Stephanie nodded slowly. “The story only gets better from there. This is all basically the first couple chapters. From here on, the heroine declares revenge on the villain. But at this point, she’s also destitute.”
“Don’t tell me,” Sandra said. “A man steps in to help her. He offers her money in return for her love. Or maybe just her body?” she asked, amused.
“Oh, very good, very good. Yeah, not just any man, but the villain’s brother.”
“Ohhh,” they all said.
“This sounds like so much fun,” Rochelle added.
“It is. I’m just getting to the part where she’s meeting the second man who’s going to be in her harem.” Stephanie grinned evilly. “But…no more spoilers.”
“All right, I’m running out right now and buying a copy,” Sandra said.
“Me too,” Wren added, just to tease Elias. But she had to admit—she was hooked.
“We could all get a copy and do a book club,” Sandra said excitedly as she looked from one woman to the next. Then shelooked back and forth between Gabe and Elias. “You guys want in, too?”
“No way,” they both protested.
Stephanie put her hands on her hips. “I’ll have you know, Dr. Boyfriend reads romances with me. He thinks of them as instruction manuals.”
“Oooh…” the women chorused.
“Hey, I’ll join,” Waylon said, his voice only laced with a little sarcasm. “Looks like I’ll have plenty of free time coming up.”
Stephanie gave him a funny look but didn’t say anything as she studied him. Then she glanced at Elias.
Rochelle tapped her sister on the shoulder. “Areyougoing to have time for a book club? Don’t your classes start soon?”
“Wow, it’s like I have a Regency big sister breathing down my neck,” Sandra joked. “I’ll tear through that book in a weekend. I’ve got plenty of time.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Wren said. “I was talking to Ellie yesterday and she says you’re going to school for photography.”
“Yup! I’ve got an art history class that I’m looking forward to, and a few general classes that I’m not. Then I have to apply for a spot to get a BFA with a focus on photography. The program’s limited to only a few students at a time.”
“Would an internship with a photographer increase your chances?”
“Absolutely, but like I’m gonna find one before I start my classes. Maybe I can apply for a spot sometime late next year.”
“Or, you could intern with me right now and get a head start on the competition,” Wren said.
Sandra’s eyebrows rose. “You’re a photographer?”
“She is,” Elias said before Wren could reply. “Real estate now, but she did professional portraiture before that. Celebrities, actually.” He spoke in a confident, almost pompoustone, all the while looking at Waylon, who smirked back, shaking his head slightly.
What’s that about?
“Yeah, I did,” Wren said, taking on her own professional tone as she stepped out of Elias’ arms. “I still do, but I wanted to back away for a while, do something different. Real estate’s paying the bills right now, but I have another project going.”Something that has more meaning than photographing celebritiesshe wanted to add. “I’d love to schlep you along this week, if you’re free.”
Sandra looked excited. “Oh, I willmakethe time. Wow, thank you.”
“Here’s my card.” Wren dug into her tote, found her wallet, and took out a business card. “Kind of old-fashioned, I know. Text me at that number so I have you in my contacts and I’ll let you know when it’s happening.”
Sandra took the card and pulled her phone out of the gym bag slung over her shoulder. “Whenit’s happening?”
“It’s…” She didn’t want to give too much away, not with whatever weirdness was going on between Elias and Waylon right now. Plus, she didn’t want to put Sandra on the spot. She’d talk to her later in private, gauge if this project was going to be a good fit. Wren had offered the internship without giving it a single thought, caught up in the moment.
“The timing might change, depending. It’s all up to the subjects’ availability.”
