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“But you’re not going to tell us the whole story. Are you?” Jordan said with a little smile.
The other woman winked. “Maybe someday. If you buy me a drink first.”
“How about I buy a house first?” Jordan countered. “Or at least rent one?”
“Really?” Stacey said excitedly, clapping her hands, clearly not in the least perturbed that a woman determined to unearth her secrets was planning to settle into her town.
Jordan tried to ignore the surge of nervousness at the thought of settling down here, even if only for a few weeks. Sure, she’d sort of settled into her New York apartment for the long term, but that was different. It was New York. Sure, it was the place where people went to find themselves and be somebody.
It was also the place where people could go to hide in plain sight, if even from themselves. The busyness of the city meant that if you wanted, you never had to sit still for too long, think about too much, feel too much. Small towns were different. They could reach inside you and demand everything.
But a job was a job. And this job demanded she figure out how to survive in Lucky Hollow for as long as it took.
“I think I have to rent it,” Jordan said, snapping her attention back to Stacey and Simon. “It’s cute, it’s clean, and it’s furnished, so it’s more affordable and practical than staying in the motel for the long term.”
“As in long, long term,” Stacey said. “Because as someone who knows Luke, I should tell you that there’s exactly zero chance he’ll say yes to this.”
“Would you mind if he did?” Jordan asked.
Stacey shrugged and pushed back a stray piece of hair. “Nah. What happened between us is old news.”
“News that I want to hear about,” Jordan said, picking up her water bottle and pointing it at Stacey. “What night’s good for you? Drinks on me.”
“My my, you’re forward.” Stacey fluttered her eyelashes.
Jordan fluttered hers back. “I know what I want.”
The other woman laughed. “I like you.”
“Well, that’s good. Your ex doesn’t.”
“Eh. Luke can be…”
“Stubborn? Rude? Irritating?”
“Hot,” Simon added to the list.
“Well, yes to stubborn and hot,” Stacey said. “But I’ve never known him to be rude.”
Jordan winced. “Probably because you’ve never tried to coax him into falling in love on national television.”
Stacey pulled a pink lipstick out of her purse and applied it as she thought this over. “You know, I sort of wish he would do it. Not so much for the fame-and-fortune thing, that’s not really Luke, but…it’d be good for him to find someone.”
“Seems to me he’s already found three persons,” Simon said in a loud whisper.
“Yes, well.” Stacey pressed her lips together and dropped the lipstick back into her purse. “I can assure you that tiny article you read on Luke didn’t give you the full story about any of the brides, myself included.”
“Will you?” Jordan asked. “Tell me the full story?”
Stacey studied her for a moment. “TBD, hun. Now, what do you say we get you back to my office, sign some paperwork?”
“Only if you agree to have drinks with me.”
Stacey was already moving toward the front door. “Someday maybe, but I’ll warn you I’m unlikely to put out.”
“Can I come?” Simon asked, trailing after Stacey.
“Of course you can, pet. And once I get a few drinks in you, I’m going to need to know every little secret you have on how you get your skin looking so fabulous.”
