Starry-Eyed Love (Spark House)

“What? No, of course not.” I dump out my star jar because it’s almost full already.

“Why not?”

“Because we’re hosting an event for his company, and they’ve just asked us to be a part of the Teamology initiative.”

“Did he ask if you’re still single?” Harley looks so hopeful.

“No, of course not! But I might have told him I lied about being in a relationship.”

“What?” both my sisters shout at the same time.

I throw my hands in the air, and a star goes flying across the room. “I didn’t mean to tell him. He’s so charismatic, he compelled the information out of me. And he seemed to appreciate my belated honesty.”

Harley waves the explanation away. “When are you seeing him again?”

“We have a call scheduled for next Friday. I need to have a preliminary plan for the charity event ready by then.”

“It’s just a call?” Harley tips her chin up and arches a brow.

“Yes. It’s just a call. He’s based in New York. Whatever you’re thinking is probably way off base. He doesn’t even live in Colorado, and we’re doing business with him. He’d just spent two weeks alone in the Colorado wilderness when he asked me out. He probably would have hit on a grandma.”

“Uh-huh.” Avery crosses her arms.

“He didn’t ask me out again.” But we spent nearly two hours in his office after the meeting talking about the charity event—which is to raise money for cancer research—and it wasn’t until his assistant popped his head in to remind him that he still had a flight to catch back to New York that he realized how late it had gotten.

Harley leans back in her chair. “Check your email.”

“Why?”

“Just humor me and do it.”

I roll my eyes but flip open my laptop and pull up my email. I have at least thirty new ones that I need to manage, which instantly gives me anxiety over all the work I have to catch up on just from being away for an afternoon, but at the top is one that stands out from the rest.

“He’s already emailed you, hasn’t he? I can tell by the look on your face.” Harley grabs the laptop and clicks on the message.

London,

It was a pleasure meeting you again today. I look forward to our call next Friday. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have any questions, or if there’s anything you wish to discuss prior to our call. I have the greatest confidence that the charity event will be a resounding success, and I’m pleased that you’re coming on board as part of our new Teamology initiative.

Regards,

Jackson

CEO Holt Media

You can also reach me by phone: 555-242-0310

“That email was sent at three forty-two in the afternoon,” Avery points out. “How much do you want to bet he sent that minutes after you left?”

“He walked me out, and it was probably more like half an hour later,” I mutter.

“He might not have asked you on a date, but all signs point to him still being interested.”

“We’re hosting an event for his company. It makes sense that he would email me about it to confirm the call for next week. And he seems a lot like the kind of guy who would follow up on things right away.”

“He could’ve had his personal assistant email you. He also added his phone number at the bottom, and I bet you an entire batch of snickerdoodle bars that it’s his personal line.” Harley starts typing away.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m replying for you.”

“What? No! Don’t do that!”

“I’m just thanking him, not telling him you think he’s the hottest man to walk the face of the earth and that he makes you moist.”

Avery and I make matching gagging sounds.

“Don’t worry, I’ll read it to you before I send it.” Her fingers fly across the keyboard.

I would try to steal my laptop back, but it’s pointless. Harley is small and quick, and Avery is agile and athletic. She’s also not afraid to put me in a headlock. “Please don’t put anything in there that will embarrass me.”

Harley purses her lips. “It will be one hundred percent professional. I promise. But you need to respond because self-made near-billionaires don’t like to be kept waiting, and it speaks volumes about him that he blew off a meeting to sit in on yours and then spent two hours shooting the shit with you, even if it was about the charity event, and he’s emailing you directly.” How she can type and talk at the same time is beyond me. “I’m just thanking him for the opportunity and telling him I also look forward to the call on Friday.” She hits one final key. “And sent.”

“I thought you were going to read it to me before you sent it!”

“Oh. Right. Oops.” She’s grinning, though, which tells me she did it on purpose. She passes me back the laptop. I read over the email she just sent. She wasn’t lying about the content, but she failed to leave out the fact that she also gave him my cell number.