Otherwise Engaged Read Online Free PDF Page A

and wrapped her in a huge bear hug. “Daphne. It’s so
good to see you.”
    “Hm.” She held
him to her, enjoying his closeness. “Good to see you, too.”
    “Sorry about
my…well, me,” he said as they pulled back from each other. “Rough night.” He
gave her a lopsided grin. She wished she had nothing to do all day but stand
there and look at him. That goofy feeling she’d had all the time in college
when her crush on him was nearly unbearable washed over her.  
    “Don’t
apologize,” she said as they sat at the table she’d been saving for them. “Did
you have fun doing whatever you did last night?”
    He shrugged. “I
guess you could say that.”
    “Good.”
    “What did you
do last night?”
    “Oh, nothing
special.” She’d sat in front of her television and caught up on paperwork she’d
brought home from the office. Not very sexy.
    The server came
over, and they ordered. After the server left, Rain drummed his fingers on the
tabletop. She’d always loved his long fingers. She thought about that saying
about men with big hands. Fleetingly, she wondered if it was true.
    “Catch me up,”
Rain said. “How’s your job? You work for that non-profit still?”
    Daphne nodded.
She worked for a non-profit that was a liaison between real estate development
companies and the government of D.C. They were trying to get mixed income
housing to catch on in the city. “Things are good. Right now, we’re working on a
development in Southeast. In Anacostia.”
    “Really?”
    “Yeah.” She
went on to give him the details. They talked about that and then about Rain’s
job. The food arrived. While they ate, he told some story about Skylar, who
he’d been out with last night, making a fool out of himself in front of some
woman he’d been trying to impress with a badly failed sake bomb drinking
contest. Daphne laughed so hard, she cried. She remembered why she loved going
out with Rain so much. Rain was constant entertainment.
    “I can’t
believe Carolina’s getting married,” he said. He sat back in his chair and let
out a low whistle.
    Daphne nodded,
watching closely for his reaction. She knew how Rain felt about Carolina. She
remembered the drunken confession he’d made to her one night after what seemed
like his and Carolina’s millionth attempt at dating. He’d told Daphne if he was
going to marry any woman ever, it had to be Carolina. He wasn’t the
relationship type, but she was the one woman he’d make the effort for. Daphne
had died a little bit inside that night, but she thought she did a pretty good
job of hiding it. Either that, or Rain had been so wrapped up in thinking about
Carolina, he hadn’t noticed.
    “How are you
taking this?” Daphne asked. “Really?”
    “What do you
mean?” Rain looked toward the sidewalk as he spoke. His tone was a little
strained even though he was making an obvious effort to keep it light.
    “I mean…are you
still hopelessly in love with Carolina?” Daphne asked. She was back to being
that college girl afraid of answers to questions she shouldn’t have been
asking. What was she talking about? She’d given up on Rain years ago. She was
almost certain of that.
    Rain laughed
softly. “Oh, Daphne. The words hopelessly in love and the name Rain Foster
don’t go together. Never have, never will.”
    “Oh.” She
wasn’t convinced. Something in the slump of his shoulders and the way he still
had his profile turned to her told her she wasn’t getting the whole truth. She
studied the angle of his jaw. He still wore the glasses, hiding a good portion
of his face from her.
    “So. You seeing anybody these days? Come on. You still haven’t
caught me up on half of what’s going on with you.” He turned to his plate began
wolfing down the rest of his steak and eggs.
    “Nah. Single,”
she dragged out the second word, thinking about just how true it was. She hoped
this conversation wouldn’t go like the one she’d had with Bettina yesterday.
Then