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“Then it’s a date.” He caught himself. “Not a date date. You know what I mean. It’s a plan. A non-date plan.”

I chuckled a little at his awkwardness. “I know what you mean.”

“Good. Okay. I’ll text you the details. Address, time, dress code, all that.”

“There’s a dress code?”

“Not really. Just don’t show up in a ballgown and you’ll be fine.”

“I’ll try to contain myself.”

He laughed and I wanted to see his face. “Talk soon, Lucy.”

“Talk soon.”

I ended the call and sat there for a long moment, staring at my phone. Thanksgiving with his family. That meant something. Didn’t it?

Or maybe it didn’t mean anything at all. Maybe he was just being nice. Jeremy was always nice. He’d probably invite a homeless person to Thanksgiving dinner if he thought they needed it. It didn’t have to be significant. It didn’t have to mean he felt anything more than friendship and professional obligation. And technically, he did mention the invitation before the sex. So, it wasn’t a pity invite or anything.

I needed to stop reading into everything.

I turned back to my laptop and pulled up Adrian Blackwell’s contact information. I needed to focus on work. That was the one thing I could control in this whole mess of feelings, complications, and things I didn’t know how to handle.

I dialed the number and waited. His assistant answered, and after a brief hold, I was put through. We talked through the Switzerland details. Dates, locations, logistics. He was efficient and direct, which I appreciated. By the time we hung up, I had a clear picture of what the shoot would involve and what Jeremy would need.

I drafted an email summarizing everything and sent it to Jeremy, doing exactly what a good manager should do for their client. Then I closed my laptop and leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.

I reconsidered the Switzerland trip. Why did everywhere have to be so damn cold? Actually, that was a good thing. The cold would keep me home. That kept the necessary distance between us. Whatever I felt would continue to fade into something manageable.

But the thought of him in Switzerland without me, surrounded by beautiful models and stunning scenery, made something ugly twist in my stomach. What if he met someone? What if the distance I thought I needed just pushed him toward someone else? I knew Jeremy. He’d end up in another woman’s bed. It was inevitable.

That was his prerogative. He was a free agent. We’d agreed to go back to being friends and colleagues. If he wanted to pursue something with someone else, I had no right to feel anything about it. But I would feel something. I was in deeper than I wanted to admit.

I pulled my shit together and quickly texted Jeremy, letting him know I had spoken with Adrian and sent him the details. He replied with a thumbs-up.

Was he busy now? Knowing Jeremy, he’d kept himself busy the last two weeks. I used to always tease him about his stable of women. It didn’t feel funny anymore.

I picked up my phone again and typed one last message.

See you Thursday, Blackwell.

His response came almost immediately.

Wear elastic pants.

I laughed and realized he probably wasn’t joking.

24

JEREMY

The conversation with Lucy stuck with me for the rest of the day. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way her voice had cracked when she talked about her grandmother. I knew about her parents. She talked about them now and then. And I knew she was close with her grandmother. I hadn’t realized how important Thanksgiving was to her, though.

I felt like an asshole for not understanding earlier when she mentioned it. She had dismissed it and I’d followed her lead. But it bothered her.

I understood why Lucy said she was happy for her grandmother. She meant it, too. Lucy wasn’t the type to begrudge anyone their happiness. But I’d heard the pain underneath the words. The loss of something she’d counted on her whole life.

It bothered me to the point I couldn’t stop thinking about it. If I was this upset, how must she feel? Lucy had always picked up and carried on. No matter what shit was thrown at her, she was the one that just handled it. I counted on her to do that for me all the time. Who handled shit for her?