Page 21 of Unless It's You
STELLA
BUCKET LIST DAY 3
Istride quickly away from the conference room, Ethan trailing behind me. I don’t dare to look back at him. What was that? We had an actual inside joke when Tessa inadvertently used the wordunless. Then I played along, and he stared at me... it was like he was peering into my soul, taking down my defenses with his intense stare.
I glance back over my shoulder, exactly like I was trying not to.Damn!He’s peering at me with those dark-brown puppy dog eyes. Why did I even think he was glaring at me before? Shit. His sleeves are rolled up as usual, probably on purpose to seduce everyone with his gorgeous forearms and extensive ink, making him look, I dunno, dangerous and sexy.
Or is it just me who thinks that?
Ethan being here is too distracting. I have a hundred more meetings today, and I’m already on Day 3 of Evelyn’s bucket list. But instead of seriously thinking about advisors and how I’m going to tackle each item, I’m thinking about Ethan Fraser’s damn rose tattoos.
I did have one idea this morning on my way to work. It was a rainy London morning, so instead of the long walk from my flat in St John’s Wood to our Baker Street offices, I jumped on a bus. There was an advertisement for London Zoo, which stated you could adopt an animal for a fifty quid donation. Clearly, the animal would stay at the zoo, but wouldn’t that technically check the box forAdopt an Animal? I’m a little squirmy about it because it feels like a bit of cheating, and the last thing I want to do is skimp on Evelyn’s last wishes, but what else am I gonna do? I don’t have the time or the desire to adopt an actual animal.
I don’t have the time foranyof that bucket list. I have... twenty-five more days to get it done.
“Ethan,” Tessa calls from her corner cubicle when we’re halfway down the hall. We both stop, but I’m itching to run away. “Can you pop in here for a minute? I just need Ethan, Stella.”
I nod and look at Ethan, who quickly glances at me before heading to Tessa’s desk. I rush to my own cubicle, where Graham is waiting.
“Have a sec?” he says.
“I definitely do, for you, my favorite creative director.” I give him what I’m hoping is a devastatingly charming smile and settle in my chair. He’s my last hope for an advisor, because I’m sure not asking Chloe, desperate or not.
Then there’s the person Gemma suggested this morning. The incredibly hot human who is currently with Tessa.
He’s a last resort. Absolute last possible option.Notan option, not really.
Graham narrows his eyes. The two of us are work friends. We’ll grab lunch together and the occasional happy hour. But asking him to be my advisor for Evelyn’s bucket list is awkward as hell.
“You’re doing that thing with your eyes where you squint and sort of smile, like you’re about to make my timeline even more impossible.”
“Ha, no timeline changes this morning. You go ahead, then I have a favor to ask. What do you need from me?”
Graham asks a quick question about the storyboards we’re working on for a different client. I answer and when we’re done with that topic, he patiently waits for me to continue speaking. I don’t.
“You had something else?” he says after a minute.
I nod and can’t help but fidget in my chair. “I have a favor to ask of you. A personal favor.”
“For the last time, I only met that actor one time, and just because we’re both from Essex, that doesn’t mean I can get you his number.”
I laugh. “It’s not that again, and it was for a commercial! Not some creepy move to get him to sleep with me.”
“Hmmm. Sure. Go on. I’m listening.”
“It’s about, uh, a bucket list. From my great-aunt.”
Graham furrows his brow. “The one who just passed away?” A look of sympathy crosses his face.
“Yeah. She asked me to do this bucket list. I mean, sheneedsme to do it. Well, she didn’t ask me, because she’s dead, but she wrote a letter, before she died, presumably... ”
Graham’s eyes widen as I mumble my way through a completely incoherent explanation of the advisor thing. My hands are sweaty, my throat is dry, and I’m spewing absolute nonsense.
“Okay. You want me to do what?” He looks like I just asked him to sacrifice his cat.
I squint my eyes shut. “Give me a second.”Jesus. Pull it together.I breathe in and out in an attempt to gather myself.
“Sure, and when you’re done with whatever thing you’re doing, can you summarize what you’re asking? I got lost around the wordadvisor.”
