Page 27 of One Night in Paris

“Who would be my boss?” I asked him.

“Me.”

That made us both laugh. “You couldn’t be worse than Dotty.”

“Maybe not,” he said. “But I think you have the potential to go far in this job. I’ll make sure to give you all the support and training you need to succeed. Why not give it a try and seewhat you think? If it doesn’t work out, I’ll make sure to get you another waitressing job if that’s what you want.”

I had to imagine even the waitressing job Logan got me would be better than either diner I worked at. Tears of gratitude welled up in my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was happening, and he was actually giving me this opportunity. “Thank you so much!” I flung myself at Logan, giving him a hug. “I won’t let you down. I promise.”

He hugged me back and smiled. “I know you won’t. You have so much potential, Harper. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish.” Reaching into his wallet, he handed me a card with his office information on it. “See you Monday morning at nine?”

Smiling back at him, I said, “See you then!”

As Logan walked away, I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. This was the start of a new chapter in my life, and I was ready to make the most of it. Unlocking my apartment door, I went inside, ignoring the peeling, dingy green wallpaper, the orange shag carpeting with holes and stains everywhere, and even Tammy’s snoring. Today was the day I got a chance to start over.

No matter what happened, I couldn’t fuck it up.

15

LOGAN

Afew days after my date with Harper, I’d made plans to meet Trevor to ride dirt bikes. My mind was racing a million miles a minute, thinking of what had happened with Harper, and I was stoked that she’d actually said yes to coming to work for me. I just hoped I was making the right decision. I had no question that Harper could do the job—but would it all work out?

Pulling into the parking lot next to where the trail began, I looked around. The parking lot wasn’t that big, considering this trail was several miles outside of the city, but there were plenty of open spaces. Shifting into park, I took a deep breath, checking my phone to see Trevor had left a little late and wouldn’t be on time. What a shocker.

Deciding to get out of my truck and enjoy the fresh summer air, I slipped my phone back into my pocket. My thoughts went back to Harper. It would be amazing to bring her to this place. Did she even like to ride bikes? I should’ve asked what she liked to do, but then, it seemed all she had time to do right now was work. That was about to change.

The sun was just starting to peek through the tops of the trees, casting a warm glow over the surroundings, but it was getting hot. He needed to hurry up. We were supposed to meet earlier in the day, before it got too hot.

The birds were chirping, and the breeze was gentle, causing the trees to sway softly in the wind. Leaning against a tree, crossing my arms over my chest, I waited for Trevor to arrive. Our plan involved tackling some of the tougher trails in the area. I couldn’t wait to feel the rush of the wind in my face and the thrill of navigating through the rugged terrain.

Finally, Trevor pulled up next to my truck and hopped out, a big grin on his face, as usual. “Hey dude, how’s it going?”

Shaking my head, I approached him to shake hands and half-hug. “I’m good. Everything all right?”

He chuckled, knowing the reason for my asking. “Yeah, just couldn’t offload my broad as quickly as I wanted to this morning.”

That was enough for me. I didn’t want to hear any more about it. “Well, let’s get these bikes ready and get out there before the sun is blazing overhead.”

My bike was a Honda CRF450, and it was a beast. I’d had it for a few years and it had never let me down. Getting it down out of the back of my truck, I pulled out the box where I kept my tools and checked the tire pressure. They were good to go, so I moved on to the oil, making sure it was at the right level.

Trevor was getting his bike ready too. He had a Yamaha YZ250F, also a nice bike. He checked his spark plugs, tightened up some bolts, and made sure everything was in order. “What’s going on with you, dude?” he asked, putting his tools away.

Hesitantly, I considered how best to answer that question. I hadn’t told him anything about what had happened with Harper, so I wasn’t sure where to begin. It seemed better to just blurt it out. “I went on a date with Harper.”

Trevor dropped the wrench he’d been holding, and it hit him on the toe. “Shit,” he muttered, bending down to pick it up. When he did so, he hit his head on the back of his truck. “Motherfucker.”

Trying not to laugh, I bit my bottom lip. With one hand pressed against his head, he raised his eyes to look at me. “You good?”

He shook his head. Picking up his cap that had fallen off, he put it in the back of his truck. “You were saying?”

“Yeah, so I got a call from her the other night, but it wasn’t actually her, I guess. It was her mom. Long story short, when she got to the restaurant, she didn’t know she was meeting me.”

“No fucking way!” Trevor laughed, despite his two minor injuries. Why was I going down a dangerous biking trail with this guy? “Did you get any?”

Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. “No, man. It wasn’t like that this time. We were just trying to get to know one another. Besides… I asked her to replace Michelle.”

“Michelle? That your old girlfriend? I don’t remember that one. It’s been a while since you dated anyone, other than just your one-night-stand fuck-buddies.”

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