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“I need an hour to get home and then to the hotel.”
“I’ll be ready to impress you.”
“Knock my socks off, mister.”
I walked up to the penthouse smiling like a fool. I wasn’t one to dwell too much on feelings, but since Hailey had entered my life, I found myself smiling more, and it always had something to do with her. Her funny nature forced me not to take myself so seriously, and I was surprised by how much I liked it.
“Here I am, in all my glory,” she announced when she stepped off the elevator an hour later. She was carrying a hanger with a red dress and a backpack, in addition to her shoulder bag.
“Let me help you.”
I slung the backpack over my own shoulder, then kissed her hard, wrapping one hand in her dark hair, tugging a little. I’d missed her even more than I’d thought.
“Oh la la. That’s a mighty kiss,” she murmured.
“Come on, beautiful girl. Let’s get you settled.”
Hailey was silent as we arranged her things in the bedroom, but I didn’t think much of it until she said, “I ran into Marion today.”
I placed the backpack carefully on the bed, turning to face her. “How? When?”
“At lunch. She happened to be at the restaurant where I was supposed to meet my client, and she noticed the logo of the agency on my notebook. Came to talk to me.”
“Why?”
“Insisted I dropped you as a client.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That she was interrupting my lunch.”
Only Hailey.
“I tried to keep calm, but it wasn’t easy. She said to my face that she stuck around you so long hoping you’d invest in her show.”
I clenched my teeth. “Proud of it, was she?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
I was ready to change the subject, because I didn’t want this to ruin the mood, but Hailey’s body language tipped me off that something was bothering her.
“What’s wrong?”
She shrugged, but I wasn’t having it. “Hailey?”
“Do you still have feelings for her?”
“No.” I moved closer, touching both cheeks. “I mean it. Why would you think that?”
“I don’t know. She’s beautiful.”
“Babe, she doesn’t hold a candle to you.”
“Don’t butter me up, mister. She’s a nationally known TV moderator about to have her own fashion show. Have I mentioned that she looks as if she just came out of a photo shoot?”
“She’s also selfish and a cheater.”
