“Nope. Definitely not.”
I wish it were Harley.
Callie rests her elbow on the bar and turns her body toward me. “So, who’s the girl?”
“Nobody important. Just someone I picked up at a bar.”
Callie knows Alexa. We all went to high school together. Even Callie would be pissed if she knew the identity of the girl in the pictures.
“You need to be more careful next time,” Callie says with a knowing look. “From what I’ve read, your family will lose everything if you don’t find another investor.”
“Not if I get married in the next thirty days.”
Callie spits out some of her beer. “Shut. Up. You’re getting married? To who? The girl in the pics?”
“I said I have to get married, not that I want to. My dad suggested I ask Harley, but I told him to leave her out of it. I’ll find another way.”
Callie tips the bottle to her lips. “How’s the search going?”
“I’m sitting at a bar, getting drunk. You do the math.”
She smirks. “I have some good news for you. Harley’s on her way to Philly.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “What are you talking about? The last time I checked, Harley was in LA.”
Her eyebrows rise slightly. “Are you keeping tabs on our girl?”
“No,” I lie. “When I talked to her this morning, she was in her office.”
“Stalker.” Callie smacks her lips together, smearing her red lip gloss. “You’ve got it bad for Harley, and you know it.”
“No, I don’t,” I snap.
“Yes, you do.”
I hate when she taunts me. No matter how much I try to fool myself, I can’t bullshit Callie. She sees through the witty, sarcastic banter between Harley and me.
“Don’t think I’m the only one who noticed the girl in the pics looks like Harley.”
“Plenty of men like blondes.”
She gives me a wicked look. Much like Harley, Callie is a feisty one. All of Harley’s friends are strong-willed and intense women who like to challenge men.
“Because I love you like a brother from another mother, let me give you some advice.” I lean into her, and our shoulders touch. “Harley is your only hope of salvaging the Titan Tech deal. I know it’s not in your nature to sit, roll over, or beg, but you need to do whatever it takes to get Harley on board. She pretends to hate you, but I know deep down she still cares about you. I mean, you guys were best friends. I thought you two would get married...”
“I can’t put her through that,” I counter. “Harley’s given up so much for the company already. She doesn’t want to look at me, let alone marry me. And her dad still won’t give her the promotion she wants, even though she’s earned it twice over.”
“That’s because she does whatever Daddy wants. Harley makes everyone but herself happy. She likes to go with the flow and not make too many waves. But if you were to suggest to her dad that she deserves a promotion, maybe he would consider it. He’s not in the position to say no to anything right now, not when he needs her to cooperate.”
“No one will ever believe I’m getting married. And Harley would never go for it.”
She slaps me on the back. “Go win back your girl and make everyone believe you’re madly in love.”
Chapter Five
Harley
When the doors open to the twenty-third floor, I can’t move from the elevator. Frozen in place, I wipe my sweaty palms down the sides of my pencil skirt. This office was once my playground, where I spent most of my childhood with Nate. My stomach twists like a pretzel as all of the old times with Nate come flooding back to me.
The move to Los Angeles was more for my sanity than the sunshine. I had to get away from Nate. Working in the same office as him was driving me insane. I couldn’t stand to see him flirt with secretaries in a childish attempt to get my attention. And now, I’m back home, the last place on earth I want to be.
Before the doors close, I step into the brightly lit hallway. Video game posters cover the walls. Among them is the Queen Takes King company logo I drew for fun. I was surprised when my father asked if he could use my design for the rebranding five years ago. It’s one of my best pieces. Two interlinked crowns sit atop of a stack of playing cards, with the king of spades and the queen of hearts floating midair.
My dad’s never taken much of anything I do seriously. For once, I thought he was interested in my art. But Dear Old Dad is one of those men who think women should stay home and let the men work. Nate is the only person who has ever fully supported my passion. Sometimes, I miss having Nate around. Whenever I struggled with self-doubt, he was always there to push me forward. He always knew the right things to say.