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lapse was unforgivable.
    Madison groaned. He almost groaned, for several reasons, most of which were highly inappropriate.
    â€œI think perhaps you should have told her you thought her dress was pretty, and that you were sure ZZ Top meant it, too.”
    â€œI did tell her Zach meant it. But I couldn’t remember what it looked like.”
    â€œYou should have lied.”
    â€œI don’t lie.”
    She rolled her eyes and pleaded. “It’s a white lie to preserve someone’s feelings. There’s a difference. Complete honesty is not always the best policy.”
    Good point, he hated to admit. “I’ll have Zach apologize.”
    She pursed her red lips. “It’s too late for that.”
    She was probably right. She was right about what he should have said, too, but there came a time when a boss—or a man—simply didn’t know how to handle the delicate workings of the female mind. It took another woman to understand.
    â€œI suppose at this point there’s nothing else to do,” she went on. “I’ll get ZZ Top.” She rose, smoothing her skirt down. He did not look. At least not for long. She was at the door when she turned, nearly catching him in the despicable act of observing her delicious backside. “By the way, I have someone I want you to meet.”
    â€œWho? What are their qualifications? We don’t have any openings at the moment.” She constantly recommended friends for jobs. To date, he’d hired—and fired—exactly two. He wasn’t up to a third.
    â€œThis isn’t for a job. It’s a date.”
    Laurence almost choked on his own tongue. “A date? With one of your friends?” Lord help him, now she was trying to set him up. “No,” he said before she had a chance to open her mouth.
    â€œBut Lila’s a sweetie.”
    â€œDidn’t you tell me she was a pathological liar?”
    â€œNo. She doesn’t tell lies. She just makes up stories.”
    â€œLike the one about writing her memoirs.”
    â€œShe is writing them.”
    â€œShe said she had a million-dollar book deal.”
    â€œWishful thinking.”
    â€œExcept that she had a champagne party to celebrate.”
    â€œLila resonates to the reality she wants to create.”
    Madison’s friends knew a soft touch when they saw it, though trying to get her to see that was impossible. Still, Laurence tried. “That’s why she charged the caterer to your Visa account?”
    â€œShe didn’t have her glasses, and she picked up the wrong card.” Madison believed in unconditional acceptance.
    â€œFrom your purse?”
    Madison shrugged. “She paid it all back. Then she moved out. You’d really like her if you just gave her a chance.”
    He couldn’t think of a worse match. “I don’t need you making dates for me. Handling my work calendar is enough.”
    â€œI’m just trying to help you with your Family Plan.”
    Here she was, dressed to kill, her jacket unzipped to reveal enough cleavage to scramble his laptop’s motherboard, all for another man. Topping that, she had the temerity to try setting him up with one of her irresponsible friends. He was looking at her and thinking about her too much. All because of that damn phone call yesterday. It shouldn’t affect him this way—none of her other dates had to this extent—yet still, it did. “The answer is no, Madison.”
    â€œBut—”
    He held up his hand.
    â€œYou’d re—”
    â€œZzzp.” He cut her off with the sound. He’d take her over any of her kooky friends. In his present state of mind, most definitely.
    â€œBut you—”
    â€œZzp.” He made the noise between gritted teeth.
    Madison shut her mouth.
    Was he so pathetic in her eyes? She rhapsodized about a voice over the phone, wore an outfit to knock a man’s eyes out and tried to pawn