I shrug my shoulders again. “Dad asked, and who am I to deny him? Plus, extra knowledge never hurt anyone. Especially now with the whole billboard disaster, which you thankfully managed to squash quickly.”
This time, Hope snorts. “Ah, yeah, I might have squashed the original billboard, but have you seen the new one? The one that was supposed to go up in the first place.” My stomach sinks at her words, and I quickly shake my head as she sits up and grabs me by the hand before dragging me over to the window. Across the street and further down on the building opposite us is a billboard.
Holy shit!!! It’s another shot of Alex and me with the other model, all of us wearing the required underwear and nothing else. You can't see the guys’ faces, but mine is wearing a look like I’ve been well satisfied. The slogan says, “Neighpalm Couture. For a lady who knows what she wants.”
“Well, maybe they won’t put two and two together. Let’s face it, that’s not how I look every day.”
Hope rolls her eyes and drains her coffee. “Come on, let’s get moving. I’ll give you a quick tour. The Summers kids are idiots. Hold me back if we see Holden! I may slap him upside the head.” My heart speeds up a little at the thought of seeing any of them. Obviously, I know Declan’s here, but it hadn't occurred to me that the others might be too.
"There isn't a Neighpalm Ink floor, is there?” I ask as we get back into the elevator. Oliver is the last person I want to see. At least all of the others were assholes or indifferent to begin with. His behavior hurts the most.
Hope gives me a look that I know is going to kill my hopes. “Yeah, there is. Because he’s making it a chain across the country, he needs somewhere to have them order all their equipment from and to standardize practices and advertising and merchandise.” She sounds a little curious but doesn't push for more, and I’m not ready to explain, knowing how close she is with Holden. “But I don't think Oliver is in. Apparently, he was interviewing another artist at his flagship shop because he had a bad interview the last time.”
My heart races at the thought of his last interview and how I felt when the girl propositioned him. That was before, when I thought he was truly into me. If I were there now and she did the same thing, I’d tell her to have at it. Hell, I’d even toss her a condom.
The elevator closes, and I grab Hope's hand. “Please don't say anything to them about me being a vet. I want to see how long this whole thing goes on for. I’m hoping they all feel like idiots once they eventually figure it out, and I have no desire to make it easy on them.”
She sniggers and squeezes my hand, the twinkle in her eye akin to the one that so frequently appears in Nana’s. “As long as I get to be there when you tell them. With my phone in hand to record the whole thing.” I smile and drop her hand as she presses the next floor down, feeling at home for the first time since I met Alex and Shane.
Chapter Fourteen
Harlow
The next floor is Thomas’ and Neighpalm Airlines. There’s really nothing to see here, but it’s a large bustling office. Apparently, there are two floors; this one is corporate, and the one below us is commercial bookings and sales. Word on the street, aka Hope, is that Thomas and Dad are in a meeting discussing a small commercial European airline that’s in trouble. They’re considering buying it and consolidating it into NA. The two of us spend a few minutes peeking through the boardroom’s glass window as Thomas and Dad watch a pitch by the European airline’s executives, trying to sell why it would be a good idea to invest. Cecelia is also there, and she notices me first, but she doesn't do anything to let Dad know I’m here. She just studies me with those eyes that glare in such a similar way to Jacinta. Seriously, what did I ever do to her? I’m the man’sdaughter.
Eventually, both Dad and Thomas see me on their own. Dad’s eyes light up as he stands, stopping the presenter, and he says something before walking out altogether, giving the presenter no chance to reply.
“Harlow, honey.” He reaches us and pulls me into his arms, giving me a kiss and a hug before stepping back and doing the same to Hope. It’s easy to see that she’s considered one of the family, making me feel even better about my possible new ally. “Good morning. How’s the tour going? Is Hope being good to you?” He narrows his eyes in mock anger, and Hope and I laugh before I reply.
“Hi, Dad. The tour has been interesting so far, and yes, she’s been wonderful.” His smile gets broader at my reassurance, and a little bit of tension relaxes in his shoulders.
“Good, that’s excellent. I’m sorry I can’t join you, but this meeting is important. How about we have lunch before your interviews with Nana?” he suggests, including Hope in the invitation.
“That sounds great, actually,” I tell him, but Hope turns him down.
“Thanks for the invite, Brad, but I’ve got a few things I need to do, and I’d also like to follow up on this meeting with Thomas. I’d like to see if there’s anything the PR team needs to do regarding the merger.”
“Yes, good thinking. Okay, I’ll let Thomas know to call you when we’re done. I need to get back, but I’ll see you a little later, Harlow.”
He returns to the room, and as I follow his tall back, my eyes meet Thomas’. He’s not paying any attention to the speaker, or at least I assume he isn’t considering he has his gaze locked on me instead.
His red hair is tousled like he’s been running his hand through it already, and his shirt sleeves are rolled up to his elbow, showing off his forearms. What is it about a man with his shirt sleeves rolled up? My eyes scan his body, and when they return, he’s still watching me closely. I would give anything to know what he’s thinking right now, but he has an incredible poker face, absolutely no emotion showing. He seems to have perfected the art of not giving anything away, unlike his other brothers and she who shall not be named.
“Hmm, girl, what’s with the eye fucking?” Hope whispers in my ear, startling me, and when I look again, Thomas has turned back toward the meeting.
“Nope,zeroeye fucking,” I quickly assure her.
“Ah no, I disagree. I haven’t seen Thomas show that much interest in the opposite sex in a long time. Still waters run deep in that one, and he was burnt badly. Hasn't so much as looked at another woman since his ex-fiancée stole company secrets and sold them to their closest competitor.”
My eyes widen at Hope’s insider information, and it occurs to me that I may just have access to someone that has all the Summers’ dirty little secrets. She must notice my look because she smirks. “Oh yes, girl, the things that I know and can tell you. Come on, let’s keep moving.” We walk toward the elevator, once more on our way to another floor, and I take a moment to consider what I want to know from her first.
“What can you tell me about Jacinta and Jaxon from before they came to be with Brad? Everyone keeps saying that her past trauma dictates her current behavior, but no one will tell me what it is. If I can work out why she’s like this, maybe I can find a way to get through to her. I’m not here to wreak havoc, and as much as I’m determined not to let her beat me down, I’d rather spend my time building relationships than defending myself. I promise I won’t use it against her. I just want to get to the root of the issue.”
She studies me, and I guess I pass some test because a smile crosses her lips. “Ok, what are you doing tonight? This is going to be a conversation that needs good food andcopiousamounts of alcohol.”
“Damn it, I’ve got plans with Alex and Shane.”
Her eyes light up when I mention them. “I love those two, so freaking sexy and nice. Wow, between me and them, you really hit the friend jackpot.” She bumps her hip into mine as we reach the next floor and gives me a knowing smile. “Or is it more than that?”
