“No.” He threw me an ironic look. “Maybe that was our mistake.”
“Yeah. That was the holdup. We never took the time to see if we agreed on…” I peered looked down at the magazine page and read aloud: “What is your idea of a romantic date?”
“Obviously a crime scene.”
“Right? It doesn’t get more romantic than that.” I tried another one. “Do you have a huge tolerance capability?”
“What does that mean? For alcohol?”
“I doubt it’s alcohol.”
“Doeshugemake sense in another context?”
I made a sound of amusement, but said doubtfully, “Could they mean tolerance as inpatience?”
“What answer did Natalie give?”
“Natalie says yes. No surprise there. Mr. X says no.No.I’m telling you, Keith Morrison is going to be knocking on our door any minute now.”
“Maybe this guy’s just being funny. Maybe he’s a smart ass. Maybe he doesn’t like compatibility quizzes.”
“Maybe all of the above? Contrariwise, none of the above?”
Nothing from Jake.
“Okay, here’s a weird-ass question. I mean, what mad scientist came up with these?What are the things you would like to take control of in your partner’s life after you both get into a serious relationship?”
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly. Whatdoesthat mean?”
Jake asked, “What were their answers?”
“Natalie wrote:I would like to be there to share his burdens and ease his worries.I would like to be a true partner in all things good and bad.”
Jake said noncommittally, “That’s sweet.”
“Yeah, and she means it. She’s doomed. Bachelor Number One answered:her finances, her relationships with others who take advantage of her, and,and, get a load of this one:bea role model for herson!”
Jake was silent for a moment. “You know, we aren’t sure whether these answers are Natalie’s wishful thinking. Also, this guy may not be good at expressing himself.Also, some of the questions are a little off. Like that last one. I’m not sure there’s a right answer to that.”
“Fair enough.” I tried to decipher some of Natalie’s scribbled notes. “I can tell you right now, these responses are not from Angus. And I doubt they’re Warren’s. Not from anything I’ve seen of Warren.”
“No, this is somebody new.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell us if she’s seeing someone new?”
Jake grunted. I’ve never known anyone who could pack so much into a nonverbal utterance.
I made a face. “Yeah. Okay. The thing is, I’d love for Natalie to find a nice guy who would treat her well and be a good father to Larkin. It’s not like Iwantto get sucked into the family drama.”
“I know.”
“Just when I thought I was out, they pullll me back in.” I did my best Michael Corleone impression which, granted, was not very good.
Jake made a pained sound.
“She’sstillfighting establishing the kid’s paternity.”
