“Okay, great. I’ve missed so much of her first year since she’s been in New York.”
Yep, and now I’m going to be the one missing her when they stay in Chicago.
The lights flash and one of the restaurant employees announces it’s time for dinner.
“Want another drink?” Steven asks and nods to my almost empty glass.
“Sure. I’ll go save you a seat?”
You don’t need to sound so desperate.
He smiles. “Sure. Mom, do you want another drink?”
“I’m good. Thanks again, Harper.” She walks away.
Steven watches her leave. “Sorry about her.”
“She’s okay. Sorry I stepped in and took over.”
“You can take over and save me from her conversations any day,” he mumbles.
I’m not sure what to make of his relationship with his mom. “I’ll go get seats.”
“Okay. I’ll bring the drinks.”
I find two seats, and Piper sits next to me. “Hey, I heard you might be moving to Chicago!”
“Ummm...no. I’m not moving.”
“Oh. Sorry. Jamison said—”
“Jamie needs to stop making assumptions about my life.”
“What happened now?” Steven asks and sets our drinks down then takes the chair next to mine.
“Jamie told Piper I’m moving to Chicago.”
“He said, ‘might.’’”
“Not happening.”
“These seats taken?” Valeria asks.
“Nope, have at it,” Steven says, and Valeria and Cindy sit across from us.
“I heard you’re shooting a movie based on Quinn’s book?” Steven asks.
“It’s going to be great. I’m excited.” Valeria beams.
“I didn’t realize you were a producer, too. That’s really cool.”
“I’ve only done a few projects, but I’m enjoying it.”
“I just did the promotional photos for the film, and they turned out great. I’m excited to show Quinn,” Cindy comments.
“Will you be spending a lot of time in New York?” I ask.
“I’ll be there a bit more than Cindy. She has several significant jobs in Chicago over the next few months.”
“If anyone knows someone who needs a job, let me know. I’m desperate for an assistant. My last one was a nightmare, and I haven’t had time to interview anyone in the Chicago area.”
“What kind of skills do they need?” Steven asks.
“Honestly, I always end up training my assistants, so the most important thing is a good attitude and the ability to learn. There are a lot of different lenses I use throughout the shoots, so the faster they learn, the easier it makes my job.”
“You should hire Harper, then, she’s always doing stuff with lenses,” Quinn says from behind me.
Okay, now they are trying to have their friends give me jobs, too?
“Just ignore her,” I tell Cindy.
“Are you into photography?”
“Just for fun.”
“But you know about lenses?”
“Nothing about the ones you use, I’m sure.”
“Are you looking for a job?”
This is so embarrassing.
“I live in New York, remember?”
“You could stay in Chicago and then move back after our shoots,” Cindy suggests.
“Or, she could stay forever,” Quinn cheerfully says.
I’m saved from further conversation about moving when the servers set salads down in front of us. Quinn goes to the front of the room where Jamison is sitting.
“Harper, I really do need an assistant. If you’re interested, call me, okay?”
“Sure. Thanks.” I stuff a bite of salad in my mouth and concentrate on my food.
“Ohh. I forgot to say congratulations, Steven,” Piper exclaims. “You’re trending everywhere. There’s even a poll of who to add to the top bachelor to snag list, and you’re in the number one spot right now.”
Thank you, Piper, for confirming he’s not married to a trophy wife with twelve kids.
It doesn’t matter. He’s Quinn’s brother.
Steven stiffens. He puts his fork down and takes a long drink of beer.
“That’s a good list to be on when you’re single,” Noah interjects.
Piper elbows him.
“Ow. What was that for?”
“I do not want to hear about the ass you got from being on that list.”
“It was before you.”
“Don’t care.”
“I’m shooting the men on that list in a few weeks. Maybe I’ll be able to photograph you, Steven.” Cindy wiggles her eyebrows.
“No. I would never agree to be on that list.”
“Why?”
“Can we change the subject?” he asks.
Silence.
He looks so stressed out.
He doesn’t like the attention.
What guy who looks like him wouldn’t like it?
I put my hand on his thigh under the table, which only makes him freeze again. So I quickly remove it and take another sip of my cabernet.
Crap. Why did you touch him?
How the heck do you get thighs like that?
I wonder how many women have spent hours licking them?
Oh my God. He would put Spartacus to shame.
I somehow make it through dinner without spilling anything on myself, even though my insides are a bowl of quivering Jell-O.
Anytime I say anything, I end up blabbing and making an idiot of myself. Meanwhile, Mr. I Have It Together only speaks when he has something intelligent to say and thinks before he talks.
He must think I’m a complete moron.
My mom comes over and leans over my shoulders while squeezing them. “Harper, I heard you might be moving? I’ll feel so much better knowing you aren’t living in that dangerous neighborhood anymore.”
I wipe my mouth and put my napkin on my plate. “Excuse me. I need to use the restroom.”
My mom steps aside, and I scoot my chair out and beeline to the bathroom and lock myself in the small stall.
“Did you see it?” a familiar woman’s voice says in the stall next to me, but I can’t place who it is.
Another familiar voice says, “No, I was in surgery. What did they say?”
Vivian and Charlotte. I should tell them I’m here, but something makes me keep my mouth shut.
“He was emotionally unavailable.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. But everyone is going crazy online because of what they said next.”
“What’s that?”
“He was worth the wait. And he has his rules.”
Worth the wait? Rules?
“Oh, no. Poor Steven! He’ll be mortified when he finds out.”
“I think he already knows. I acted like I was clueless when I saw him, and I feel terrible because he should be proud of his accomplishment.”
“It’s such a big deal.”
A toilet flushes and the stall door opens. “At the end of the interview, Lacy asked those witches if they regret anything about their time with him, and Catarina said she wishes she wouldn’t have broken up with him until they did it a few more times.”
Charlotte gasps. “She didn’t.”