Page 36 of Kiss Me Forever

"I don't care about the article; I care about you," Liz said. "And it's been awhile since you liked someone—Doug really did a number on you."

That was certainly true. "Well, I don't want to like Alex. He's business. And that's all he's going to be."

Thankfully, she didn't have to say more since they'd arrived at the restaurant. They immediately saw their friends sitting at a large corner table by the window.

Kate, a beautiful, blue-eyed brunette, was the first to see them and gave a welcoming wave. Next to Kate was Julie, a cool, quiet blonde, who worked as a fundraiser for a children's charity. Then there was Maggie, a gorgeous redhead with sparkling green eyes. Maggie worked as a front desk clerk at the luxurious Stratton Hotel in the Napa Valley, but today she'd made the trip from the wine country to San Francisco. Finally, there was Elisa, a striking Hispanic woman with dark brown hair, matching eyes and an incredibly beautiful smile that always lit up her eyes. Elisa worked at a dance studio and had always been the most musical and passionate member of their group of friends. The only one missing was Jessica, who had recently moved to San Diego with her five-year-old son to take a new teaching job. But Jessica had promised to be there for the wedding and hopefully a few other bridal events.

"Am I dreaming?" Kate asked in amazement as they took their seats. "Are you really here, Andrea?"

"We were beginning to think you found a new group of friends," Maggie put in.

"I've been busy with work," she said.

"As always," Julie said with a knowing smile. "We all work, you know," she added pointedly, but there was a smile at the end of her words. "However, we're very glad you could make it."

"It makes my long drive from Napa even more worthwhile," Maggie added. "It's been too long, Andrea. Is Laurel coming, too?"

"No, she has to do something with her soon-to-be in-laws," she replied. "Which is fine, because I want to talk about the bachelorette party today. I know I haven't been the greatest maid-of-honor so far, but that changes now."

"You still have time to get it right," Kate said.

"I hope so." She paused as the waiter set down a mimosa in front of her. "I like the service."

"We went ahead and ordered drinks and appetizers," Elisa said.

"Great. I'm starving."

"So Kate told us about your new assignment, and we're all dying to know what Alexander Donovan is like," Maggie said. "Is he as hot as his pictures?"

"Yes."

"And…" Kate prodded.

"You'll have to wait and read my article," she said, knowing there was no way they were going to let her get away with that. She sipped her drink as they fired questions at her.

"Is he as rich as they say?"

"What does his house look like?"

"Who is he sleeping with?"

"When are you seeing him again?"

She smiled, waiting for them to run out of steam. When they were together, it was always like this. They could jump from topic to topic, sometimes finishing each other's thoughts without missing a beat. Even though it had been years since they'd shared a common bathroom in the college dorms, and even though they didn't see each other as often as they liked, when they got together it was as if they'd only been apart for a second.

"Are you guys done?" she asked.

"Only if you start talking," Liz said.

"Alex Donovan is a rich, attractive, sexy man with a huge business, many friends and a lot of power. That's why he was picked to be the magazine'sMan of the Year. He came from nothing and he has made millions or billions, I'm not even sure how much he's worth. I think his story will inspire a lot of people. But I'm still trying to get to the real man, which might take some time."

"Sounds like that would be a fun time," Maggie said with a grin.

"He is charming."

"Do you think he's interested in you?" Kate asked.

"No. I'm way too serious for him. He likes party girls."

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