His black suit was perfectly tailored, skimming his frame in all the right ways. The top button of his crisp white dress shirt was undone, just enough to hint at the casual confidence he carried so well. And his hair was slightly tousled, giving him the image of someone walking the line between polished and reckless.
Not fair.
“If you’re interested,” he said, “I can point out some important people to talk to.” He exhaled. “But no pressure.”
I smiled, despite my heart kicking up. “I am interested.”
Okay. Okay. This would be fine. Just a guy helping his ex-fake-girlfriend crush a press event in a hotel lobby. Nothing to see here, folks.
Noah settled himself against the wall next to me, a polite distance away so no part of us touched. Disappointment flickered inside me before I could chase it away.
“So that guy”—he pointed to a bald man dressed in Armani—“is the CEO of the hotel chain. Big talker, you’ll get good quotes from him. And she”—he signaled toward the bar where a woman in a blood red dress was stirring a cocktail, “is the PR lead, Lina. She’s got a lot of stories about the hotel.”
“Thank you,” I said. We both continued to stand there for a few minutes, watching the crowd in front of us like a wave, ebbing and flowing. “I appreciate the help.”
The more I thought about Noah, the more I realized how he’d always been there. Maybe not initially therefor mebut present regardless. I realized he’d continue to be there, even if he dropped off the face of social media forever. It was like an invisible, unbreakable string ran between us, stretching vast distances and tightening in the moments that mattered most.
“Of course,” he said. “I just wanted you to know that even though I’m always here to help, I don’t want you to feel like I’m controlling you or forcing you to do something. You were right. I went overboard before, and I’m sorry I handled the situation so badly. All I want to give you now is honesty and direction.”
My breath hitched.
“Noah, I?—”
“Oh, Lina’s free.” He gave my shoulders a gentle nudge. “Go talk to her.”
“But—”
“Macey, you came here for a reason. Don’t let me get in the way of your dreams.”
You’re not,I wanted to scream.Whatever dream I have, you’re in it.
The buzz of the lights overhead did nothing to combat the growing feeling of unreality that I carried with me toward the bar. I turned my head over my shoulder once and was met with an encouraging wink from Noah. I stared for a minute, gathering up all the details, like the exact shade of green of his button-down shirt and the casual way he leaned against the wall.
“Hi,” I introduced myself to the grinning PR lead. “I’m Macey.”
Lina, with cascading dark brown hair and the kindest gray eyes, shook my hand. “I know who you are,” she said. “And what you’re doing here tonight.”
Nausea swam in my stomach.
“You and Noah are showing off as the power couple of the town.” Lina laughed. “And I can only hope you write something amazing about tonight.”
Immediately, my spiraling seized, only to be replaced by a different wave of panic.She doesn’t know that Noah and I aren’t together anymore. Not that we were ever together. Ugh. I don’t even know anymore.
How should I play this?
Noah, with his bright green eyes and relentless smile, stared at us. I made eye contact with him yet again and he mouthed, “You got this.”
“Yeah, we’re pretty powerful,” I said, then smoothly added, “And speaking of writing, did you know I’ve started my own blog?”
“Oh my gosh!” Lina’s hand flew to her mouth. “Tell me everything.”
So I did. Lina told me everything about the hotel too—history, plans for the future, fun facts. When our conversation came to a lull, I handed her a business card.
“Good for you, Macey,” she said. “I hope we can collaborate again.”
I thanked her and left, resisting the urge to fist-bump toward the sky.
Noah waited expectedly by the wall, having not moved an inch during the time I was gone. “How did it go?”
