smile. “Oscar, this is Harry, my little brother.”
“He’s thrilled to meet me,” Harry said.
“Everyone’s thrilled to meet you, Harry.” She hugged her brother. “Promise me you’ll keep everything on track.”
“Jessa, I am about to graduate from college. I think I can make sure the others don’t burn down the house for a week—”
“And make sure homework gets done. If you don’t check it, it’s not done. Trust me on this,” she added. “And make sure Nate takes his asthma meds and gets to his guitar lesson.”
“And has karate on Tuesday, I know,” he said, sounding exasperated.
“Okay, fine, I’ll lay off,” she said.
Harry laughed. “That’ll be a first.”
She laughed, too. “Smart-ass.”
“So all the stuff piled in the hallway is for him?” Harry asked. “How does something so little need so much?”