A Fare To Remember_ Just Whistle_Driven - Vicki Lewis Thompson [20]
Zach’s coat! She hadn’t thought to give it back to him. And being the considerate guy he was, he hadn’t asked. But that meant that he didn’t have her cell phone number if he should need to cancel tomorrow’s shopping trip.
Then Hannah smiled to herself. After that quick kiss, she didn’t think he’d cancel. She thought he might be as eager to see her as she was to see him.
What a coincidence that Mario’s networking contact had turned out to be a guy who seemed so right for her. That was amazing, considering the millions of people living here. Then again, what if it hadn’t been pure coincidence? She remembered the pictures on Mario’s dash. They’d all been couples. What if…no, that was too crazy, even for a place like New York City.
MARIO ARCHED BOTH EYEBROWS as he glanced over at Zach. “Dinner, huh?”
“Yeah, and I’d thank you not to gloat about it. This was a matchmaking deal from the beginning, wasn’t it?”
Mario cut in front of a limo. “Maybe.”
“Just as I thought. And you swore it wasn’t.” Considering how the evening had turned out, Zach couldn’t get very upset.
“All’s fair in love and war.”
Zach sighed. “Yeah, you win. She’s hot, and I’m…attracted to her. I won’t deny it. But she’s a dreamer. I don’t see her lasting more than a few days in this town.”
“Really? How come?”
“Here’s a prime example. After dinner we ran into my boss, and just like that, she thinks I should quit my job.”
“So you can get another one that pays better? Because so help me, if this is yet another woman after money, then I’m hanging up my—”
“No, she’s not another Adrienne. She’s the exact opposite of Adrienne, in fact. She wasn’t the least bit worried about the consequences if I quit. She just thinks I should get far away from Drake Medford. Never mind that I could end up on a street corner selling pencils.”
“You wouldn’t do that, would you? Quit, I mean.” Mario sounded worried.
“Not in a million years.”
“That’s good. Quitting your job is not a wise move.”
“I know that, but she doesn’t.”
“Ah, she’s new in town. She doesn’t know how tough it is to make a living here. She’ll wise up.” Mario landed on the horn as someone dared to swing in front of him. “Were you able to help her get any interviews?”
“We’ll see. The person with the best contact happens to be Ed.”
“Ah. And you don’t want to ask him for help.”
“Come on, Mario, would you?”
“Probably not. Maybe she’ll do fine without that contact. I take it you’re going to see her again?”
“We’re meeting at noon at Iris’s coffee stand.” Zach told Mario about the sage and the sprinkler incident. “I’m going to try to steer her toward more subdued stuff. I think she’ll interview better if her clothes aren’t so bright.”
Mario smiled. “I kind of like that about her.”
“Me, too. But I think she’ll have a better chance if she looks more like a New Yorker.” Zach pulled out money as they cruised to a stop in front of his apartment building.
“Nope.” Mario held up his hand. “My treat.”
“Hey, you have to stop doing this. You’ll go broke.”
Mario adjusted his Giants cap. “Don’t worry about it. I could quit tomorrow and be fine.”
“I suppose if you were careful, you could.” The thought had never occurred to Zach. “I figured you drove a cab because you wanted a bigger nest egg for retirement.”
“Nah. I love the job.” His cell phone rang. “Gotta go. Keep me informed, okay?”
“Sure, Mario. And if I didn’t, you’d probably find a way to tail me, knowing you.” With a grin, he climbed out of the cab.
So Mario loved his job. Zach envied him. These days he dreaded going into the office, especially tomorrow, when he’d be moving into Ed’s spot. Maybe he should take Hannah’s advice and quit. Then he could follow Mario’s example and drive a cab.
MARIO USED HIS HANDS-FREE device to answer his cell phone. He knew who it was. He’d called Iris on his way over to pick up Zach and Zach’s mysterious companion. She was probably dying to know