“It is.”
Before she can say more, my phone buzzes again. Loud. Against the hollow table.
Harper glances at it. “Another crisis?”
“Groomsman chatter,” I mutter. “My friend Roman thinks I should be able to order formalwear while running a company.”
My phone buzzes a millionth time.
ROMAN: DID YOU ORDER THE TUX OR ARE YOU RUNNING THE COMPANY INTO THE GROUND??
Harper watches me as I text. “Is he okay?”
“No,” I ping back. “He’s getting married.”
She snorts—a quiet, involuntary sound that lands somewhere in my gut.
“Well, I guess we’ll know all about that struggle come Sunday,” she hums.
I stare at her. “I’m not sure if you’re being supportive or mocking me.”
“Why choose?”
There it is again—that quick hit of attraction that lands low and sharp.
She doesn’t even try to soften her edges. She just… is—direct, unfiltered, and devastatingly genuine in a way my world never allows.
“Speaking of Sunday,” I say, because redirecting feels safer. “We should probably discuss optics at dinner.”
She nods slowly. “Okay. But we are not acting like a married couple at your grandmother’s.”
“That may be unavoidable. She’s persuasive.”
“Awesome. So, your grandmother will think I’m in love with you, and Rachel will think I’m a PR grenade. Amazing. I’m literally a caricature of myself at this point.”
I run a hand through my hair, frustrated. "Then what do you suggest?"
"I suggest—" Harper starts, then stops as her phone buzzes.
She glances at it, frowns, then looks back at me.
"Sorry. My mom. She's been—Never mind."
But I notice the way her expression shifts, the way her shoulders tense.
"Is everything alright?" I ask, watching her.
Harper's face does something complicated. "She's fine. Just—family stuff. Nothing important."
It's clearly a lie, but I don't push.
Instead, I say, “Fuck it. If you don't want to lie to Babushka, then don't."
"What?"
"Tell her the truth. That we got drunk and made a mistake and we're trying to fix it without destroying both our careers." I lean back in my chair. "She'll probably find it hilarious."
"You want me to tell your grandmother we accidentally got married?"
