AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 8
Gabriel
"You know," Caleb says as he walks in after I open the door, "we might have been friends for nearly a decade, but sometimes it still feels like I don't know you."
"What do you mean?" I say as I collect the bottle of whisky from him.
He gives me a knowing look before walking away.
"You know what I mean. I suggested that we have a small party to celebrate the deal you closed, but you thought your apartment had seen one too many parties already.”
“Which," he plops down on a chair, "is unlike you. Then you called me three hours ago, asking if I still wanted to have that party. Why would you change your mind?”
I try to appear calm as I shrug. "Because I changed my mind. Get used to it, Caleb. Everyone else will be arriving in thirty minutes to an hour, and it'll be a total of twenty people. No more."
He nods. "Sure."
I take a minute to drop the bottle in the built-in wall bar of the dining room. I take a bottle of red wine instead and two glasses.
Putting on an air of casualness or doing my best to play it cool, I place the bottle and a glass on the table beside Caleb. I uncork it, pour some, and hand him a glass.
"Is your girlfriend coming?" I ask.
Did that sound natural?
"Yeah,” Caleb answers excitedly.
It must have been because there weren't any follow-up questions from Caleb. I throw in the main purpose of my question.
"Is she going to bring her friend?"
"Which, oh,” he looks at me, "you mean your neighbor."
I nod and drink from my glass to keep any context clues from showing on my face.
Caleb shrugs. "I don't know. Parties aren't exactly Harper's speed. But I think she will because the two of them are almost inseparable. It's cute to hear Mira talk about how they've been friends for years, the mischief she's dragged Harper into, and…"
Caleb doesn't stop talking—because it's apparent he's smitten—but I've gotten what I need. The real reason why I decided to host a party at the last minute.
To see Harper Quinn.
After she weaseled her way out of answering my question three days ago, she's been avoiding my office, and summoning her hasn’t done any good. The woman has not only carved herself into my skin, but she has imprinted herself on my brain.
Thoughts of that night and the look in her eyes when she said she regretted sleeping with me.
"She had to be lying," I mutter. "How could she regret something that amazing?"
"What?"
It takes a few minutes to realize Caleb is speaking to me.
"What?" I echo.
"You were saying something just now about regret? Did Harper…" he smacks his lips, "did you do something to provoke Miss Quinn?"
I stutter as I try to defend myself because I might not have done something in the way he thinks, but I did do something. In the end, I get up from my seat and head to the door when someone knocks, ignoring Caleb's loud laughter.
Harper Quinn might avoid me at work, but she cannot run forever.
