Camy Tang - Sushi for One?

“Yeah, Richard told me.”

“How do you know her?”

“From… the gym.” His eyes drifted left.

“You really think we look alike?” Lex almost didn’t want to hear his answer. Trish had a bubbly personality. Trish had a decent cup size and curvy hips. Trish attracted men like Fight Night in Vegas.

“You look exactly like her.”

She realized he was studying her face. How weird. “Naw, she’s prettier.”

He shook his head – smart man. “Do you… go to the same church?”

The way he said the word made Lex uncomfortable. “Yeah. Santa Clara Valley Asian Church.” Although come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Trish on Sunday last week.

Aiden blinked, and a glass shutter dropped over his eyes. He still had that bland, polite smile, but suddenly he seemed farther away from her, even though he hadn’t moved an inch. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“Do you go to chur – ” From the corner of her eye, Lex saw Robyn finally break with Jill and move toward the registration table. “I’m sorry, Aiden, but I need to grab Robyn about something. It was nice meeting you.” She dashed off after Robyn’s figure weaving between the crowd of volleyball players.

“Lex!” Richard stepped in front of her.

Lex tried to sidestep, but he moved with her. She stabbed an accusing finger between his eyes. “What’s the big deal, bucko?”

He jumped back before she poked his eye out. “Uh… You didn’t like Aiden?”

“We had nothing in common. What’s with you playing Love Connection?”

Richard winced. “Consider it an attempt to make up for George. I feel bad about that.”

Lex searched for Robyn. She thought she saw her bright yellow T-shirt in the crowd. She whipped back to Richard with her best menacing glare. “You stay out of my love life.”

“Did Aiden tell you he knows Trish?”

“Yeah, so?”

“Remember when she had to have physical therapy for her shoulder?”

“You mean that injury from work? Aiden was her therapist?”

“At first. Then she got transferred to another therapist at his facility.”

“And this is important to me, why?”

Richard’s expression baited Lex. “Trish made a move on Aiden, but he wasn’t interested, and he got her transferred to another therapist. She was so peeved that when she found out Aiden’s agnostic, she made a big deal about not dating him because he isn’t Christian.”

Oh good one, Trish. Way to make Christian girls look stupid. Lex rounded on her atheist brother. “So you introduced him to me to see if I’d diss him too? You dork.” She had dissed him, but it was because she had to talk to Robyn, not because he wasn’t Christian. “We didn’t even talk about religion, so it doesn’t matter.” She stuck her finger at his face again. “In case you missed it the first time – Stay out of my love life. I don’t want to date any of your friends, because they’re all just like you.”

Richard spread out his arms. “What’s wrong with me? I’m chaaah-ming.” He laughed.

Lex growled and bopped him on the shoulder with her fist. “I’ll deal with you later.” She dashed after Robyn.

“Let’s go.” Aiden hustled past Spenser, who was flirting with a cute volleyball player in a sports bra.

With a hasty goody-bye to the underdressed girl, Spenser followed him to the parking lot. “Already? I thought we were going to stay to watch the whole tournament.”

“I didn’t think athletic girls were your type.” Aiden hit the button to deactivate his SUV’s car alarm.

“They’re not.” Spenser grinned. “She came up to me, buddy.”

His gregarious friend attracted girls like stray dogs to a sausage truck. “Well, I’ve seen enough volleyball today.”

Spenser opened the passenger side door. “So are you going to listen to me and learn to play volleyball?”

Aiden hesitated.

“What’s the problem?” Spenser climbed in and buckled his seat belt. “You get so many clients with volleyball injuries, it’ll only add to your reputation to play it and understand the sport, the kinds of injuries.”

Aiden glanced out his window back toward the park, picked her out as she talked to a shorter Asian woman with a yellow shirt. Lex stood slimmer than Trish, more graceful. Deeper voice, more outspoken.

“I saw you talking to her.” Spenser’s voice had that ribbing tone.

“I’m a masochist.”

“What do you mean?”

He didn’t answer. He should have left it alone. Shouldn’t have reacted when Richard carelessly pointed out his sister on the grass volleyball court.

“Who is she?”

“You remember that girl, Trish?”

“The one who came on to you?”

“That’s her cousin.”

Spenser peered at Lex again, brows knit. “Is she anything like Trish?”

“She’s Christian.” That sealed it for him. Yup, his interest in her had officially ended.

Spenser sighed but didn’t bring up the religion argument again.

Belatedly, Aiden realized the indirect insult. “No offense.”

Spenser cocked an eyebrow at him. “None taken.”

He started the engine. Maybe it was a good thing he’d met Lex. She looked just like Trish, except way more attractive. He should run in the other direction.

But she’d been beautiful playing on that volleyball court…

She’d also been blunt and borderline rude. His attraction had taken a nosedive when he realized she didn’t feel the same physical pull that he did.

He started to pull out of the parking space when a horn blared. He hit the brakes. A hefty Explorer roared past.

Great. Just thinking about the girl would get him killed.

Lex’s heart thudded from her chest down to her stomach as soon as she walked in the glass doors Tuesday morning. Directly ahead of her, the conference room was jam-packed with her coworkers.

She checked her watch. 9:15 a.m. She had stayed until almost eleven last night – Everett had checked in on her before he left at seven – so she knew she hadn’t gotten an email or a phone call about an all-hands meeting.

She tried to discreetly edge into the room, but Everett threw her a nasty look from his seat on the far side. She remained standing by the open door, next to Jerry, who swayed visibly. He bumped into her arm. She took a side step away.

The admin’s whining voice carried over everyone’s nodding heads. “And so, because of all the extra work I’ve been getting, from now on you have to submit a copy of this form – ” She waved a white sheet -“in triplicate, a week before you need it done. No more last-minute things.”

“Even for a customer?” Anna’s incredulous voice burst out.

The Gorgon admin’s cheeks colored a dusky orange. “Well, if it’s for a customer – ”

“Everything is for customers. We don’t ask you to pick up our dry cleaning.”

Lex almost burst a sinus trying to stifle her sniggering. The admin did exactly that for Everett because she had a crush on him.

The Gorgon babbled, trying to regain control of the situation.

Lex’s mind wandered. She had a lot to do today, and sitting – or in her case, standing – in a useless meeting meant she’d need to stay late again.

When the meeting finally broke, Lex hurried to her desk.

Yup, she had an email. Sent this morning at 8:30 a.m., calling for “an important mandatory meeting” at nine.

“Lex, I want to talk to you.” Everett appeared at her elbow, blowing steam. “In my office.”

A hissing, fizzing pressure started to build in her gut. No way. He knew Lex had stayed late last night, so her being fifteen minutes late this morning shouldn’t be a problem.