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She laughs. “Don’t worry. The banner was only the hard part. The rest will be simple.”
“Hey. I’m helping, aren’t I?” Ian shouts from somewhere in the back of the bar.
“Yes…when I holler for a tall person,” she teases.
We spend another hour decorating, then people from work start arriving. Within half an hour, the room is packed.
While Mia and I ponder what to drink, Kami strolls in, looking like a hot breeze in a bright orange dress and summery beige wedges. She scans the joint. “Hey, ladies. You did a fantastic job.”
“I couldn’t have done it without Kiera,” Mia praises.
With a shake of my head, I demur. “Oh, no, Mia is the mastermind. I just did whatever she told me to do.”
Kami laughs. “What are we drinking tonight?”
“We haven’t started yet.” Mia cocks her head. “Champagne? Wine? Tequila? What’s calling your name?”
At that moment, Ian saunters into the room from the other side of the bar and lays down a napkin in front of Kami. “What can I get—”
As he looks up at her, he stops midsentence, his stare and his expression both frozen.
What’s with that? Does he know her or something?
I turn to Kami, only to find her wearing an identical expression.
“Kami, this is Ian. He owns the Brick,” Mia says, seemingly unaware of the undercurrent between them.
Finally, Ian pastes on a tight smile and extends his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kami.”
Kami meets his gaze, seemingly reluctant as she gives him her hand. “It’s, um…nice to meet you, too.”
As her gaze skitters away and she tries to pull free, Ian tightens his grip. “Why do I feel like we’ve met before?”
“I guess I just have one of those faces.” Kami sounds nervous, and her smile is as fake as a three-dollar bill.
“You think that’s it?” He wraps his free hand around her elbow and draws her closer, whispering something in her ear.
Instantly, she pulls away. And I glimpse an expression on Kami’s face I never thought I’d see. She looks both captivated and terrified at once.
Seriously, what is going on? I feel like I heard the joke but missed the punchline.
I frown. “Kami, do you and Ian know each other?”
“Nope,” she replies. “Never met. Had no idea he existed until just now.”
“Yeah, it just really feels like I know you.” He smirks. “For some reason.”
Okay, something is definitely up, but before I can prod Kami, I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn.
Jonathan is finally here, all grins. I stand and smile, letting him wrap me in his arms. All day, I’ve been looking forward to this celebration, to the moment we didn’t have to be merely boss and assistant anymore. Now he can be my amazing, doting boyfriend, and I can be the woman who loves him more than anything.
But when I look up, my parents and sisters, Alyson and Sophia, are all standing in front of me, wearing enormous smiles.
“Oh, my god! What are you all doing here?” I squeal as I wrap them in a group hug.
“We’d thought we’d surprised you. Are you surprised?” My mom winks.
“Shocked! But why come to our office party?”
