“About who?” Alex and Ethan appeared out of nowhere. Of course.
“Luke says he has met a girl he likes,” Ava pressed.
The moment I glanced at the guys, I saw it—they knew the truth. And they were going to use it.
“Well, damn Luke, do tell.” Alex smiled in victory as I mentally hurled daggers at him.
“Yeah, was it that girl from the coffee place?” Ethan added.
They were enjoying this way too much. Bastards. I’m gonna kill them.
“What was her name?”Don’t.I silently threatened. “Hazel?” Alex grinned wider. My grip on the table tightened as the girls erupted in delighted screeches all over the room.
“What’s she like?” Ava teased, and somehow the vibe shifted from a chill hangout to a high school gossip session.
“I’m not gonna tell you shit.”
Logan wandered over, catching the buzz. “What’s going on?”
“Luke’s got a girl named Hazel, but he’s not telling us anything,” Ava declared.
Logan looked between me and the guys, clearly trying to catch up. I rolled my eyes so hard I thought I might get brain damage.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I insisted. “Seriously, drop it.”
“She’s adorable. She works at the coffee shop and constantly flirts with Luke, but she doesn’t take any crap from him either,” Ethan lied, twisting my initial lie into a bombshell.
Stop it. I will end you.
I rarely got embarrassed, but this was pushing the limit. Thank God for the wine, or this would’ve been unbearable.
“He should invite her on our trip,” Norah said out of nowhere.
“Ha,” I exclaimed, nearly choking on my own saliva. “Good one.” I headed back to the patio, craving the comfort of the couch. On the way, I kicked Alex in the shin, earning a grunt and a laugh as he swallowed the pain.
Ah, it’s going to be fine. Tomorrow, I’ll just blame this whole mess on the wine and move on. I tried to put this pathetic interaction behind me, and yet, I had a nagging feeling it would come back to bite me.
* * *
The next day, we had a big all-department meeting to discuss the upcoming product launch. Our company was expanding into publishing, focusing on e-readers, apps, and audiobook platforms. I was part of the team developing the sales and marketing pitch. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort, pulling in employees from various departments for fresh ideas. These collaborations often revealed hidden talent, which is how I advanced. Hard work paid off.
“We need to tackle this internationally from the start, not just focus on the U.S.,” Alex suggested.
“We could also partner with writers or universities to expand our reach beyond adults to students and young readers,” I added, building on his idea.
“Good. Flesh this out more. I want detailed plans by next week’s meeting,” Williams said, wrapping up the two-hour session. Alex, Ethan, and I stayed behind to brainstorm, but after a while, we decided to step out for coffee.
“Maybe we reach out to international authors or publishing houses?” Alex suggested.
“Aiden Peterson?” I offered.
“Too busy on his book tour.”
“Ryan Bjornson?” I tried again.
“He hasn’t written in years. We need someone with an active fan base,” Alex said, shutting me down.
“What about Matthew Watson?” Ethan interjected. We moved a spot further. I loved Watson’s work. He wrote popular mystery novels, especially for younger audiences. He was active on social media, though it had been a while since I’d heard about him.
