“I’m not serious all the time.” Yet even as she said the words, she realized that over the last few months she had been. She’d forgotten how to have fun. She’d moved into her dateless cave where aggravating men didn’t exist, but neither did any potentially good men-and they had to be out there somewhere. Didn’t they? Just because she didn’t currently know any didn’t mean they were merely urban myths.

Although one-night stands had never been her style, she clearly needed a change. Something to jolt her out of her cave. A night of hot sex would certainly do that.

“So-what are you going to do?”

Maddie grabbed a pea pod with her chopsticks. “Pack my sexiest lingerie and find a fireman to put out this damn inferno inside me.”

Emma grinned. “ ’Atta girl. And don’t you dare chicken out. I’ll expect a full report Monday. Let’s meet here for lunch.”

“Fine. Hopefully I’ll have something interesting to tell you…” Her words trailed off into a low groan and she scooted low in her seat. “Damn. What’s he doing here?”

“Who?” Emma whispered, leaning close and looking around furtively.

“Jack Walker.”

Emma’s blue eyes widened. “The Demon CFO of Java Heaven? Mr. Misery?”

“And Olympic gold medalist for Pain in the Ass. The very same. What are the chances he’d be here?”

“Actually, since the office is only three blocks away, pretty good.” Emma leaned a bit closer. “Which one is he?”

Maddie’s gaze flicked over Emma’s shoulder. “Tall, dark hair, charcoal gray suit, standing in line at the pizza place.”

Emma gave a surreptitious glance over her shoulder, one that turned into a double take. When she looked back at Maddie her mouth was hanging open. “That’s the guy you’ve been calling repulsive?” Emma took another peek, and even though Maddie didn’t want to look at him again, she found herself doing so. Jack was paying for his lunch, smiling at the cashier, then he laughed at something she said. He picked up his tray and found a table on the other side of the food court.