“Sounds like you’re jealous,” Hera volleys back, trying to hide the fluster in her tone.
Raina waves her hand in the air dismissively. “Ew. No. Honey, one of my family's maids is married to his father’s driver, or something like that. The maids gossip. One of my favorite breakfast pastimes is to listen.”
Hera’s demeanor instantly changes as she relaxes with Raina’s explanation. “Oh,” she giggles again. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Beside her, her mousy friend pipes up, and suddenly all the tension Hera was carrying transfers to me. “I’m so excited, too! Sure, Sully is handsome, but his friend? Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. I’m still on cloud nine to be going on a date with Sly Lucchetti!”
It was the wrong time to take a sip of my cappuccino because I choke on the hot liquid at the mention of his name. Before I can stop myself, I loudly and wholly inappropriately shout, “Sly?”
Attempting to cover my screw up, I fake cough and look away. It’s too late, though. The mousey one, and everyone else around us, heard.
She smiles triumphantly and nods, seemingly oblivious to my negative reaction.
Sighing like she’s madly in love, she says, “I know, right?”
“Right.” I smile as broadly as I can manage. Dropping my voice, I say to Raina, “If you find arrogance attractive.”
Raina snorts, at the same time the mousy one says, “Excuse me? Maybeyou’rethe jealous one. Sly Lucchetti is a catch, and I’m going to make sure I’m the one who reels him in.”
Fishing puns from an Upper East Side socialite wanna-be who’s probably never held a fishing pole in her life.
Not thatI’veheld one in years, but yes, I’ve been fishing. Once. In Central Park.
And now I’m being catty for no reason.
Still, I can’t stop the sarcastic laugh that flies from my mouth. “Please. I’d rather be single forever than spend five minutes with that man, let alone go on a date with him.”
Hera cocks her head, assessing me with narrowed eyes. It makes me uncomfortable. “Sheisjealous. Look, Norah. She’s blushing.”
I want to deny it, but I feel the heat on my skin.
Glancing at Raina, I try to mentally signal for backup, but instead she looks awestruck as she watches me.
Just then, a collection ofawsandgaspsfloat into the air, and I turn in my seat to see an attractive man in an impeccably tailored navy suit saunter out of the elevator. He looks to be mid to late twenties, with chocolate brown hair cropped on the sides and perfectly styled on top, and light brown eyes that practically sparkle.
Sullivan Rochesterishandsome, there’s no denying that.
“There he is,” Hera says brightly, her eyes glued to him.
Seeing this as my cue to avoid an already awkward situation, I stand, ready to spend some time in the ladies’ room, then in the restaurant's lounge while I wait for my mother. She can give me the CliffsNotes version of the meeting.
“Ladies, it’s been wonderful to catch up, but I must be going. Unexpected problem at work.”
Raina looks at me with her lips turned down, her eyes trailing from mine to my clutch, then back. I can read her expression:Problem at work?You haven’t even looked at your phone.
I try to communicate back that I justcan’tdeal with this today—I don’t have the mental capacity to—but I’m not sure if it articulates.
“Sonice to see you,” Hera says, still looking over my shoulder, presumably at Sully. But I don’t miss the sarcasm in her tone.
“Enjoy your date,” I say to both her and Norah, ignoring the bitter taste it leaves in my mouth.
“Theirdoubledate,” a playful baritone says from right behind me. “Me, Hera, Nova, andSly.”
“Norah!” she corrects, frowning for just a split second.
Slowly, I turn, and end up standing practically chest to chest with—apparently—Sly’s best friend. The smirk on his face tells me what I already need to know.
He knows who I am.
