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He glances at the closed door to his left. “Sorry, Serena is in there.” Damn, even her name sounds glamorous.
“Well, I hope she won’t be long,” I grumble before crossing my legs and, for good measure, my arms too.
He stares down at me from his lofty six foot three. “I haven’t had a chance to catch you all night.”
“You’ve been busy. I wouldn’t have wanted to interrupt.” My foot taps to the same beat as my racing heart. I really need the bathroom, and I wish his damn girlfriend would hurry up.
He frowns, but before he can reply, the door opens and his date saunters out, a flawless specimen of womanhood that should exist only in glossy magazines rather than in real life.
“Darling,” she purrs, and I feel a little sick. “We should go now. This party is a bit dull.”
Jason winces.
“Excuse me,” I say in the bitchiest tone I can drag from my shocked mouth. I swear she hadn’t even noticed me standing there until I spoke and now she’s glaring at me like I’m something nasty she stepped in. I push past where she continues to block the doorway, slamming the door behind me.
But not before I hear her complain loudly to Jason. “Did you see that?”
A satisfied grin stretches my cheeks wide. Allie was right; Jason is not going to put up with that for long.
Chapter two
Jason
March
A Carlson Launch
The launch party for Allieway Photography started twenty minutes ago, and Dana still isn’t here. She said she was coming, and she’s never late. Where is she?
I check my Rolex again, then look around the room.
“Jase, stop looking at your fucking watch like you can’t wait to escape,” Logan grumbles, and I can’t even take offense at his tone. He will do anything to make his girlfriend happy, and tonight, that means ensuring the launch party for her new company goes off without a hitch.
“Calm down, dude. I’m only wondering where Dana is. You know she’s never late.”
Logan looks around the gathered group, then confirms what I already know. She’s not here yet. Though, the whole Carlson family has turned out for support, including Katie, who has flown in from the UK with her new boyfriend Drew, to celebrate the grand opening of the photography studio.
Earlier today in the conference room, Logan proudly told me Allie has been causing a buzz in the world of glamorous models and glossy magazines. And tonight, her talent as a fashion photographer is on full display on one whitewashed brick wall covered in framed black-and-white photos from her portfolio. On a nearby coffee table, there are even copies of a recent glossy monthly magazine with one of her photographs on the cover.
“Logan, you need a drink,” I suggest to my cousin as he nervously flicks some of Allie’s business cards in his hand. I get he wants to support her, but the guy is making me jittery just looking at him.
“Can’t. I promised I wouldn’t drink in case she needs me.”
“So this is what a serious relationship looks like. You’re not really selling it to me.” The truth is I’ve seen how happy Logan has been since he and Allie finally stopped hating each other long enough to fall in love. I’m a little envious because I’m sure as fuck over the drama of casual dating.
He slaps me hard on the back, and it’s lucky my glass is empty.
I laugh. “Hey, I was just saying.” All I get in reply is a pissed-off grunt.
One of the leggy models struts by, but neither of us pays her any attention. It’s a shift in my usual behavior at one of these social events. I promised myself a month ago that I’d never date a model again after being burned badly by my last girlfriend. Thankfully, she’s out of my life, along with her myriad of complaints and diva meltdowns. I probably shouldn’t remove an entire profession of women from my dating pool, but at this point, I have.
Logan notices my dismissal of the attractive model and raises an eyebrow with a smirk. Maybe the grumpy attitude he lived by before Allie rocked his world wasn’t so bad. At least it was predictable. While this new, improved, happier Logan can sometimes make my head spin.
I snag another whiskey from the tray of a nearby waiter and gulp down a mouthful of the fiery liquid.
Allie joins us, wrapping her arms around Logan’s waist. “Everything is going okay, isn’t it?”
“Everything is perfect, Sunshine,” he replies, before kissing her more passionately on the lips than I’d say was socially acceptable.
