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The strain pops like a soapy bubble on the breeze, and Jake, Archer, and Ursula move over to the nearby coppice of trees, where they keep the axes locked up in a storage trunk.
Taylor huffs, moving over to sit by Finley.
All this, and the night has just begun. It should be an interesting evening.
ChapterEighteen
Mindy
“What do you know about Oliver’s assistant?”
I lift my gaze from the flickering fire to scrutinize Mason, the sniping conversation between Taylor and I still taking up residence in my head. I should have known the tenuous truce between us wouldn’t last. “What, you mean Carson?”
“Yeah.”
I grin, happy for the distraction. “What do you want to know, Casanova?”
“Is he single?”
“As far as I know. He had a bad breakup over the summer.”
His eyes brighten. “Oh yeah?”
“You might want to check with Piper, though.” I glance around. Where is she? Oliver is also missing in action. Okay, I definitely don’t want to know what they are getting up to. “I haven’t heard Carson talk about any new men in his life, but she’s closer to him than I am.”
He shrugs one massive shoulder. “It probably doesn’t matter. It’s not that it could go anywhere. He lives in New York, right?”
“Yeah. He’s renting my apartment right now, actually.”
“He’s pretty cute.”
“He is. Maybe a holiday fling?”
Mason’s cheeks flush. They would make a cute couple. Too bad they live on opposite sides of the country.
“Maybe, but I doubt it.” He claps his hands on his knees. “You want any more food?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
“I’m gonna get another dog or two.” He pushes himself up, heading over to the cooler by Finley to grab more food.
Seconds after he vacates the spot next to me, Laila plops down.
“I really wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“Oh. Um, you’re welcome.” Really she’s done more for me and Luke, but I don’t have it in me to gush all over her.
“I mean it. I’m so glad you found Luke and decided to start your own label. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be in a total black hole nightmare, creatively speaking.”
I nod. “I’m very glad everything worked out.”
“I should call Jerry and thank him for being a flake,” she chuckles.
“He had his own reasons. I’m just grateful my . . . ” I pause, considering the most delicate way to phrase it, “past didn’t affect your decision to work with Luke.”
Laila leans closer, her shoulder touching mine. “Blake’s a total piece of shit.”
A startled laugh erupts from my throat.
