The Allure of Dean Harper (The Allure #2)(43)
I shook my head. “Add on the fact that he has yet to call or text me since we got back from Vegas.”
She frowned. “Have you tried to reach out to him?”
I shot her a ‘you’re insane’ glare.
She held up her hands in surrender. “Maybe you’re right. You two are so freaking stubborn.”
We were stubborn and I should have hated it, but I didn’t. I loved it. I craved a relationship with him. I could hardly wrap my head around what it would be like. Would Dean wake up and make us breakfast in the mornings? Would I pour him coffee? Never. He’d complain that I did it wrong and I’d probably end up pouring it out on his smug face. God, we’d end up pushing each other to the brink of insanity.
I knew that wasn’t healthy. I knew that a relationship shouldn’t be about two people trying to win the upper hand. Someone had to give. Right?
“What’s Vogue guy’s name?” I asked gently.
Jo peered at me from the top of her latte mug. “Carson.”
Carson. That’s not a bad name.
“Tell Carson I’m free next week if he wants to get like chicken nuggets or something.”
Her brows perked up. “Are you serious?”
I downed the rest of my coffee before answering. “I don’t kid about chicken nuggets.”
She grabbed my shoulders. “Not about the nuggets, you weirdo. I’m asking about the date!”
“Sure. Why not? After all, I am single.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Dean
After Vegas, I went two weeks before scheduling another team meeting. I focused on my other restaurants and worked in the back office of Provisions, telling myself it was necessary. I sent out work for Hunter, Zoe, and Lily in formal group emails.
From: Dean Harper
To: Lily Black, Julian Lefray, Zoe Davis, Hunter Smith Subject: LVRW
Last week went well. I’m going to take the next few days to play catch-up with Provisions and Merchant. Zoe, I need you as floor manager for the next few nights—Provisions went to shit while we were gone.
Hunter, get in touch with Mark and have him start showing you listings for potential properties. We need to get the ball rolling. I want a list of properties by the end of the week.
D. Harper
From: Lily Black
To: Dean Harper
Subject: Re: LVRW
Just read your last email and you didn’t mention me. What would you like me to be working on? Menu? Drinks? Name? Branding?
-Lily
From: Dean Harper
To: Lily Black
Subject: Re: Re: LVRW
Start putting together a list of bloggers we need to invite to the grand opening.
D. Harper
From: Lily Black
To: Dean Harper
Subject: Re: Re: Re: LVRW
Don’t you think that’s a little premature? We haven’t even picked a location yet…
-Lily
From: Dean Harper
To: Lily Black
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: LVRW
See last email.
D. Harper
From: Lily Black
To: Dean Harper
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: LVRW
Fine, I’ll work on the list.
-Lily
…
I tricked myself into thinking that email communication with Lily was harmless, even though every time her name hit my inbox, I felt a familiar rush of adrenaline. Then, two weeks after returning to New York, Antonio Acosta sent me an email and I reluctantly scheduled a team meeting. I’d have to face her whether I wanted to or not.
As I rounded the corner into the employees-only hallway, I could hear the team chatting in the back office and my grip tightened around the papers in my hand at the sound of Lily’s voice.
“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” she said.
“I know. Anything new with you?” Zoe asked.
I rounded the corner of my office and stared at the back of Lily’s blonde hair. “Oh god, Jo set me up on a blind date for later this week. I need some advice—”
I stepped into the office and closed the door with a loud slam. Listening to Lily discuss a blind date was on par with getting a root canal. She twisted around to stare daggers at me, but I pretended not to notice. I went around the group and handed each of them a printout of the email I’d received from Antonio the night before. Once everyone had a copy, I took a seat on the edge of my desk and watched them read through it.
Julian finished first, his brows arched to his hairline.
“Wow. I wasn’t expecting this,” he said.
I nodded and purposely focused anywhere but Lily. I wasn’t good about acknowledging the error of my ways, and if I knew her as well as I thought I did, she wasn’t going to let the email slide without gloating.
“I’m sorry, maybe I’m confused,” she said, staring up at me. “Could you explain what this email means? Just in case I’m reading it wrong?”
Zoe laughed.
She wasn’t reading it wrong. She wanted to hear me explain it out loud because she was infuriating.