An hour later, we sat in a decadent booth with glasses of wine and a charcuterie board of cheese, crackers, and grapes between us.
I scrolled through the dating app and took a long drink of wine. I’d already finished two glasses, and a delightfully fuzzy feeling took away the self-consciousness that dogged me every damned day.
“Send it.” Lila popped a grape in her mouth and puckered her lips. “Send the picture, Harper, or I’ll send it for you.”
I eyed my phone where I’d set it face down on the table after showing Lila the welcome message Dante, Julian, and Alexander sent me.
The private group chat was one of the perks at Elevate.
I hadn’t had the nerve to text back anything other than thank you, but I couldn’t resist letting Lila read the message.
I picked up my phone, unlocked the screen, then set it in my lap. I finished the wine and took a slice of cheese and a cracker. “I don’t want to look desperate.”
“Damn it, Harper.” Lila pointed a finger at me. Her eyes danced as she tried to focus. “I’m telling you, send the picture. Send the text. It’s not desperate, it’s called being proactive. Be bold. Fearless. Take life by the balls and go for a ride. It’s a dating site. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Oh, I don’t know. He could laugh at me.” I’d rather get ghosted again, which had happened more times than I cared to remember.
Lila’s enthusiasm waned, and she let out a slow exhale. “You’re giving one guy too much credit. Invite him to make your Valentine’s night special. If he says no, then you move on. But don’t youdarelet anyone make you feel less than. You’re a beautiful woman. You’re smart and funny, and you deserve the absolute best.” A dagger sharp smile appeared. “And if he’s an asshole, I’ll take extreme pleasure in ripping off his balls.”
“Ew.” I rolled my eyes at her dramatics, but her fierce loyalty had the desired effect of boosting my confidence. I unlocked my phone again. “What should I say?”
“Here, let me type it.” Lila held out her hand.
I sat back and lifted the glass to my lips, letting Lila do her thing. She squinted at the screen. “There. All you have to do is hit send.” She passed me the phone and grinned while working through her side of the cheese.
She’d attached a picture of me that I’d taken last week.
It wasn’t risqué by any means, but it was far more revealing than anything I’d ever done.
I’d sat on the edge of the bed in my prettiest lingerie and leaned forward with my elbow on my knee and my chin in my hand.
I stared past the camera, my lips slightly parted. It showed almost nothing of my body except my face, arms, legs, and a bit of cleavage, but even I had to admit the look on my face was sexy as hell.
I’d been thinking about Dante when I took the picture. Heat crept up the back of my neck as I read Lila’s message. The “down to fuck” vibe came through without being explicit. Teasing but not demanding.
In other words, perfect for Lila. Would it work for me? Lila refilled my wine and nudged my hand. “Send. It.”
I closed my eyes and tapped the screen. When I opened them again, the names at the top of the screen swam in and out of focus.
The wine I’d consumed lurched into a nauseating whirl. “Oh, shit.”
“What? Did he say yes already? I knew he would. That is a badass picture. I mean, if I was bi, I’d totally do you based on that pic.” Lila leaned across the table, her mouth scrunching when I let out a rasping half-sob.
I swallowed the rush of bile. “That was the wrong text thread. I sent it to my bosses.”
2
HARPER
There were not enough curse words in every language combined to express the turmoil going through my head. It ached with the pressure needing to be released.
“I just…” I thrust my phone at Lila. “Fix it. Fix it now. I just sent a sexy text to my bosses.” Oh hell. I imagined the look on Alexander’s face.
Then Dante’s.
Julian might laugh, but I was in seriously deep shit.
“What do you mean, fix it? I can’t fix it. You can’t unsend a text.” Lila nudged my phone toward me. “It’ll be fine. Send another message. Tell them it was an accident.”
