Page 25 of So in Love
“Oh, it is.It was a start-up, though, and we all poured a lot of money into it.”Some more than others.They’d tried to make it a four-way equal partnership, but Hayden, with his trust fund, had a lot more money than Jamie and his brothers.And of the three of them, Cam and Luke had more than Jamie, who’d been fresh out of school with a mountain of debt.He’d scraped what he could together, but he’d been—and still was—leveraged to the hilt.“I’m good with numbers, though, so it’s all working out.”More or less—he’d started day trading a few months ago to try to dig out of his hole.He was gaining steadily, but very slowly.
She finished her cider and pulled her purse out from beneath her coat.“Can I get your dinner since I acted like a moron?”
“I must’ve missed that.”
She rolled her eyes as she extracted her wallet.“I don’t return your texts and then I come over here and send you a bunch of mixed messages.If not moronic, definitely graceless.That’s what my mother used to call me—Grace is my middle name.”
“Why on earth would she call you graceless?”
Unzipping her wallet, she pulled a card out and tossed it on the bar.“Because I was clumsy as hell, and remember what I told you about making poor choices?Yeah, that’s pretty much been a lifelong thing.”
“You really don’t have to pay for dinner.”
“Can I do it anyway?”
Some guys might say no because of their ego, but Jamie didn’t let that nonsense get in the way.Crystal was the personal assistant of a major A-list actor.She could probably pay off Jamie’s debt ten times over without breaking a sweat.“Sure.”
She smiled, and George came over to pick up the card.He chatted with them for a moment before taking off again.“He’s so cute,” Crystal said.“Especially since he and Kelsey’s grandma got engaged.”
“Yeah, that’s going to be the wedding of the summer.”He glanced over both shoulders and whispered.“Don’t tell Cam and Brooke.”
Crystal laughed.“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
George brought the receipt back for her to sign, and when she finished, she stood to put on her coat.Jamie jumped up and helped her, holding the garment while she slipped it on.
“Aren’t you a gentleman?”
He winked at her.“I try to be.Can I walk you to your car?”
She hesitated but ultimately said, “Sure.”
He grabbed his coat and tugged it on before following her from the pub.She looked sleek and sophisticated with over-the-knee black boots with a killer heel and a fitted wool coat that belted at her waist.“I can’t imagine you have much use for that coat in LA.”
She turned on the sidewalk, a frigid breeze tousling her hair.“No, I leave it here—in the closet at the guesthouse.”She tipped her head to the side.“Hmm, I guess you could make an argument for me living here!”She meant it as a joke, but intellectually, he agreed that one could definitely make that argument.Not that he planned to.
“Where’s your car?”he asked.
She gestured across the street.“Down there and over on Second.”
He lived on Second.“You’re either in front of my loft or just past it.”
They crossed Main and headed to the right toward Second.
“I forgot you lived there,” she said.“I’m a bit past it.You don’t have to walk me all the way.”
“I am a gentleman.”He had another idea but weighed whether to say it.Fuck it, maybe her subconscious had decided to take over.“This is only a suggestion, but you’re welcome to come up to my loft for a drink.Or whatever.”
They turned the corner, and she slid him a hooded look as another stiff breeze rustled her hair.“Damn, it’s cold.Would this drink be hot?”
“It could be.I make a mean Spanish coffee.”
“Decaf, I hope.Otherwise I’ll be up all night.”
Like they’d been on New Year’s Eve.Well, notallnight, but close enough.They’d fallen asleep around four or so.“I do have decaf.”
They slowed as they reached the entrance to his building.She pivoted toward him and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.“I should really go home.”
He edged closer, seeking her heat and wanting to share his.“I thought this wasn’t your home.”
