Players (Lessons by Loki) Read Free Page A

bachelors. When had she become such a curmudgeon?
    “Are you okay?” Carla asked as she returned from the outer waiting room. “You look sort of stunned.”
    “I’ve been fighting a headache all morning.” Katie rubbed her temples and closed her eyes. “Can’t seem to get on top of it.”
    “It’s been dead today. I can cover for you.”
    “Are you sure?” She felt guilty taking advantage of Carla’s generous nature, but she wasn’t sure how long her mysterious lunch would take.
    “You’ve covered for me before. Go home. ” She waved Katie toward the exit. “I’ll be fine.”
    Katie grabbed her purse from the desk drawer in the com mon office area then gave Carla a quick hug. “Thanks for this. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    The hospital was on 18 th and Franklin, so she didn’t have far to go. Avoiding the narrow one-way streets, she drove up Clarkson and pulled into the tiny parking lot behind the restaurant. The Corner Bistro was a local favorite, but few outside the community knew about the culinary treats available in the compact eatery.
    Jon Loki had already been seated when Katie arrived. She took off her sunglasses and tucked them into her purse then spotted him at a table near the back of the dining room. He stood and pulled out her chair, a nearly forgotten show of gallantry.
    “ It wasn’t broken, I take it.” She motioned toward his injured ankle.
    “Just a sprain.” He waved away her concern as he added, “They slapped me in an air-brace and sent me on my way.”
    “Well, you should still take it easy for a while. Sprains can be serious. Ice and elevate.”
    “Yes, doctor Katie.” He paused for a playful salute. “I’ll ice and elevate.”
    She scooted closer to the table and hooked her purse strap over the back of her chair.
    “I’m glad you came.” He returned to his seat, his expression watchful. “I wasn’t sure you would.”
    The waitress asked for their drink order as they looked at their menus. Katie had eaten at the bistro often enough to know what she liked, so she used the time to assess her companion. His age was hard to determine. Faint lines around his eyes and mouth suggested he was older than his first impression, maybe nearing forty.
    “What’s good here?” He glanced up from his menu, gaze bright blue even in the subdued light.
    “Everything. ” She shrugged and closed her menu then set it aside. “Do you really have something to tell me or was this a bizarre pick-up line?”
    He closed his menu as well, his lips curving in a secretive smile. “I admit I find you attractive, but I’m not in the market for a relationship.”
    Before Katie could respond to the claim the waitress returned to take their order. Katie watched her companion closely as he gathered the menus and handed them to the waitress. His smile seemed genuine and his speech was oddly formal given his casual attire. She was usually a good judge of people, but she couldn’t decide what she thought of Jon Loki.
    “ So, Mr. Loki—”
    “Just Loki, please.” He shifted his gaze back to her as he added, “My father is also Jon and I refused to be called junior. Besides I share my namesake’s interest in mischief, so it seemed natural.” He flashed a broader smile.
    Katie wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, fascinated by the change in his appearance. With that smile curving his lips and his blue eyes shimmering, she could easily picture him orchestrating all sorts of misdeeds. “Al l right, Loki . Would you mind answering a few of my questions first?”
    “Of course not. What would you like to know?”
    “Where did Josiah go to college?”
    “A test?” He chuckled and reached for his beer bottle. “I suppose that’s no more than fair. They both went to CU Boulder. As did I. That’s where we met. We graduated in different years, but we were all part of the same fraternity.”
    She narrowed her gaze on his face. “I know it ’s rude to bring up age, but you look too old to have