Good. This was good. I needed to work and keep my mind occupied. Stay busy and make it to tonight.
“Maryellen!” Harper came running up to me as soon as she came through the doors of the bar. Gage followed right behind. He was never far from her. If you watched closely, he rarely wasn’t touching her in some way. A hand on her leg. A knee touching hers. Their hands clasped.
They were a goal couple.
Both were beautiful as well.
“Hi, Harper. I’m so excited you’re here,” I said as she hugged me. “Chase was nervous people wouldn’t show up for him tonight.”
She joined the mass of coworkers and friends congregating at the multiple tables we’d shoved together. There had to be over fifteen of us already, and Mitch and Evie hadn’t arrived yet.
“Where is Chase?” Harper filled her glass from one of the pitchers of beer. “I thought he’d be here with us until he went on.”
“I thought so, too, but they apparently have them stay in the back room.”
Her ring sparkled on her finger as she drank from her pint glass.
“Oh, Harper.” I felt terrible. My day from hell was never going to let up on me. “I never asked to see your ring the other day. Give me that hand.”
The pink diamond was almost wider than her slim finger. It shimmered as I moved her hand around to see it on all sides. It was stunning.
“I love the color,” I told her. She beamed as she looked at it herself. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. I’m sorry if I seemed off at our meeting the other morning. I was. You were the highlight of my day. I hope I wasn’t too awful.”
Her head swiveled to look at me, concern showing in her pinched brows. “You OK? I mean, you didn’t seem your typical chipper self, but everyone is allowed an off day.” She looked around conspiratorially. “Anything to do with a certain Parker boy? And I don’t mean your boss, though I’m sure he can ruin your day sometimes, too.”
At that moment, Gage appeared at her side. His hand wrapped around her waist, causing her eyes to flutter closed. It seemed too personal for me to witness, as if I should turn around.
“What are you two talking about?” Gage asked as his mouth nestled into her neck.
Harper turned her head his way and kissed him gently.
“Something not for your ears, big guy.”
As she unwrapped herself from his hold, he gave us both a fake dirty look.
“C’mon, let’s take a walk.” Harper grabbed her drink and my arm and off we went. Once we made it to the bar, we found two empty stools and sat down. “Are things going well with you and Chase?”
It was on the tip of my tongue. To tell her what has been going on in my inner world. To get another opinion.
“Everything’s been going great. I mean, it’s early. We’ve only just started this relationship thing, but…it’s not him. I’ve got other shit that’s unfortunately affecting every part of my life. And…”
She grabbed my hand while waving down the bartender. “You need a drink, girlfriend. What do you want?”
A drink was exactly what I needed. “I’ll have a dirty martini, extra olives, please.”
The bartender smiled and nodded before grabbing the bottles of vodka and vermouth directly in front of us, making a show of his drink making. Harper and I watched until he slid the drink in front of me, delicately balancing a stick of five olives on the rim of the glass.
“Thank you,” I said before mixing the drink with my olive stick. I ate two of them before turning back to Harper. She was patient and not pushing me to share. “Have you ever had something that pervaded your entire being, and you couldn’t get beyond it? Like, it’s taken over every thought, and it’s not allowing me to enjoy the simple things in life right now. It’s hanging over me, constantly.”
She sat, thoughtful, while she looked at me. “When I used to work at The Velvet Rope, there were people in my life I wanted to keep that from. Not everyone, but some. I’m not sure if it’s exactly what you’re dealing with, but I remember the stress that put me under. When Gage found me there, it all crashed down on me.”
I was the one who set up the party at the club. For the two of them to meet up again. That opened my eyes. Their story, their life, was created from a moment she dreaded.
“That’s on me,” I told her. “I did that to you two, I’m sorry.”
She wrapped her arm around me.
“Don’t be sorry, I’m thankful for it now. If it didn’t happen, maybe Gage and I wouldn’t be where we are now. We eventually figured out the role you played in us meeting. You were a sneaky one, Miss Matchmaker Maryellen.”
