“He usually is,â€? Kate smiled. “Six inches too short?â€?

“Oh, the ceiling,â€? Joe remembered suddenly. “Yes, that’s what he said.â€?

“I don’t remember. Guess it got so I didn’t even hear his excuses after a while.â€?

“Oh, I did. Used to tell them at meetings. People at work are gonna be awfully upset that I’m not showing you two apartments anymore.â€?

“Sorry to disappoint,â€? Kate smiled.

“I’m pretty far from disappointment. My friend Jimmy has a theory that the worst guys end up with the best gi- women. I never put too much faith in it until I met you.”

“I liked him once; we got into this pattern and I went with it. I should’ve ended it a while ago, but I didn’t want to break the pattern. Guess I wasn’t ready to admit that I wasn’t ready for the next step, either.â€? She laughed wryly again. “Who’d have thought he’d be the one with depth and perception?â€?

“Certainly not me.â€?

“It’s a shame,â€? Kate looked around the room, “my stuff would look great here.â€?

“Did I mention the hardwood floors?â€?