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Eight
Sage
“There’sno hiding your fun from last night,” Harper says as she hands me a cup of coffee and the newspaper. I graciously accept the cup of coffee as I glance at the paper.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whine, staring at a fuzzy picture of myself in that white blazer from last night, Cash right behind me.
“Oh, come on. You know you’re a celeb in this town. No use fighting it. What’s the big deal? It’s not like you’re married or something.”
I toss the paper on my desk, groaning. This is the last thing I needed.
“You know what the big deal is. I don’t need clients and everyone else thinking I’m some joke just because I like to have fun. I like to keep that personal. And up until yesterday, my good times at the Marooned Pirate were just that. How the hell did this happen?”
Harper shrugged. “You’re getting more famous. That’s how. I think it’s a good thing. No publicity is a bad thing and all that,” she says, plopping down on my sofa.
My office area is actually just a desk by the bay window in my living room. I like to feel comfortable in my space, and I like to be able to look out the window at the ocean. The benefits of the view and all that.
“I know, but I don’t want people talking. My personal life and how I live it really shouldn’t be what the press focuses on.”
I sigh. Last time I made the paper like this a few months ago, the comments on social media were not really about my work. They were more about what some thought of my “loose” love life. I haven’t missed being in the press for that.
“Honey, it comes with the territory. Even if you were married with the two children expected, people would complain. It’s part of the role, you know?”
“I know. But I don’t want it to take away from my work, from our work. We’ve got this men’s collection launching in a couple months. I don’t want some guy I met at a bar to be all anyone talks about when they think of Sage Everling and Evermore.”
I stand from my desk, shoving aside the marketing reports once again, thrown off by this. I know Harper meant well by keeping me in the loop, but sometimes I prefer to stay oblivious.
“So, speaking of this guy at the bar, tell me. How was it? How was he?”
I smile, turning to look at her. “I mean, didn’t I just say we’ve got a new launch coming soon? Shouldn’t my lead designer be, I don’t know, working on some of those final touches?”
Harper waves me off. “Relax, boss. You know I’ve got this.”
“Oh, I do.”
“Then humor me. Take off the boss hat you wear so well and put on the friend hat.”
I grin as Barcelona ambles up, rubbing my leg. I pick him up, plopping on the seat by Harper. It’s true. I hired Harper Renault a few years back because I was impressed by her work. But now, I’m thankful I hired her because of so much more than her fashion sense. She’s become my best friend, my only friend really. She gets my workaholic nature, but she also helps me keep it under control. And she doesn’t judge my love choices too much.
“Okay, well, he was pretty great. We had obvious chemistry. It was a fun time.”
She raises an eyebrow. “A fun time? That was it? That man oozed chemistry, but he also was so much more than that. I don’t know, you two just looked good together, and you seemed to jive.”
“We did jive. It was fun. But it was a one-night thing.”
Harper grins.
“What?” I ask, a little annoyed as Barcelona walks over to her.
“Nothing. It’s just… that grin. I don’t know. Seems like Cash Creed really got to you.”
I shake my head. “Yeah, okay, so it was a lot of fun. But you know my rules.”
“Which are super stupid, by the way. What’s so wrong about falling for someone? What’s so wrong about more than one night?”
“You know the answer to that,” I say, sighing as I lean back, looking at the ceiling. Harper’s been my friend for long enough now to know my reservations. I have a lot of them.
“There’s such a thing as a prenup.”
