“If you could do anything, what would it be?”
She took in a breath. The question hung in the air, and she had no idea how
to answer it. “Oh. Well, it would be something with graphic design. Logos, posters, brochure layouts. I did a book cover for a friend once—that was a blast.”
He was just nodding, wordless.
“I suppose what I'd really like to do would be to have my own design studio.” Where was this coming from? But the idea sparked something inside her.
“Why don't you do that,” he asked, still in halo.
She shifted so she could see his face, and leaned against the edge of the window sill. “Oh, that would be way down the road. Besides, start my own company? Way too risky for me right now.”
Peter was just nodding slowly, smiling.
She popped up, an idea in her head. “Look, how long are you in town?”
“Oh. I was planning on going back tonight.”
She shook her head. “Not until you've had dinner.”
He grinned. “What did you have in mind?”
Her head cocked. “What is your opinion on Marinetti's Deep-Dish Reuben
Pizza with Zucchini Pickle Relish?”
The grin grew. “Sounds horrible. When do we eat?”
Chapter Nineteen
Peter's stomach had almost recovered from last night's Paisley Thai pizza at Marinetti's, although some residual growls still rumbled through his gut. Must have been the banana peppers Kate had insisted on. But it had been good.
Fantastic, actually.
His Camry rolled through the theatre district to the address Kate had given
him. He saw the stairs that led up to the Chicago el platform at State and Lake.
She wasn't on the corner yet, but he was early.
He pulled back into traffic to circle around the block. She'd insisted on taking the train from her West Loop apartment so that he didn't have to drive all
the way there and then back downtown.
They'd stayed at Marinetti's until closing last night, leaving only after an obvious glare from a surly hipster waitress stacking chairs on the table next to them. From there Kate had dropped him off at his hotel, a last-minute room at a
plain but comfortable Radisson.
He'd agreed, and without too much arm-twisting, to stay overnight so they could catch some downtown sights before he had to head back to Golden Grove
today. He wasn't sure if he could afford the time, especially after missing all of Friday. He had planned a quiz for Monday in Chemistry 102, and there was a lab
test next Friday he needed to prep equipment for. But he was pretty sure he could
get the work done with a few longer nights at the school.
Besides, he hadn't been to downtown Chicago in a long time, not since he was a kid. And there was Kate, too.
There was Kate, yes. She had been lively, bubbly last night at the restaurant.
Laughing easily, touching his hand. Probably because she was on her home turf,
so to speak.
But it had seemed like they could have been anywhere in the world and it wouldn't have mattered. It was just the two of them at a small table in the corner, each with a glass of Montoya Cabernet, doodling on the paper tablecloth using
the crayons they left to keep kids busy. She was obviously better at it, sketching ponies, shading in hearts, even attempting a cartoonish drawing of his face.
She'd insisted on tearing it out of the tablecloth and stuffing it in her purse. “My masterpiece,” she jokingly called it.
He'd circled the block, and there she was, waving, wearing a cute, double-
breasted black jacket, black leggings, and a smile. His heart danced as he pulled over.
“Need a lift, lady?” he said, in what he hoped was a taxi-driver voice.
“Don't usually go with strange men,” she said, opening the door.
