“Well, bless my eyes! Look who’s here.” She ruffled Matt’s hair and leaned toward Harlow. “I remember him when he was running around town in his underdrawers.”
“Really? Do tell.”
“I was three,” Matt protested.
“Now he’s a big star. Tuesday’s so proud.” Miss Beulah clutched a couple of menus against her ample chest and walked toward the large Gulf-facing pane window. “A booth in the back?”
When she passed out the menus, her gaze lingered on Harlow. If she said anything about her looking like Harlow Hayes, Matt planned to announce,“Because sheisHarlow Hayes.”She couldn’t hide forever.
Miss Beulah took their drink order. Matt ordered a Coke andHarlow a Diet Coke. When he opened his menu, she shoved hers aside.
“I can’t keep doing what I’m doing. Not if I want to move on from Xander and win the CCW job.” She stared off for a moment. “Some ladies walked in as I was about to step on the scale. One of them told me the scale was a liar.” She smiled softly. “I don’t think it lied today.”
“Did you want it to lie?”
“Actually, no. It feels good to be honest with myself. Matt, when I saw those women, I felt like one of them. Not some prima donna with an unrealistically thin body, walking the runway in a ten-thousand-dollar dress.” She leaned toward him. “So, what’s the deal with you and that cashier?”
“Oooh, sorry, you’ve hit your first red light.”
“I see. She’s the one that got away? Ooo, is she the girl you kissed? Patti What’s-her-name?”
“No. She’s the sister of my best friend. Former best friend.”
“Former is very telling.”
Should he confess? Just say it?“I ruined my friend’s life, Harlow.”Instead, he said, “For the record, I like you as you are, Harlow.”
When she smiled, the dark, cold spot in the core of his being at the mention of Booker Nickle warmed a little. “You are so good at changing the subject.”
“So are you.”
“And you don’t have to say you like me as I am now. No one else does.”
“Who cares? Do you like yourself?”
“I like who I am now, sitting with you in this booth.”
“Me too. Because I see the in-command girl I met on set. HH, head of the boardroom, walking in like a boss.”
“That girl was terrified. Her confidence was fake. She wanted people to believe she belonged there. That she’d earned the part.”
“We did believe you. I watched you, and your confidence wasnot fake. And don’t credit Xander for any of your success. You knew who you were the first day.”
Miss Beulah set down their sodas, and Harlow took a long sip. She ordered a house salad with oil and vinegar. Matt ordered the same.
“When I was asked to audition forTalk to Me Sweetly, I felt like I’d earned that on my own. Not because Mom knocked on the right door, which she miraculously, mysteriously did when we first went to New York. But the part of Bryn was all me—well, that and being named Most Beautiful. Which I’m proud of because I think my hard work earned me the title. But if you ever tell anyone, I’ll deny it.”
“My lips are sealed. Hang onto the feeling,” Matt said. “You’ll earn the CCW job too, if it’s what you want. Do you? What does HH want for her life?”
She fiddled with her napkin roll. “Honest?”
“Honest,” he said.
“Don’t laugh.” She peered at him. “Harlow Hayes wants to rep CCW. But little ol’ me wants to be a wife and mom. Not very modern, is it?”
“Don’t look now, but Matt Knight wants to be a Hollywood superstar, but little ol’ me wants to be a husband and father.” Their laughter mingled and roped another piece of him. “Is that what happened with Xander? He didn’t want a family?”
“He wanted a family as much as I did. On our very first date, we talked about kids and where we would raise them. It was like we were already engaged.”
