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Elias looked me over, calculating my every move. I fidgeted under his obvious scrutiny. He shook his head at the room at large and looked around again. “I’d like to buy this place from him. In fact, I plan to do just that. I’ll need a new office in Upper Manhattan soon and this little hole-in-the-wall would be exactly what we need for the less-needed lower staff of the company in later years.”
I sucked in a sharp breath in disbelief. “Excuse me? What?” Elias turned, heading out the door without a backward glance. I stood up on my tiptoes, surprise, and denial coursing through my body. “Hey, it’s not for sale!”
Elias paused, his coffee cup at his mouth. He smiled a little at me over his shoulder. “That’s not up to you.”
Chapter 2
Sadie
I just stared, open-mouthed and slack-jawed as he left. It was time to close up and I needed to hurry, but the gall of some people. There was no way Oliver would ever sell out to some corporate bigwig. I couldn’t imagine watching the iconic Harlow’s Coffee sign being taken down and all of my brother’s hard work coming to nothing in the interest of big business. I couldn’t even imagine having to spend time around someone like Elias and I was glad that I hadn’t been born wealthy or had wealthy friends.
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts of needless ramblings. I needed to let my brother know what happened at the shop and about Elias but I was too caught up in thinking of how I was going to get where I was supposed to be. The Games of Love studio was waiting, and I was already running behind. I didn’t want to be late for the first day. It wouldn’t be a good look for me. It was almost four o’clock and I had yet to close up the register. I made sure to lock the outside door of the cafe and counted the money inside the drawer quickly, checking over everything one more time before I shrugged on my coat and scarf, locked the door, and took off running down the sidewalk. I checked the address on my phone quickly, nearly dropping my phone, and realized that it was actually close by.
I was completely out of breath by the time I reached the wide building. The long windows were darkly tinted, and I couldn't see inside. I had no idea what awaited me within, and my excitement was slowly turning to apprehension. The metal double doors were locked, and a high voice on a little speaker asked for my name. I told them who I was, and the door clicked open, letting me step inside. A soft breeze of warmth settled around me from the heaters above the door and I looked around. I was in a kind of loft with soundproof walls and a big area on the back wall that was made to look like the cozy interior of an office building or a house, with long velvet couches and a chair in front of them, which I assumed was for interviews or something similar.
“Hello, there,” the chirpy voice that had spoken to me on the phone the day before said and I jumped as a small woman carrying a clipboard and wearing a headpiece in her mass of curly orange hair appeared in front of me out of nowhere. “My name is Amelia. I’ll be showing you around the studio today. Can I get your name?”
All around me, people with clipboards and microphones muttered and fixed things, sitting in desks and at tall monitors. Women and men wandered around like I did, and I looked at them in interest. Which man would I be paired with? The thick-armed man with the curly hair? The bearded redhead? The tall blonde man with his back to me?
Amelia cleared her throat, and I was broken from my thoughts. “Harlow. Sadie Harlow. Sorry about that.”
Amelia nodded, smiling widely. “No problem. Follow me and I’ll show you around. Today you’ll be meeting your show partner, though we won’t begin filming until late tomorrow. After we announce the pairs on camera, you’ll be moved into your apartment building where you’ll live for the duration of the show—”
“Wait,” I cut in, my mouth falling open as we walked. “Apartment? We’re going to be living together? We have to move?”
Amelia gave me a funny look. “Well, yes. The couples have to look as real as possible. You’ll explain away the cameras by telling everyone you and your new boyfriend are shooting a documentary for school. You are in school, aren’t you?”
I nodded, still a little confused, and Amelia smiled again. “Wonderful. You’re all set then. This is the set where we’ll be doing interviews and retrospectives with the entire cast.” She pointed to the couch beneath the bright lights and the scattered tables with vases of bright flowers.
