AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kel frowned and said, “It’s depressing in here. Don’t you want to open the blinds?”
“I do, actually. It feels stifling with them closed.” The chicken jumped onto the desktop when I stood up.
The first thing I saw when I raised the blinds was Harper dancing with Dani. They’d both taken off their shirts, and the Brazilian model was so close that he was practically dry humping Harper’s leg. I swore under my breath and dropped the shades again, and Kel asked, “What’s wrong?”
I returned to the desk and muttered, “The last thing I need is to watch Harper re-enact the movie ‘Dirty Dancing’ with a hot model.”
“You have a crush on him, don’t you?” Kel took my shrug as a yes and asked, “Does Harper know that?”
“Yeah, he does.”
“Are you dating?”
“Not exactly.”
“But you’re involved, right?” I made another vague gesture that Kel interpreted correctly. “And now he’s flirting with a model. That’s not okay,” he said. “You should go out there and say something.”
“Oh no, I’m definitely not going to do that. If he wants to dance, flirt, and fuck every single person at his party, that’s his business, not mine. I don’t have a claim on him.”
“But it’s clearly upsetting you. Plus, if you two are involved, it’s not okay that he left you in here working while he’s outside partying.”
“He actually invited me to join him, but I said no.”
Kel looked confused. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I wouldn’t enjoy myself,” I said, “and I definitely wouldn’t blend in with his friends.”
“You could blend in if you wanted to. All you’d have to do is lose the flannel shirt and borrow one of my T-shirts, which would be a tight fit. You’d look as sexy as anyone at the party, and I bet Harper would be all over you.”
I grinned at him and said, “I actually meant I wouldn’t blend in because I’m not rich and successful, but you’re right that I don’t look the part, either.”
Kel studied me as he asked, “What’s going to happen if you and Harper become a couple? Are you always going to be intimidated by his snooty friends?”
“It’s not that I’m…” The words just sort of dried up in my throat. I didn’t want to admit—to Kel or myself—that Harper’s friends intimidated me. But I was hiding in the office instead of joining the party, and the thought of going out there and trying to drag Harper’s attention away from the Brazilian model just seemed laughable. What else was that besides being intimidated?
Kel looked sympathetic. “I wish you didn’t care what they think. I’m sure they look down on me too, but I don’t give a shit.”
“I used to have the same attitude. After all these years working for Hollywood’s elite, I really thought I’d developed a thick skin. But being with Harper has stirred up all kinds of insecurities.”
“I can see why it’d be tough to date a man like that,” he said, “between his reputation as a playboy and the fact that people are always throwing themselves at him. If it was me, I don’t think I’d feel confident about holding his attention for very long.”
“That’s exactly what I’m worried about,” I admitted. “When this started, I told myself I was just going to enjoy our time together without any expectations. But with every day that passes, I keep getting more and more attached to him, and there’s no way this is going to turn out the way I want it to.”
“I wish I could say you’re wrong, but honestly, I just don’t see Harper settling down anytime soon. So, what do you do? Do you break it off now, or do you keep going, even though you know you’ll end up getting hurt?”
I said, “That’s what I keep asking myself.”
Despite myself, I went back and peeked through the blinds. Dani was whispering in Harper’s ear, and Harper was laughing like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. I muttered, “I feel like a masochist for watching this, although for the record, Harper’s not actually doing anything wrong. It’s not like he’s making out with that guy, or even being particularly flirty. But how can I compete with a never-ending stream of beautiful people trying to get his attention?”
“Don’t torture yourself. Come and sit back down.”
I returned to my seat, and a moment later, Hudson appeared in the doorway and said, “Both the pool house and this one have been overrun with douchebags. Help me.”
I asked, “Is that where you’ve been staying, in the pool house?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t recuperate in my apartment because it has too many stairs, and when Harper invited me to stay here, we figured the pool house would give us both some space. It’s been working out okay, but he didn’t tell me he was throwing a party today. Otherwise, I would have made plans to be somewhere else.”
