One Long Embrace
Page 33
Paul chuckled. “Actually, there is. You guys can start planning my bachelor party, if you’re not too busy.”
Jay nearly choked on his own saliva. “You’re getting married?”
“Holly accepted my proposal last night.”
He met Hunter’s surprised stare. Clearly, his friend hadn’t expected this turn of events either. “Wow, I guess, that’s congratulations then?”
“Don’t sound so hesitant!” Paul chastised, laughing. “I couldn’t be happier.”
“I’m happy for you, Paul.”
“Congratulations!” Hunter added. “So when’s the wedding? This fall, or are you gonna wait till the spring?”
“Don’t have that kind of time. We’re getting married in two weeks.”
“In two weeks?” Jay asked.
“I wanna make sure my baby gets my name.”
Hunter’s mouth dropped open. “Holly is pregnant?”
“You’re a fast worker! First Daniel, then you! What’s in the water you guys are drinking?” Jay shook his head, laughing. “Looks like we have to call in an extraordinary meeting of the club soon to expel you.”
“Trust me,” came Paul’s voice through the line. “Being expelled has never sounded better.”
“We’d better get our skates on to throw you that bachelor party then,” Hunter agreed.
“Give our love to Holly, will you?” Jay added, ready to disconnect the call.
“Wait, there’s something else.”
“What is it?” Jay asked.
“The reason I’m calling. I got your email. You’re looking for a new designer. I have a candidate for you.”
“You do? Great! Send his resume and portfolio over to my assistant Karina. You have her details, right?”
“Yeah, sure do. It’s not a guy, though. It’s a woman. Jane York. She doesn’t have an awful lot of experience, but her portfolio looks awesome. Just give her a chance, will you?”
“As long as you vouch for her, I’ll let Karina know to set up an interview.”
“Thanks, buddy! Bye guys! I’ll email you details for the wedding. It’s just gonna be a civil ceremony. Hope you’ll come.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Hunter promised.
“Ditto!” Jay agreed and disconnected the call.
He looked at his friend. Hunter spoke first. “Can you believe this?”
“Holly’s a great girl. You’ve seen how they look at each other.” There was no doubt in Jay’s mind that the two were smitten with each other.
“Yeah, but it’s all happening rather fast, don’t you think?”
Jay shrugged. “I guess sometimes you just know when it’s the right person.” And right now he envied Paul just a tiny bit that he’d found that person.
Hunter chuckled. “And so the membership of the Eternal Bachelors Club is rapidly dwindling. It’s like a wildfire that’s spreading.” He tilted his head. “Getting back to our earlier conversation: what’s this business with you and Tara Pierpont? Does she have an aversion to Ferraris?”
“You could say that.”
“I don’t think I get it.”
“She doesn’t know that I have money, and I want to keep it that way.”
“Why would she not know that you have money? You said you two met at the Gilberts’ party. And as we both know, Paul’s mother only invites people with a certain net worth.”
“True, unfortunately she also dressed all the catering staff in tuxedos, making it practically impossible to distinguish between a waiter and a guest.”
A grin tugged at Hunter’s lips. “You serious? And you didn’t see fit to clear up this misunderstanding? Why on earth not?”
Jay stared at his friend, raising his eyebrows. Hunter of all people should know why he’d resorted to such deception. After all, Jay had told him about the reasons for the breakup with Deborah.
Finally, the penny dropped, as did Hunter’s chin. “Are you sure about this? What if she finds out? What have you gained then?”
“By the time she finds out we’ll know each other better and…” And they would both know if they had feelings for each other that were worth pursuing.
“And what?”
Jay lifted his shoulders into a slow shrug.
“Are you telling me you think she could be the one? I mean, I know you’re sleeping with her. That was pretty obvious when I saw you with her, but you can’t possibly think that she’d be interested in anything more than a roll in the hay with a waiter. If you really want more, then you’ll have to tell her who you are.”
Jay nearly choked on his own saliva. “You’re getting married?”
“Holly accepted my proposal last night.”
He met Hunter’s surprised stare. Clearly, his friend hadn’t expected this turn of events either. “Wow, I guess, that’s congratulations then?”
“Don’t sound so hesitant!” Paul chastised, laughing. “I couldn’t be happier.”
“I’m happy for you, Paul.”
“Congratulations!” Hunter added. “So when’s the wedding? This fall, or are you gonna wait till the spring?”
“Don’t have that kind of time. We’re getting married in two weeks.”
“In two weeks?” Jay asked.
“I wanna make sure my baby gets my name.”
Hunter’s mouth dropped open. “Holly is pregnant?”
“You’re a fast worker! First Daniel, then you! What’s in the water you guys are drinking?” Jay shook his head, laughing. “Looks like we have to call in an extraordinary meeting of the club soon to expel you.”
“Trust me,” came Paul’s voice through the line. “Being expelled has never sounded better.”
“We’d better get our skates on to throw you that bachelor party then,” Hunter agreed.
“Give our love to Holly, will you?” Jay added, ready to disconnect the call.
“Wait, there’s something else.”
“What is it?” Jay asked.
“The reason I’m calling. I got your email. You’re looking for a new designer. I have a candidate for you.”
“You do? Great! Send his resume and portfolio over to my assistant Karina. You have her details, right?”
“Yeah, sure do. It’s not a guy, though. It’s a woman. Jane York. She doesn’t have an awful lot of experience, but her portfolio looks awesome. Just give her a chance, will you?”
“As long as you vouch for her, I’ll let Karina know to set up an interview.”
“Thanks, buddy! Bye guys! I’ll email you details for the wedding. It’s just gonna be a civil ceremony. Hope you’ll come.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Hunter promised.
“Ditto!” Jay agreed and disconnected the call.
He looked at his friend. Hunter spoke first. “Can you believe this?”
“Holly’s a great girl. You’ve seen how they look at each other.” There was no doubt in Jay’s mind that the two were smitten with each other.
“Yeah, but it’s all happening rather fast, don’t you think?”
Jay shrugged. “I guess sometimes you just know when it’s the right person.” And right now he envied Paul just a tiny bit that he’d found that person.
Hunter chuckled. “And so the membership of the Eternal Bachelors Club is rapidly dwindling. It’s like a wildfire that’s spreading.” He tilted his head. “Getting back to our earlier conversation: what’s this business with you and Tara Pierpont? Does she have an aversion to Ferraris?”
“You could say that.”
“I don’t think I get it.”
“She doesn’t know that I have money, and I want to keep it that way.”
“Why would she not know that you have money? You said you two met at the Gilberts’ party. And as we both know, Paul’s mother only invites people with a certain net worth.”
“True, unfortunately she also dressed all the catering staff in tuxedos, making it practically impossible to distinguish between a waiter and a guest.”
A grin tugged at Hunter’s lips. “You serious? And you didn’t see fit to clear up this misunderstanding? Why on earth not?”
Jay stared at his friend, raising his eyebrows. Hunter of all people should know why he’d resorted to such deception. After all, Jay had told him about the reasons for the breakup with Deborah.
Finally, the penny dropped, as did Hunter’s chin. “Are you sure about this? What if she finds out? What have you gained then?”
“By the time she finds out we’ll know each other better and…” And they would both know if they had feelings for each other that were worth pursuing.
“And what?”
Jay lifted his shoulders into a slow shrug.
“Are you telling me you think she could be the one? I mean, I know you’re sleeping with her. That was pretty obvious when I saw you with her, but you can’t possibly think that she’d be interested in anything more than a roll in the hay with a waiter. If you really want more, then you’ll have to tell her who you are.”
