The Hot One(33)

I shrug sheepishly. “Don’t get me wrong. I do think that part of the business is ridiculously cool. But once I was in law school, I realized, thanks to my cousin, that what I loved was entertainment itself. Movies, TV shows, books. That’s what inspired me in the first place. And I love helping clients in those areas to realize their dreams.”

“I always knew you’d be great at your job. I’m not surprised you’re a superstar now in your field and you’re barely thirty.”

I arch one eyebrow. “How do you know I’m a superstar?”

Her lips curve up. “I looked you up after we talked. Read up on your client list. Saw what you were up to. It’s impressive. I’m proud of you.”

And fuck, if I don’t still have it bad for her, those words reel me in. Yeah, I’m feeling regret big-time, but that feeling is mixed with some hope now, and it’s chased with potential. Maybe I have a second chance with her.

A burst of excitement flares inside me. To get there, I want to understand more of who she is today, this woman with the red shoes, and the magic hands, and the turtle charm, who loves her posse madly.

“What about you? You always did give me amazing shoulder rubs, but your career change is a lot bigger than simply practicing a different area of law. What’s that all about? How did you make the change?”

Before she can answer, though, the waitress appears, asking if we want refills.

Delaney shakes her head. She turns to me as the waitress leaves, and taps her empty glass. “If I have another one of these, I might do something I regret.”

My chest falls.

There’s that word again. I’m not the only one dealing with regret, or the prospect of it.

Then, she meets my eyes, and says softly, “I had a change of heart. That’s all. And now I really need to go.”

Change of heart.

That’s exactly what I don’t want her to have with me right now. I need to plead my case for another shot. And since she’s seeing her friends tomorrow, they’re the real judge and jury I’ll have to impress. I’ve got a small window to make sure Delaney knows I’m not the same guy who walked away eight years ago. I can be different.

After I pay, we head outside. Standing on the sidewalk in front of the bar, I raise my hand and finger the strands of her hair. I play to my strengths again. The physical. She leans into my hand. There. Yeah. That.

And another strength? Memory for details, especially about the things that are important to me. “Are you going for a run tomorrow morning?”

She gives me a “how’d you know my schedule” look.

“I figured you go for a run nearly every morning.”

A small smile is my answer. “I do.”

“With your friends?”

She shakes her head. “Tomorrow I’m solo. I like to run early on Saturday, since I have appointments in the morning. And getting Nicole out of bed at that hour is like asking a dog to eat broccoli.”

“Early wake-up calls don’t bother me, nor does broccoli. Tell me where to meet you.”

“Tyler,” she says, resisting.

I drop my hand to her shoulder. “Just a run. That’s all. We can run and talk. Or we can run and not talk.”

“Why?”

I cup her cheek and run my thumb over her top lip. “Because seeing you reminds me that I was wrong to listen to Professor Blair. And since I don’t have Cat Crazypants’s power to turn back time, all I can do is ask to be your running companion tomorrow morning.”

Her brown eyes sparkle. “Cat Crazypants can turn back time?”

“He sure as hell can.”

And maybe I can, too, in my own way, since she says yes.

I’ve been granted a continuance.





13





Tyler



* * *



In the half light of the early dawn, I jog lightly from my apartment and through the tree-lined streets on the Upper East Side, my phone pressed to my ear.

It’s a Saturday morning and early as hell, but I have a nervous client to talk down again. “Jay, I spoke with Craig yesterday and told him we weren’t going to budge on the last point for After Dark. It’s a deal-breaker.”

Jay hums, and he hems, and he haws. I’m sure he’s pacing like a caged animal at his pad. “Are you sure we should be so firm?” His voice squeaks.

“Jay, my man,” I say with calm and confidence as I slow at the crosswalk, “trust me on this. I’ve dealt with Craig before. I know his issues. But more than that, this is a point we need to hold out for.”

“A hill worth dying on?”

As I cross Fifth Avenue when the light changes, I assure him that yes, this is our hill. “We can do this, man. Sometimes you have to take a chance to get what you want. You believe that, don’t you?”

He doesn’t answer at first, and part of me is ready to answer my own damn question. Life is all about chances. If you want something, you simply have to go for it.

He exhales nervously. “Okay. If you say so, boss.”

“I do say so,” I tell him, keeping up the energy, especially since he’s stewing in a worrisome funk. “Listen, it’s six in the morning. Get back to sleep, and trust that we’re taking this leap together and I won’t let you down.”