"The weight looks good on you," Josie said, trying not to smile. "You look nice and round, like a dad."
I freaked out and jumped up to examine my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Josie and Mace leaned against each other, laughing.
"Ha ha, very funny. I look outstanding."
* * *
After the meetingat Mace's, I dropped Eli and Tristan off at the Corentin Hotel to start prepping for the Art Zurich judges' arrival.
Is Hazel changing me?I wondered. I certainly was spending the longest chunk of time in Harrogate I ever had. I had been here longer than Christmas. The slower pace of life, being with Hazel, being with my family—I felt more grounded.
When I walked into my office at the Corentin Hotel, McKenna was there waiting for me, perched on my desk.
"Archer."
Crap.
"Did you think about my offer? Maybe we could go somewhere and talk about it," McKenna suggested.
"I'm not interested."
"If you want this convention center to happen, you need to be."
"Fine," I said. "What do you want?" The displeasure was clear on my face.
"I know you want to settle down," she said. "I think it should be with me, not Hazel."
"No."
"Just give us another chance, Archer," she pleaded. "We were good together."
"I would so much rather be with Hazel than you, McKenna. She would never use me for money or influence. She has her own successful business. Hazel and I make perfect sense together."
"I have my own gallery," McKenna insisted. "I would be better than some cook who does terrible paintings."
"Hazel makes great paintings. She also makes paintings she can sell. There's nothing wrong with trying to do what's best for your business. I'm not going to begrudge someone success," I said.
McKenna sniffed. "If you're such an alpha billionaire business man, then you can see that you need me to make this deal happen. One date, Archer, that's it. We don't even have to have sex though I know what you like."
"Go away."
"Just think about it. You, me, a long weekend. Give me a chance to make everything up to you.Shh," she said, pressing a perfectly manicured finger to my mouth to silence my protest. "Just think about it."
As she left, she looked over her shoulder at me and winked.
I just stood there. What was I going to do?
For a brief moment, I considered going on a date with McKenna. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad. Then I thought about Hazel. There was no way I was going to hurt her like that. It wasn't even an option. I needed to find another way.
47
Hazel
After finishing meeting with the various muralists around town, I stopped at my café to sign for a food delivery before the next meeting about the art walk. I couldn't wait to see it.
I quickly loaded the boxes of vegetables, eggs, meats, and other supplies into the large walk-in fridge. When I came back out into the café, there was Archer's mother, stuffing something in her purse.
"Sorry," I said forcefully, "we're closed."Probably forever.
