Page 11 of All the Right Words
‘Just… I don’t know. Make it sound… nice,’ Olivia said, ducking back into her office.
‘I can’t promise anything,’ Gina called after her. She’d never done this kind of thing for Michael. It felt vaguely icky.
Gina, feeling disquieted, spent a few minutes drafting something for the card. When she was ready, she called the florist and asked for their usual bouquet, a beautiful spray of roses, hydrangeas, and lilies, giving them Harper’s office address. When they asked for a personal message, she read it out awkwardly. ‘Harper, wonderful to see you today, even under the difficult circumstances. Let’s get together without Brenda soon, shall we? Maybe over dinner?’
The sullen man read it back correctly. After Gina put the phone down, she felt off. Because Harper would say yes to Olivia. And Gina felt uncomfortable about being placed in the middle of that. She wished Olivia could have just done it herself if Harper was what she wanted.
Six
The day after Brenda’s averted meltdown at Parker, Harper was at her office looking over some deeply dull contract negotiations for an author who caused her a lot less trouble, when a woman knocked on her door and handed her an explosion of posies. When she read the card, it was impossible not to recognise the subtext. Though Olivia might have been simply keeping her sweet, she knew it was more than that. She was being asked out.
It was nice to have it done this way, with a beautiful bouquet. It had been quite some time since she’d been romanced. She’d had women on the apps promising her the date of her life and taking her to Weatherspoon’s, so this was quite an upgrade. Not the money spent, but the thought and effort.
She rang up the office and got Gina. ‘Hi, Gina, it’s Harper,’ she greeted her.
‘Harper. Hello,’ Gina said, characteristically less than exuberant.
‘How’re things?’ Harper tried.
‘Good,’ Gina said.
Harper was forced to give up that line of enquiry. ‘Glad to hear that. So-’
‘Did you get the flowers?’ Gina asked. Harper paused, slightly uncomfortable, and Gina hastily added, ‘From Olivia? She mentioned she was sending them, so I’ve been waiting for the call.’
‘I did get them, yes,’ Harper replied, feeling a bit embarrassed to have Gina know about any of this.
‘I’ll put you through then.’ And she was gone.
‘Harper!’ Olivia said, sounding pleased. ‘How’s your day? Get any surprise bouquets today?’
Harper chuckled. ‘As it happens, I did. They were beautiful.’
‘Good, great. So, I hate to be unsubtle, but how does that sit with you? Dinner, that is. It’s obviously a bit of a conflict. Because going on a date with your author's publisher might cause you trouble,’ Olivia said tentatively, almost nervously. Harper was glad to hear that anxiety. Olivia was usually so confident; it could be a bit intimidating.
‘It will mean a conversation with Brenda, but I think I can handle that.’
‘You can always tell Brenda it’s a business tactic,’ Olivia said dryly. ‘To get me onside for the next negotiation.’
Harper laughed. ‘That’s not a bad idea.’
‘So… Is that a yes?’ Olivia asked.
‘It is,’ Harper said. She wasn’t sure how it would pan out, but she was willing to give it a go. Olivia certainly had some qualities that interested her. She wanted to know more. And she felt that if it didn’t work out, they’d handle it like adults.
‘Great. Friday work for you?’
Harper didn’t have to check if her Friday night was free. Her social life had been taking a back seat to work for a while. ‘Sounds great.’
‘I’ll text you the details,’ Olivia said, and they ended the call.
So. Harper was going out with Olivia Noble. Even if it was a little dicey to go out with the head of her top earner’s publishing company, Harper wanted to take a chance on herself for once and do the wrong thing.
Seven
Gina felt a severe need to get off the phone with Harper as soon as possible. She had come quite close to revealing that she was the sender of the flowers, but it wasn’t just that. Gina didn’t want Harper to gush to her about Olivia. She wanted to be kept out of that stuff. It wasn’t her business.
That dream was killed not five minutes later when Olivia popped her head in through the adjoining doorway and said, ‘Harper liked the flowers, and the message did the trick. Thank you. Really.’
