Page 11 of Love in Focus

The bartender turns back to us, and Celeste orders a pumpkin spice cocktail, the same drink Val ordered when my friends and I arrived at the bar.

“And what happened between you and Gretchen?” I can’t resist asking.

A crease appears between Celeste’s eyebrows. “Pretty much what you heard in the restroom” is the only thing she says in response. The bartender hands Celeste her drink, and she takes a long sip.

I expect her to go on, to tell me about why she doesn’t do relationships or why she disappeared on me so many years ago, but she doesn’t. She slowly takes another sip of her cocktail instead, keeping her gaze on the floor. I’m about to directly ask her about everything she clearly doesn’t want to talk about when something she’d said earlier gives me pause.

“Wait, what project?”

She shrugs. “Oh, it’s for some magazine. They want me to shoot video and take photos of couples for Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t start until later, but I had to meet with some people to finalize some things. Icouldhave done the meeting virtually but since I had another shoot in the area scheduled for this weekend, I figured I’d come in earlier and kill two birds with one stone.”

And then it all clicks. The Valentine’s Day project thatI’ve been assigned to. The hot woman photographer from UCLA that Kiara mentioned. And now, Celeste, who’s not in Seoul or Los Angeles but in San Francisco, of all places, sitting right next to me in this crowded bar.

“No,” I whisper. It’s all I can do against the wave of horror that rushes over me.

Celeste cocks her head in confusion, her eyes squinting with concern. “You okay?”

A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions war inside me. I want to scream. To laugh. To do both at the same time. But what Idon’twant to do is tell Celeste that we’re assigned to work together. That’s an awkward conversation I won’t be touching with a ten-foot pole.

I have to get out of here and email Evelyn. I resolve to meet with her as soon as I can and change her mind about hiring Celeste. I might not be able to do anything about the past, but I want to do everything in my power to stop our paths from messily overlapping again.

“Well, thanks for your help,” I say. “Have a good rest of your night. I’m taking this guy home.”

I’m not, but the lie is a hundred percent worth Celeste’s reaction. She jerks back in disgust, a way stronger reaction than I expected from her.

“Wait, you’re going home with this loser?” she asks.

“That’s the plan, or at least, it was before I got caught up in all of this,” I say, gesturing between her and me.

“Do you even know where he lives?”

I shrug. “I’ll ask him.”

When I shake him awake, he gives me an address on Spear Street, a less-than-ten-minute drive from the bar.

I turn to Celeste with a triumphant smile. “Well, there you go.”

I’m trying to flag down the bartender when I feel a firm but gentle grip on my shoulder.

“Gem,” Celeste says, her voice low and smooth like silk. “This is crazy. You barely know this guyandhe’s half-asleep. You should get him a taxi or something and go home.”

I check the time on my phone to avoid telling Celeste that I’m actually doing exactly what she said I should do.Ten fifty-five p.m.After disappearing without any explanation or apology foreight years, who does she think she is to tell me what I can or can’t do?

I type Ian’s address into my phone and request a ride. Luckily the cost is pretty minimal since it’s not rush hour.

“Can I have two glasses of water, please?” I ask when the bartender turns our way. “And close the tab? Sorry, again.”

“It happens,” they congenially say as they pour two glasses of water for us and place the check on the bar.

I chug the first glass of water and press the other one against Ian’s cheek to wake him up. Ireallydon’t want to pay for his egregious bill.

Fortunately, Ian stirs awake.

“Oh, hello!” he says. “Sorry, did I pass out?”

“Yup, but don’t worry about it. Let’s go. Don’t forget to pay your bill!”

I keep my tone light and friendly, and Ian dutifully pays without incident—thank God. As we get up to leave, hecatches sight of Celeste, who’s been closely watching him this entire time like a murderous cat.

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