“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Adele, laughing.“Especially now.”
“I won’t be able to make it,” said Mia.“Lucas has a soccer thing.Adele will have to give me all the juicy details.”She and Adele did a high five.
“Guys,” warned Claire.“It’s nothing.I swear.There are no juicy details.”
“Yet.”Mia shrugged.“When I stopped by earlier in the week, I saw Nick checking you out.”
“You did?”Claire hated the eagerness in her voice.“I mean, I’m sure you’re mistaken.”
“Honey,” drawled Mia, “I’ve been married for fifteen years.Believe me, I know what I saw.”
Maybe hosting this party was a bad idea.Claire had only been trying to help when she’d offered up her house as a venue, but she was already counting the minutes until Nick arrived.
Her shoulders began to hunch the way they always did when she contemplated joining the world of dating again.What if she was wrong?What if Nick didn’t really have an interest in her?Of course, if Mia had seen it too…
Adele pointed at Claire’s cocktail.“Drink up.You look like you need it.”
“Is it that obvious?”asked Claire, as her head fell into her hands.“What a mess.”
Adele drew closer on the couch.“Claire, it’s okay.It’s perfectly normal to have the hots for a man.”
“Especially that man,” said Mia, her eyes wide.“Did youseehis ass?”
“Mia, you’re not helping.”Claire stood and began to pace.
“All I’m saying is, as far as asses go, Nick’s is a superior one.”Mia performed a dramatic chef’s kiss.“The Venus de Milo of asses.”
“Good Lord,” muttered Claire.
“Ignore your sister.”Adele stood and put her hands on Claire’s shoulders to stop her.“What exactly is the problem here?You’re not feeling some weird sense of guilt, are you?Because it’s been three years since you lost Arthur.He wouldn’t want you to be lonely.”
“I realize that.”
“Okay,” said Adele.“Is it because of that stupid social media thing?”
“What are you talking about?”
Adele and Mia looked at each other.
“Guys,” pushed Claire, “what is it?”
“So,” said Mia, “I guess you haven’t heard of ‘HashtagNicksDick’?”
“What?”
They both clammed up.
Adele finally spoke.“Look, it’s just a bit of dumb celebrity gossip.I forgot you didn’t keep up with that sort of thing.”
“Is that hashtag still even going around?”asked Mia.“Because that was harsh.I felt so badly for Nick when that happened.Twitter had a field day.”She pulled out her cell phone and began to scroll.“It seems to have died down, but there’s still the odd post from trolls.Those people are gross.”
A fierce heat shot through Claire’s body, but it wasn’t the lovely sort of heat Nick usually inspired.Had he been the target of a social media smear campaign?Or had he done something stupid, like send out a dick pic?Somehow, she couldn’t see that happening.“I only have the Haven Twitter account and the only celebrities we follow are cats.What on earth is ‘HashtagNicksDick’?”
“Well,” said Adele, “he didn’t start it, that’s for sure.Did you know he was dating Kristy Moran a while back?”
“The host of that morning show?”asked Claire.
Adele nodded.“Toronto Morning.”
