Chasing Perfect. Сьюзен Мэллери

into the hours he spent getting laid. If anyone here was special, it was Robert, not Josh. Robert was a regular guy, doing an honest day’s work with minimal appreciation. Sure Josh was famous and a great athlete, but he wasn’t a god. No matter what her hormones might try to tell her.

      Marsha slipped on her reading glasses. “If we could get back to the subject at hand,” she said, her quiet voice instantly silencing the other chatter. “Tiffany will be here any minute and I’d prefer we be discussing something of merit when she arrives.”

      “Tiffany?” Police Chief Alice asked. “Seriously?”

      “Tiffany Hatcher.” Marsha scanned the paper in front of her. “She’s twenty-three and getting her Ph.D. in Human Geography. And before you ask, I went online and looked it up. It’s the study of why people settle where they settle. In other words, she’s studying why we don’t have enough men in Fool’s Gold.”

      The women all looked at each other. Robert chuckled. “You have me.”

      “And we’re ever so grateful,” Gladys told him. “But you’re only one man.”

      “I do what I can.”

      Charity tried not to laugh. He caught her eye and grinned.

      Marsha sighed. “As much as I wanted to keep our problem quiet, apparently that’s not going to happen. Tiffany is very excited about the opportunity to publish her thesis when it’s finished. So the whole world is going to know.”

      “Unless no one reads it,” Alice said.

      “I don’t think we’ll be that lucky,” Pia said. “Men or a lack of them is sexy. The media loves sexy topics.”

      “How can a lack of men be sexy?” Gladys asked.

      Just then there was a timid knock on the open door. Charity turned and saw a tiny, dark-haired young woman standing in the entrance to the conference room. Marsha had said Tiffany was in her twenties, but she could easily have passed for thirteen. She had big eyes, long dark hair and an earnest expression that made Charity think she was going to be a giant pain in the butt with her questions.

      “Your assistant said I should come right in,” Tiffany said apologetically.

      “Of course, dear,” Marsha said, rising. “We’ve been expecting you. Everyone, this is Tiffany. She’s going to do her dissertation on why men are moving away from Fool’s Gold.”

      “Actually, you’re only a chapter,” Tiffany said, her voice as tiny as the rest of her.

      “Lucky us,” Charity whispered to Pia.

      CHAPTER FIVE

      CHARITY STEPPED INTO Angelo’s at exactly seven on Wednesday night. The Italian restaurant was within walking distance of the hotel, much like everything else in town. The outside was whitewashed, with a big patio seating area. Inside, the tables were covered with white tablecloths and the subdued lighting gave the intimate space an elegant air. A dozen different delicious smells competed for her attention, making her mouth water and her stomach growl. Her salad at lunch suddenly seemed like a long time ago.

      Before she could attack a passing waiter and grab a couple of slices of rosemary bread off the tray he carried, she spotted Robert sitting at a table near the opposite wall.

      “Go right in,” the hostess said with a smile. “Enjoy your dinner.”

      “Thanks.”

      Robert rose as she approached.

      There were several other diners already in the restaurant. Maybe she was imagining things, but Charity had the sense she was being watched by those already seated.

      “Are they keeping tabs on me or you?” Robert asked quietly as he held out her chair.

      She laughed. “I noticed that, too.” She sat down. “I can’t decide if it’s because I’m the new girl or if it’s because you’re out on a date. What with you being a single man and therefore precious and rare.”

      He settled across from her. “You think the lack of men in town is funny.”

      “I don’t think it’s a great hardship for you. Poor Robert. Too many women want to be with you.”

      His brown eyes brightened with amusement. “Fame can be difficult. There’s a lot of responsibility.”

      She wished he hadn’t said the word fame. For some reason, it made her think of Josh, and she’d been determined he wouldn’t intrude on her evening out, even in spirit.

      “You can handle it,” she said as she picked up her napkin and put it on her lap.

      Their server, an older woman with dark hair pulled up in a bun, brought them menus.

      “I thought we’d talk a bit before ordering,” Robert said. “Would you like a glass of wine?”

      “Thank you, yes.” She grinned. “I’m walking tonight, so I can even have two.”

      “Wild.”

      “I have my moments.”

      They both ordered a glass of the house Chianti. A few minutes later the busboy brought over a basket of bread and a saucer of olive oil for dipping.

      “The bread is excellent,” Robert said, offering her the basket.

      “I was afraid of that,” Charity said. “I’ll wait and try it later.” Closer to when they would get their meal, so she wouldn’t have a chance to inhale every slice. “How was your weekend with your friends?”

      “Good. We went to a Giants game. They won. My friend Dan is getting married next month, so the trip was kind of a bachelor celebration.”

      “I’m impressed you went with baseball and not a strip club.”

      He chuckled. “We’re getting too old for that. Now if we were still in college…”

      “Front row seats?”

      “In our dreams.”

      The server appeared with the wine. When she was gone, Robert picked up his glass. “To a great evening.”

      She raised her glass, as well.

      “Dan and his girlfriend already have a kid,” Robert continued. “A little girl. She’s eighteen months old. It seems like a lot of people are doing that. Have a baby, then figuring out if they want to stay together. I guess I’m old-fashioned. I thought it was supposed to go the other way.”

      “I agree,” she said. “But pregnancy happens. I guess a generation ago, people got married when they found out. Now they aren’t in such a big hurry.”

      He leaned toward her. “It’s been a couple of weeks. How are you settling in? Enjoying small-town life?”

      “I love it. I’m meeting lots of people. I like that I can walk pretty much everywhere. You’re right. There aren’t any secrets, but then I don’t have anything to hide.”

      “Then you’ll be fine. Have you started looking for a house?”

      “Not really. I’m still getting to know the different areas.”

      “I live on the golf course. Great views. The houses are well-built and a nice size. You should come see my place sometime.”

      “Sure.” She wondered how he afforded one of those homes. She’d seen them on her drive around town and had even picked up a flyer for one. But unless the mayor had a secret plan to double her salary in the next week, Charity couldn’t begin to pay for something like that. Prices were great in Fool’s Gold, but even here a home on the golf course was pricey.

      “You said you grew up in small towns,” she said. “In California?”

      “Oregon. I went to school in Eugene, which is a good-sized town. Got my degree