Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 169272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 846(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 169272 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 846(@200wpm)___ 677(@250wpm)___ 564(@300wpm)
That’s it. Everything I know.
As far as I can tell, Henn isn’t on social media. At least, not that I saw, but I guess it’s possible he’s got some weird online handle I couldn’t find. I think Henn’s absence on social media is the reason he’s not in any of Josh’s Instagram photos. In fact, the photo Kat sent me of Henn, which she obviously snapped on the spot in her hotel room, is the only one I’ve ever seen.
Speaking of Kat, I haven’t heard back from her yet, and I can’t help thinking that’s a bad sign. Surely, Kat immediately showed Henn my photo after our call. So, why hasn’t she texted me his reaction? It must be bad news. Either that, or what I look like is irrelevant because I turned Henn off so completely during our short conversation by asking him out to dinner in Seattle and/or sounding like an octogenarian while doing it.
“And that’s all I’ve got,” my co-worker, Helena, says. “I’d love to get everyone’s feedback.”
As the group around me at the table begins offering their observations and suggestions, my phone buzzes on the table. It’s a text from Kat!
Kat: GREAT NEWS! Call me ASAP!
“Excuse me,” I murmur, rising from my chair. With all eyes on me, I hold up my phone by way of explanation. “Kat has an urgent question regarding the Vegas account.” It’s a foolproof excuse. Our boss hasn’t stopped gushing about Kat’s lucrative new account this whole week.
I race out of the conference room and into an empty one across the hallway, where I place a call to Kat.
“Bananaaaaa!” Kat shrieks in greeting. “Pack your bags, girl. You’re coming to Vegas!”
“What? When?”
“This afternoon. We’re going on a double date tonight.”
I gasp. “You showed my photo to Henn and he liked it?”
“I did and he did. In fact, his eyeballs telescoped out of his head like he was in a cartoon.” Kat makes a silly sound that’s apparently meant to conjure the image. “Now, go home and pack a bag. Your flight leaves at three.”
My blood feels like it’s quickening inside my veins, even as my heart is sinking into my toes. “I don’t have any vacations days or PTO banked, and with you out of the office, I’m swamped. Not that I mind.”
“None of that matters because Josh is going to hire you to assist me with the big job I’m doing here. In fact, we’ve both realized this job is way too big for one person to handle, even someone as brilliant as me.” She snickers. “Josh wants to hire you at a premium rate with all expenses paid, same as me.”
I slide into a chair, feeling dizzy. “I don’t know if I can let Josh do that for me. I get why he’d pull out all the stops to keep you in Vegas. But why do it for me?”
Kat giggles. “Because you’re yet another gift from Josh to me, silly. If it helps you to say yes, think of yourself wrapped in paper and tied with a bow.”
I bite my lip. “Las Vegas has always been on my bucket list, and I’d love to see it with you . . .”
“It’s settled, then. Hang up and tell Rebecca I need your help this whole week and the client will be calling any minute to—"
“I’d be in Vegas for a week?”
“Oh, I thought I’d mentioned that. Yes. Josh and Henn both have to fly out tomorrow morning, unfortunately, so Josh wants us to enjoy a little girls’ trip on him this whole week.”
“Holy crap.”
“Isn’t he amazing?” Kat tells me that Josh insists we paint Vegas red, on him. Spa appointments, fancy dinners, shows—he wants us to do all of it on his generous dime.
“I should offer to pay for some of that stuff,” I say. “This is way too much to accept from him.”
Kat scoffs. “Why don’t I let Josh explain everything to you?”
“No, wait!”
Kat’s not listening. In fact, she’s already speaking to someone on her end of the call.
All of a sudden, a sexy male voice says, “Hello, Hannah Banana. This is Josh Faraday.”
My heart stops. “Oh. Hi, Mr. Faraday.”
“Call me Josh. Answer me this: do you want to come to Las Vegas and spend the week with Kat? That’s the only thing that matters. If you don’t, then we’ll respect your wishes. If you do, then I respectfully request you let me spend whatever I wish on a gift for Kat.”
“Oh, uh. Wow. Yes, I’d love to be your gift to Kat.”
He chuckles. “Perfect. I’ll see you in a few hours. Bye now.”
Holy hell. No wonder Kat is obsessed with this man. He’s sexy as hell. I babble my effusive thanks to Josh, but another male voice cuts me off.
“Hannah? It’s Henn. Hi.”
“Oh. Hi, Henn.” My cheeks flash with heat. The contrast between Josh’s commanding tone and Henn’s earnest, tentative one couldn’t be starker. “How are you?”