Shit.
Maybe the still-nervous-after-all-these-years wasn’t justabout Elijah.
But about her too.
Archie kept hold but she shifted her head so she could catchHaley’s eyes and she shared, “I asked him if he minded if I watched.He said hedidn’t.But he was weird about it when we talked about it, so I think hewould.”
“Then you two need to have a conversation about why thatwould be.Because there is a good deal of history behind that Club that’sconcerning, but they’re beyond that.So unless he thinks you’ll be judgy.”Shekept Archie in her arms even as she shrugged and concluded, “And I know you twoare new, but the one thing he has to know about you is the last thing you areis judgy.”
That was such a nice thing to say.
“Thank you for telling it like it is,” Archie said.
Haley looked cute and kind of embarrassed when she replied,“My pleasure.”
Their hug couldn’t have been more different than one fromher mom—and make no mistake, Archie did not forget an iota of what a hug fromher mom felt like.
But her mom was tall and thin, not average height androunded.
Her mom wore Tom Ford perfume.
Haley wore Chloe.
But dang, how did Archie miss that, when her dad foundsomeone to love, he’d given the same thing to Archie?
“I can’t wait for you to meet him, I think you’re reallygonna like him,” Archie told her.
And Haley looked her dead in the eye when she replied, “Ifhe’s anything like his father, I know I will.”
Yeah, she had to watch that movie.
This meant ditching the shop so she could watch during theday because Jagger had her nights.
She gave Haley a squeeze, Haley squeezed back, and when theylet go of each other and turned to Andy, they saw his eyes were bright withtears.
“Such a lovable lug,” Haley said softly.
She was so right.
Archie went to her dad, kissed his cheek, got another hug,and felt like a loser bitch that she’d made him wait this long to witness histwo girls connecting.
She’d make amends later, starting tomorrow night.
Now she had to get to the theater.
She’d already blown off a pickup from Jagger, who wantedthem to go to the movie together.
And by the time she hit the Chez Artiste theater, she wascutting it close to the movie starting, and was five minutes late for when theyagreed to meet.
Jag was waiting for her with the concessions he’d alreadybought.
And Archie felt that sleeping dragon shift when Jag saw her,and she knew he wanted to ask why he couldn’t pick her up and why she’d barelymade the screening time.
Giving him permission not to share, she’d somehow taken awayhis ability to ask.
She didn’t push about something important, and he wasreturning the favor—with everything.
But she hadn’t asked for that favor.
