Page 66 of The Close-Up
“You deserve a break, Harper. Come on.”
She sighs, then smiles. There’s a sparkle behind her eyes that heartens me immediately.
“Okay,” Harper says. “I’ll come. But only for a little while. One drink, then I’m headed home.”
I beam at her and squeeze her hand. “Yay! We’re gonna have the best time, promise.”
Chapter Fourteen
Harper and I take a rideshare to Simon’s party at Robberbaron on Polk Street. Landon texts me that he’s running late but will meet me there. When we enter the long and narrow space, I do a scan of the crowd to see if I can spot Simon and his crew. The dark paint on the walls combined with the mahogany wood fixtures, black décor, and mood lighting make it difficult to see at first. But then I spot him waving to me from the back of the bar. I smile back at him, then point him out to Harper.
He jumps up from the long table where he’s seated along with a dozen other people.
“You made it.” He beams at us as he pulls Harper into a hug, then me.
“I hope it’s okay that Landon is coming too.”
Simon’s smile remains easy and relaxed. “Yeah, of course. Oh hey, my mom wanted me to ask you what colors look best on camera for when you film us in Napa. She’s obsessing over what to wear.”
“Your mom is the cutest. I can send you outfit ideas to show her if you want.”
“She’d love that.”
He introduces us to his friends. Most are other therapists and grad school classmates. A couple start to stand and offer us their barstools, but both Harper and I politely decline. Harper heads to the bar for a drink just as a familiar-looking tall and leggy blonde in a form-fitting dress, jacket, and heels slinks up to Simon.
He greets her with an arm around her waist and a kiss on the check. When she beams back at him, I realize it’s the Margot Robbie look-alike from Lake Tahoe.
“Oh. Hey!” I nearly call her Margot, but I bite my tongue. That’s not her actual name.
She flashes a dazzling smile at me and shakes my hand. “I’m Desiree.”
I introduce myself and then Harper when she returns with a bourbon for herself and a glass of club soda with ice for me.
“So! You’re the one who’s responsible for making Simon the most famous therapist in the Bay Area,” Desiree says as she wags an eyebrow at him. He shakes his head, smiling.
“He’s a huge hit,” I say. “The most successful online series Dash has ever had.”
A few of Simon’s friends whistle and cheer, which promptly causes Simon to roll his eyes.
Someone at the table calls for Simon and he steps away. Desiree leans toward me, her voice low. “I hope there aren’t any hard feelings.”
“Oh, um. About what?”
Her blue eyes sparkle as she looks at me. “When I slipped him my number in Tahoe, I mean. When Simon called me, he mentioned you two were friends and worked together, but I just wanted to make sure. A guy like Simon probably has women all over him. I’m sure some of his female friends have heart eyes for him and he doesn’t even realize it.”
“Oh. I mean, I don’t really know. We’ve only been friends for a couple of months—ever since we started working together on the series.”
“Right.” She says it pointedly with unflinching eye contact. “So there’s nothing between you two?”
I’m taken aback at how direct she’s being. But maybe that’s her personality. And part of me admires her communication style. Some people wouldn’t be bold enough to address an issue like this head-on and instead quietly keep it to themselves as it festers within them.
I smile at Desiree, hoping that it looks genuine. “Simon and I are just friends. Truly. I’m actually seeing someone right now.”
Relief paints Desiree’s smile. I feel a warm hand around my waist. I twist my head and see Landon standing off to the side.
“Hey.” He leans down to kiss my cheek.
“Hey.” I introduce him to Desiree and everyone at the table. Simon’s at the far end near the wall, chatting to one of his friends. He gives Landon a wave and goes right back to his conversation.
