Page 28 of Friend Me

She leaned back in the chair, hooking her arm over the backrest. “I like you, Marlee. And from what Cooper says, you’re smart as a whip.”

“Thank you.” I sat up taller.

“Can I be straight with you? One professional woman to another?”

I blinked. Jamila Jallow, CEO of her own company and all-around superwoman, wanted to advise me? “O-okay.”

She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. When her gaze crawled over me, I was transparent, exposed. “Software is a man’s world. For now. That means you have to use that head. And those pretty brown eyes.” She paused for a few seconds.

This was the strangest career advice I’d ever heard. “Mmm-hmm?”

“I think some fantasy is keeping you from seeing what’s in front of you. And what could be.”

Was she talking about my crush? “Why do you think it’s only a fantasy? Don’t you think I could—”

“I think Cooper Fallon is a complicated man. But you’re young. Talented. That brain of yours is wasted on managing calendars and filling out expense reports.” She echoed my dad.

“That’s not all I—”

“You could do more.” Her tone shut me down. I imagined it worked in the boardroom, too. From her clutch, she pulled a business card and held it out to me. “Whatever you need—advice, mentoring, a new job”—she waved away my protest—“call me. When you’re ready.”

I slipped the card into the pocket of my skirt. I wouldn’t need it, but it was kind of her to offer.

She glanced toward the bar, and I followed her gaze to find Cooper and Tyler coming toward us, drinks in their hands. “You haven’t asked for it, but I’ll give you some personal advice, too. Hold onto Tyler with both hands. That guy is special.”

She stood just as Cooper reached the table. He handed her a glass of champagne.

“You know what would go great with this? Another slice of cake.” Were those doe-eyes she was making at him?

“Of course,” he said. He nodded at Tyler and me and walked away, his arm around Jamila’s narrow waist.

Had Jamila just warned me off Cooper under the guise of career advice? Was she trying to spare me hurt because she and Cooper were together or trying to divert me because she felt threatened? Or was she trying to poach me from Synergy? Pain pinched my forehead. I took the glass of water from Tyler and gulped it down.

“You okay?” Tyler eased into Jamila’s chair.

“Fine.” I guzzled more water and watched him over the rim of the glass.Special,she’d called him. He was sweet. A little goofy. The complete opposite of Cooper Fallon. Confidence wrapped Cooper in a golden aura. He assessed each situation and then acted with command. He even moved with the smooth grace of a lion.

Tyler rotated his champagne flute on the table. He followed Jackson around like a puppy. An ungainly one with too-big paws. He listened more than he spoke, and too many of his sentences rose up at the end like questions. It was adorable in a friend, but in a lover? Not what I wanted.

No matter how much fun we were having, or how excellent a dancer Tyler was, there was just no comparison.

* * *

After we gatheredto send off Alicia and Jackson, the pinch in my forehead grew to a full headache, so I limped to the head table to escape the loud music. Tyler went in search of ibuprofen.

I pulled my phone out of my clutch. No new messages from Dad or our neighbor, Alma, who’d spent the evening with him. She’d have told me if Dad had any problems he hadn’t told me about.

When I looked up from my phone, Cooper stood a few seats down, fingering a boutonniere. At first I thought he’d just taken it off, but then I noticed his was still pinned to his lapel, bruised from dancing. With Jamila. The one in his hand had a white calla lily in it, marking it as Jackson’s.

“Do you think he’ll want that?” I asked. I doubted it; the only things Jackson collected were vintage T-shirts. And cars.

Cooper startled and looked up. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Hmm, maybe.” He tucked the flower into his breast pocket. “I’ll keep it for him, just in case.”

He’s so thoughtful.Even though Jackson would probably laugh at his sentimentality, Cooper was going to save this memento of his wedding for his friend. One more thing we had in common: I kept my dried prom corsage in the drawer under the window seat in my bedroom.

We both had other dates, and it was almost midnight, but I couldn’t pass up this chance. Ignoring the ache in my feet, I walked the few steps to his side. “Want to have a drink later at the inn? We can talk and relax.” His frown told me he had something on his mind. Maybe we’d finally move past the awkward conversations we always seemed to have and talk about something meaningful.

“Thanks, but no.” His gaze rested on Alicia’s bouquet, also abandoned on the table. “Mila needs to get home tonight.”

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