With my divorce finally settled, Tori and I were free to sign our syndication deal. It turned out that streaming companies got nervous when you made them wait, and then they increased their offers. Even with my alimony payments, I was financially set for life. My divorce also made it possible for me to date publicly, and I’d already been flirted with by a man I met at my brother’s dinner party. Life was going well, except for one thing. I had received zero phone calls from Matthew. We’d exchanged text messages, and he’d sent me some beautiful flowers and a pretty postcard from the ranch telling me how much he missed me, but I wanted to hear his voice and invite him to New York for a visit. Tori told me to give it another day or two, but I feared this was the beginning of the end. The distance would be too much.
By Friday afternoon, I was exhausted and ready to spend my evening with a glass of red wine and Netflix. My assistant, Jaden, had different ideas. We were having our end-of-week meeting in my office, curled up at opposite ends of my couch with our laptops balanced on our legs.
“You need to return a call to Tempest,” he said, “and then you have a dinner appointment with someone who wants to discuss a possible business venture. Your sister set that up.”
“Who’s the dinner meeting with?” Tori hadn’t mentioned this to me.
Jaden splayed out his palms. “I don’t know. She told me to put it on your calendar. Seven o’clock at The River Cafe.”
I dipped my chin and stared at him. “Jaden. The River Cafe? This sounds like a date situation.”
“She called it a dinner meeting.”
I sighed, my skin itching with irritation at my sister’s deception. Conveniently, she was offsite for the day, with meetings in the morning and “working from home” scheduled in the afternoon. More likely, she was hiding from me so I couldn’t accuse her of meddling in my love life. She was definitely sending me on a blind date with some guy she thought would get my mind off of Matthew.
“I hope this guy knows there’s a dress code.” The River Cafe, which was on the East River with stunning views of Manhattan, required a collared shirt and a jacket for men. “How did she even get a reservation? They’re usually booked out for weeks or months.”
“Must have used her star power,” Jaden said. “It could be a real business meeting. You never know.”
“I hope so.”
“Although she said to tell you to wear something sexy.”
I glared at him and got a cheeky grin in return. “You left that little detail out until the end, huh? You’re in on this.”
“I recommend that dress you wore the night of the infamous Jentori party,” he said. “Reclaim it. You ate in that dress.” This was Gen Z slang for looking hot, which I appreciated because Jaden was not one to hold back his honest opinions on my fashion choices. Maybe that dress did need a new story, even if it turned out to be a humorous one.
“I don’t love surprises.”
He cocked his head and gave me side-eye. “What else do you have going on tonight?”
He had a point. I wasn’t about to admit that I’d planned on ordering some new underwear online. Getting naked with Matthew had taught me several things, including that I needed newer, sexier undergarments. Part of me was still hoping I got to put on that underwear for him.
“Fine, I’ll go, but only because it’s rude to stand someone up and also because I’m curious now. Please schedule a meeting with my sister for tomorrow morning. I have a few choice words I’d like to say to her.”
Jaden’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, I’m sure you will.”
CHAPTER29
LAUREN
Iwaited while the couple in front of me gave their name to the hostess of The River Cafe. As she ushered them to their table, I looked around the foyer to see if my “date” had arrived. I was early, as always, wearing what Jaden suggested, the infamous black dress and a pair of black three-inch Jimmy Choo heels. The shoes weren’t nearly as comfortable as my cowgirl boots, but they fit the occasion better.
A new idea occurred to me. What if this wasn’t a blind date? What if there was a surprise party waiting for me? I’d heard of women having divorce parties to celebrate the official end of their marriages, and throwing one for me was totally something Tori would do.
“I’m Lauren Cozzi,” I told the hostess, who was back behind her reception desk. “Is there a reservation under my name? I’m meeting someone here.”
While she scanned her screen, a voice rang out behind me.
“It’s under Wagonblast.” At the sound of his voice, I spun around and my breath caught in my chest.
Matthew Hart stood in front of me, but instead of wearing dusty jeans and a t-shirt, he had on a navy blue suit, crisp white shirt and sage green tie. He’d cut his hair and styled it with products, shaved his face smooth, and carried a leather messenger-style bag on his shoulder. The man could have walked into any midtown office building and fit right in. Then I looked down at his feet and smiled. Worn-in brown leather cowboy boots.
When I looked up again, his eyes caught mine. “Hello.” He took a step toward me. “Thank you for meeting me this evening.”
With no consideration for where we were, I threw my arms around him, hugging him for all I was worth. He wrapped me up tightly, and tears of happiness gathered in the corners of my eyes as we held each other in the foyer of The River Cafe. I never wanted to let him go.
“I missed you,” he whispered into my hair as he held me.
