Josie was carefully partitioning off my leftovers and giving each kid a bite. The last bit she reached out and fed to Mace.
"It is good, and you know I don't like sweets that much. But I would eat more of that," he said.
"Hazel made that especially for me!"
Hunter glared. "You need to stop distracting her. She's supposed to be making a painting for the convention center, not feeding you."
Peyton ran into the room with a popsicle and almost crashed into Hunter. "We're selling these tomorrow!" he announced excitedly.
"You are?" I asked as Hunter grabbed him.
"I don't want you dripping that on the carpet. It's all over your face. How are you coming along with the Art Zurich Expo campaign, Archer?" Hunter asked, wiping at Peyton's face with a napkin.
I took out my phone and swiped to the picture I'd taken of Hazel's art walk painting.
Hunter grunted.
"Is that an impressed grunt? Or an annoyed grunt?" I asked him.
"Let me see," Josie said, making a grabbing motion with her fingers. "Ooh!" she exclaimed, studying the photo. "I love the chandeliers! Weston and Blade want their company, ThinkX, to sponsor a conference. A great marketing angle would be to bill it as inspiration in an inspirational place. If Harrogate is known as a cool art town and has a unique conference center, it would really help drum up interest. When are you going to start designing? We need to make sure there are Instagrammable moments on the art walk."
"I made some calls to landscape designers I've used on my hotels and sent them the picture," I explained. "They're coming out to Harrogate in the next few days to look at the site."
"How much is this going to cost, exactly?" Hunter asked.
I shrugged. "You and Garrett can figure that out. You're the finance people."
"This is your project, Archer," Hunter said. "What were you doing all day at Hazel's if you weren't even working on this project?"
Oh, I don't know, making out with a hot girl…
As if he could read my thoughts, Hunter's eyes narrowed. "So that's what you were doing. I warned you about becoming involved with Meg's sister. You really do have the worst taste in women."
"The popsicle is melting on your suit," I told him. His jaw clenched, and he carried Peyton to the kitchen.
I escaped to the clubroom. I needed a drink and a distraction from my obsession over what had happened with Hazel. Was Hunter right? Was that why Hazel had pushed me out? Was she concerned about what Meg would think?
That couldn't be it—Hazel was her own person. She was a business owner, and she unashamedly dumpster dived. She didn't strike me as someone overly concerned with what people thought.
Maybe it was me? Maybe I moved too fast. I did my usual shtick. Maybe it was too much. I thought she was having fun.
Focus, I told myself.There are other women if Hazel is tired of you.
But I didn't want another woman. I knew I could have any of the ones who threw themselves at me in Manhattan. Hazel was different. And that kiss, well all of those kisses, were amazing. She was so soft and curvy. Hazel wasn't the type I usually went for, no. But seeing how badly it went with McKenna, something different was just what I craved.
* * *
SeeingHazel the next morning at the committee meeting was torture. I tried to keep it together as I gave an update about the art walk and showed off Hazel's painting. McKenna was clearly annoyed.
"I have designers I could call on, Archer, to refine this idea."
"It's fine, McKenna. I already have it under control."
"But we should think about the design. This chandelier tree is hideous and derivative."
"Josie seems to like it, and she's the head of the Harrogate Trust," I said, leveling my gaze at her.
McKenna sniffed. "If you all want to lose the bid for the expo, then fine." She grabbed her bag and walked out. "You're all going to be sorry you didn't listen to me."
