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"It'll be a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. The rich and famous get into messes often enough. My boss said a lot of new clients come to us because they like the company's track record with getting A-listers out of hot water."
"Sounds stressful," I chimed in.
"What can I say? I thrive in high-pressure environments. And dealing with an A-list scandal is at least fun, compared to spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations about Key Performance Indicators and Liquidity and so on."
"So... since you'll be rubbing elbows with celebrities, can you get me and Val tickets to the Awards? Oscars, Emmys, Grammys?" I asked, batting my eyelashes.
"Are you kidding? Yes, yes, and yes. We've been dreaming of going to award events since we were kids. We're going even if I have to smuggle you two in."
"Atta girl," I said, hugging my baby sister at the same time as Val.
"Girls, aren't we getting a little too old for Connor sandwiches?" Hailey asked, sounding out of breath, but hugging us back just as hard. Dad had coined the term on a memorable spring morning, when he'd found all six of us trying to hug Mom.
"No, definitely not," Val said. I squished Hailey harder.
Jace watched us with a devilish grin. "Well, sister dearest, I'm happy you joined the dark side. Now I can finally let the shit hit the fan. I'll have someone to get me out of it."
"You'd better never, ever require my services, or those locks of yours will suffer," Hailey said.
"That's how they teach you to solve a crisis?"
"No. I save those techniques for people sharing my DNA."
***
Milo and I left after everyone had another slice of cheesecake, and I'd pulled Hailey aside to spill the details from last night. Milo's energy was endless. I took him to Universal Studios every few months, so I already knew the ins and outs of the place. It was crowded, but we had Front of the Line Passes. We visited our usual spots, the theme worlds of Jurassic Park and Harry Potter.
Milo's favorite attraction was the one I liked least. The Revenge of the Mummy boasted an indoor roller coaster. We went on it twice. My stomach behaved during the first ride, but lurched into my throat during the second one. It remained there even after we climbed off.
We were heading to a puppet show booth when my phone vibrated in my bag. I prayed it wasn't one of the vendors informing me some of their inventory was missing. It had happened on two occasions, and we'd never known who'd been the culprit: a staff member or a guest. Vendors liked
to blame the servers, but I'd seen guests eyeing the decorations with a little too much interest. The strangest things could happen.
Speaking of strange things, my stomach cartwheeled right back into its place when I noticed Graham had sent me the message.
Graham: Lori, I can't stop thinking about you. I'd love to see you and Milo this evening and spend time with both of you. I'll probably screw up often, and I want you to tell me when I do—it's the only way I can improve. It's a leap for both of us, but I want to get to know you and Milo better.
Graham didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, so I appreciated his text even more. I tried forming a good enough answer, but my mind was blank.
Lori: I'm speechless.
Graham: :-) No pressure. It took me an hour and three drafts to write that. Are you still at Universal Studios?
Lori: Yes. We're heading to a puppet show. Taking a break from the roller coasters, thank God. I don't think my stomach will recover until dinner.
My phone buzzed again, but I couldn't read the message right away, because we'd arrived at the booth. There was a lot of commotion, with six- to-nine-year-olds crowding in front of the counter, and parents standing in the back, eyes on their offspring. Milo slipped his hand out of mine, joining the crowd of kids. Only after I stood in the back with the rest of the parents did I glance at the phone. An electrifying buzz had taken residence in my chest.
Graham: What are you doing for dinner?
The buzz extended to my fingertips. I typed back quickly, not giving myself time to overthink anything.
Lori: I was planning to take him for a burger and fries.
His answer came a minute later.
Graham: I make some mean burgers. I'm good with fries too. If you prefer, for now we can just say I'm your friend, or Jace's boss. I promise not to kiss you in front of Milo ;)
The boldness of him, I swear. I was feeling like a girl with a crush on her prom date.
