Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96454 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96454 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“I don’t think time has anything to do with it. They’ve known each other for a month, but they’ve been thrown together on an everyday basis. It’s not like they’re dating and seeing each other a few hours a week. They’ve been together pretty much twenty-four seven since the day they met,” Ani points out. “I think they know each other, but it’s weird to bring a computer into it.”
“A month isn’t long enough.” Harper is insistent. “I don’t care how much time they spend together.”
I agree with her fully. “He’s being obnoxious. He doesn’t mean it. He realized he screwed something up, and he’s trying to make sure his money person doesn’t walk away. I told him I’d find someone else to run the business end, but this is how he decided to go.”
And it had worked since I hadn’t quit then and there. He’d distracted me with hugs and his manly body and his grandmother’s brownies.
Ani frowns. “That does not sound like the Heath I’ve come to know.”
“Not in any way,” Harper agrees. “It sounds like he was feeling desperate.”
“What makes more sense? That he’s worried about his company, or he’s fallen madly in love with me and can’t stand the thought of losing me?” He told me he loved every part of me, but I don’t tell them. I don’t know how much I trust those words. I’ve thought of nothing but this since I walked back into Lydia’s apartment and joined the group for the rest of lunch. I’d then sat back down to work and Lydia had fed me cream cheese brownies and asked if she could help with the paperwork.
I’d forced myself to leave at five, and Heath had walked with me to the subway station talking all along like nothing had happened, but he hadn’t kissed me good-bye. He hadn’t tried to convince me to come home with him. When my train had come he’d looked sad and told me he hoped I had a good night.
I wondered what he was doing.
It had taken a lot not to text him about some random business thing that would lead to figuring out where he was and if he was lonely. I thought about grabbing my things from his apartment. My brain had buzzed with all the reasons I should show up on his doorstep.
And Darnell owes me a new chapter. He’d left me hanging in the last one. The captain of the starship had found out the man he was sleeping with was actually a changeling who was an operative for the opposing fleet. I’m not sure if he’s going to kill his lover or they’ll work it out, but I’m damn sure I want to know what happens.
I should go by. Just to talk to Darnell, of course.
Nope. This was why I’d called an emergency meeting. I need my girls to get me through the night without making a complete idiot of myself.
“Love,” Ani says, a dippy look on her face. “It’s the love thing.”
Harper winces as I look her way. “I know it sounds stupid, but I gotta go with the love thing, too. Heath isn’t terrifically invested in building a business. He’s kind of a happy-go-lucky guy. Don’t get me wrong—he’s a hard worker—but he doesn’t have your ambition.”
“That’s why it works,” Ani says.
“That’s why it can’t work,” I say at the very same time.
Harper sits back and takes a sip of the Cab she brought to share with us. Luckily I brought a bottle, too, though mine is far cheaper than hers. Which is why we opened hers first. “It’s only not going to work if you don’t let it. Now you said he did something wrong.”
I’ve not explained the full situation to them yet. I thought the more interesting hook was the marriage thing. I’ve already forgiven Heath for being a dumbass. We’re all dumbasses from time to time. “Turns out he talked to one of the Bro Coders the night of CeCe’s party and that asshole went straight to Nick, who decided what I’m doing is a fab idea and he walked into Sherry Carrigan’s overly pretentious office in LA and said ‘hey, lady, wanna help me screw over my ex.’ Can you guess what she said?”
“No, because I think you’re making part of this up, but I do get the gist,” Harper allowed.
Ani leans in, an unholy gleam in her eyes. “I bet she said yes. I hate that woman. I know her producer. I can fix this.”
I suddenly do not want to know how Ani would fix this. It’s always the quiet ones. Besides, she’s not on the best ground with her bosses. If she puts out a hit on the headliner of a rival show, she’ll likely be out of a job.
Or she’ll get her own show… I can’t be sure. Her world is a mysterious place.