Page 71 of One Night in Paris

“Maybe,” he said. “Although I could talk to him about it, see if he’s ready to quit. He’s such a pain in the neck.”

Realizing he had a taunting tone to his voice, I asked, “Who is it?”

“This guy named Trevor.” Logan began to chuckle, and I laughed along with him, imagining Trevor trying to do my job.

“Please tell me you’re joking!” I exclaimed, running my hand along his chest.

“Are you serious? Trevor probably doesn’t even know how to dial a phone. Yes, of course, you can have your job back. Then, I’ll get to see you at work and at home.” He leaned in and kissed me again, pulling me to his chest, next to his heart.

Right where I belonged.

39

LOGAN

Soft romantic music set the mood at Marcell’s restaurant. The tinkling of silverware against fine porcelain and the murmur of other diners, dressed in elegant attire, blended in, establishing an ambiance of upscale dining to the delight of the two women accompanying me.

Harper looked exquisite in a beautiful red gown I’d bought her just for this occasion. Her hair was pulled up on top of her head with a few curls framing her beautiful face. The diamond necklace I’d given her for our one-month anniversary just a few days ago caught the candlelight and glittered, giving her an even more magical quality than usual.

Ellie also looked beautiful. Harper had taken her mother shopping earlier in the day to buy her a new dress. I’d wanted to pay for it, but Harper insisted she be the one to purchase it. Who was I to argue with my independent girlfriend who was anything but a gold-digger? The shade of blue they’d picked out made Ellie’s eyes sparkle. I could see the resemblance between Harper and her mother, though Ellie was a bit gaunt from her treatments and a couple of decades older.

“How’s your salad, Mom?” Harper asked as we tasted our appetizers. “Isn’t the dressing delicious?”

“I love it, dear,” Ellie said, the smile she’d had on her face since I’d picked her up in a limo widening even more. “I’ve never had a salad so fresh before. Everything about this place is wonderful.” Looking at me, she said, “Thank you so much for bringing me here, Logan. I’ve always wanted to try this restaurant but never could before.”

Hearing the gratitude in her voice made me return the smile. “You’re very welcome, Ms. Reynolds. If it hadn’t been for you suggesting this place for Harper and me to meet, we might’ve never gone on a first date at all.” I reached over and squeezed Harper’s hand, and she pumped mine three times, our symbol that meant, “I love you.”

“Logan, darling, call me Ellie,” she insisted. It wasn’t the first time she’d made the request, but it was difficult for me because I had so much respect for her. “I’m just glad Harper left your number in her apron pocket where I could find it so easily.” She gave a mischievous giggle, and both of us laughed as well.

“I’d like to think we would’ve found our way back to one another either way,” Harper said. “But Mom, you certainly helped facilitate the process.”

“That’s what moms are for.” She took a sip of her water. With her chemo, it wasn’t good for her to drink alcohol. The doctor had her on a strict diet to make sure her body got all the nutrients it needed and nothing that might set her back. Harper had explained all of this to me.

This wasn’t the first time I’d met her mother. I’d gone out to her house a few times over the last couple of weeks. The home was in need of repairs, and I wanted to make sure that Harper’s mother was well taken care of, so I’d seen that a new roof was put on and some other items were taken care of. Of course, I’d volunteered to buy her a new home, but she said she’d wait untilshe was feeling better and then save up enough money to buy her own home. Apparently, the publicity she’d gotten when Harper was being hounded by the press had helped with Ellie’s blanket-making business, and she had more orders than she could fill at the moment. If her treatment continued to go well, the doctors expected her to be in remission soon, and then she’d have plenty of time to catch up.

“Now, I heard a rumor that that awful Dave has been arrested,” Ellie said before taking another bite of her salad. “Is that true, Logan?”

Setting my wine glass down, I nodded. “Yes, it is. He was arrested a few days ago, along with several other employees of his company.”

Harper shook her head. “You called it,” she said to me. “You knew all along that he was doing something illegal and corrupt. Thank goodness we didn’t get involved in his scheme.”

“That’s true,” I agreed. “Several other companies that were part of the project are now being investigated. It’s really a shame because Dave is such a smooth talker, he was able to convince a lot of people to come into the deal who might not otherwise. These are legitimate companies that have been known as high-quality companies in the architectural business for decades. Now, the greed of one man and his unscrupulous company has caused a lot of problems for a lot of people.”

“How terrible!” Ellie exclaimed. “I really hate that for anyone who was trying to do the right thing and simply became misled. I do hope the justice system works it all out properly.”

Before I could respond, the waitress came back with our food, setting a platter of linguini with clam sauce in front of me. Ellie had ordered a chicken dish, and Harper had pasta with red sauce. Everything smelled wonderful.

We all dug in, the table going quiet for a moment, except for the sounds all of us made as we expressed how much weliked our food. Everything at Marcell’s was always delicious, but this was one of my favorite dishes. I’d brought Harper here several times since we’d officially started dating, and it never disappointed.

“How is your job coming along, Harper?” her mother asked between bites. “Are you still enjoying it? Or would you rather not say with the boss sitting right here?” Again, she chuckled with that gleam in her eye.

Harper laughed, her eyes brightening at just the thought of her job, which made me happy as well. “It’s great, Mom. I love it. We just got another big contract for an athletic facility in Barcelona, so we’ll be going to Spain soon.”

Ellie gasped with delight. “That’s wonderful, dear! Oh, I can’t imagine how much fun you’re going to have seeing the world while you get to do a job you enjoy so much. And the two of you will get to do it together. What an amazing life you have.” Tears filled Ellie’s eyes. Lifting her napkin, she dabbed at them.

Reaching over, Harper put a hand on top of her mother’s arm. “As soon as you’re better, Mom, we’ll be able to bring you with us. You’ll finally be able to see all of the places you’ve been longing to for so many years.”

“I can hardly wait!” Ellie clasped her hands together in excitement. “I do hope you get another contract in Paris soon.”

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