Even though she’s lost a lot of weight since I last saw her, she’s still stunning. But that curvy little body in that yellow dress in the Hamptons… she was breathtaking.
I unscrew the lid of my jar and dig in.
Harley finishes in recordtime.
“You’re ready for coffee now?”
“I’m going to take a minute to allow the pistachio cream to linger in my mouth.”
I shake off the thought of something else that’s creamy lingering in her mouth.
I clear my throat. “I’m not going to go into the office. I’m going to stay close by and work downstairs. I have a lot of catching up to do. Yesterday, I didn’t get any work done?—”
“It’s all my fault?—”
“Harley.”
“Okay, okay, I didn’t put a gun to your head and force you to do anything you didn’t want to.”
“Now that we have that settled, may I continue?”
She winces. “Sorry for interrupting you.”
“You may want to go out and explore the neighborhood. Later this afternoon, it would be great for us to talk about your position.”
She offers an enthusiastic nod. “Going out for a walk sounds like a good idea. And no problem about talking later about the position.”
“One thing I’d like to talk about this morning is the Active Kids charity event gala that’s taking place in two days. It’s the most important charity dedicated to ensuring children from low-income families in communities that are struggling to make ends meet remain active through sports in all five boroughs. The majority of the donation goes to offering grants to cover registration fees and buying new gear for sports that require equipment.”
“What a worthy cause.” Harley leans forward against the counter.
“It is. I always attend because Active Kids offers hope to kids who have it rough…” I pull at the collar ofmy long sleeve t-shirt.
She’s hanging on my every word.
“The evening is such a big deal, it always makes the front page of sports and celebrity publications. It brings out the biggest names in sports.”
“It’s no wonder the press will be out in full force,” she says. “When you step out like this, do you document it on your personal socials or on your business socials?”
I thought we’d wait until later to talk about her job, but her questions are pertinent ones. “I haven’t done much with my personal social media presence in a long while. When I was still in the NHL, my posts revolved around my workout routines, the fuel food I consumed to remain at the top of my game, the team’s wins, and highlights from my charity. I never posted anything personal… other than my last post which was in Nana’s memory.”
She brings a hand to her heart, her lips pulling down in a frown.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “As for the restaurant… I usually appoint an enthusiastic employee to take care of posting on social media, but what we’re doing could use some improvement.”
“And that’s where I come in.” She sits a little straighter in her chair. “You want me to hype the upcoming Active Kids charity event so the followers on your personal socials and the restaurant ones donate?” She claps. “That, I can do with my eyes closed.”
“I was envisioning you participating in a different way.”
“Sorry. I might’ve gotten carried away there. What did you have in mind?”
“I was planning on attending alone…”
“Since your ex-wife doesn’t have a filter, I can understand why. Is Devlyn going to beat the event?”
I nod. “She’s going to be there with the captain of the Boston Bruisers.”
“Not good. The press is going to have a field day.”
