Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
No doubt about it, her guys had picked good ones. Well, two of her guys had. Jury was still out on Claudia.
“Okay, so when do we get details?” Lara asked Kate.
“On what?” Kate helped herself to more champagne.
“Kennedy’s billionaire brother!”
Kate’s champagne flute froze halfway to her mouth as she stared at Sabrina. “Jack is not a billionaire. Is he?” If anyone would know, it would be Sabrina.
Sabrina lifted a shoulder, her white silk blouse shimmying at the gesture. “If he’s not officially, he’s close.”
“How is that even possible?” Lara asked. “He’s in his early thirties.”
“So? Jarod’s late thirties, and he’s part of the billionaire club.”
Kate fanned herself at the name. Jarod Lanham was hot. Unlike so many of the guys who worked downtown and freaked out at the first sight of gray hair, discreetly paying hundreds every other week to take care of it, Jarod had embraced the gray, resulting in a Clooney-worthy silver-fox vibe.
“I guess I don’t know for sure about Jack,” Sabrina admitted. “But he does a ton of business overseas, and that’s a whole other world of power and money.”
“Okay, it’s official, he’s never coming over to my place,” Kate said.
Sabrina and Lara stared at her.
“What? I’m not inviting a billionaire, or an almost billionaire, to my studio apartment.”
“We adore your apartment, as do you,” Lara pointed out. “But we’re far more intrigued by the fact that you were even thinking of inviting Jack over to your apartment.”
“Those must have been a couple of awesome dates,” Sabrina said. “Are you thinking third date is sexy time?”
“No,” Kate admitted. “The apartment thing was hypothetical.”
“So no third date?”
“Well, he asked . . .”
Lara reached over and excitedly patted the table beside Sabrina. “Our girl’s snagged a billionaire!”
Sabrina put her hand over Lara’s to still it, watching Kate. “Have you snagged him?”
Kate sighed. “It’s only been a week, but he does seem weirdly interested.”
“Why weirdly?”
“Because . . .” Kate gestured down at herself. “Look at what I’m working with.”
“Kate,” Sabrina said in a warning tone.
“No, I mean it. I realize I’m not like, garbage disposal goo to look at, but this guy can literally have anyone. Anyone! Did you know his last girlfriend was an actress? A big one.”
“Who?” Lara demanded.
“I said I wouldn’t tell. Apparently they had this super-hot fling. But the point is, how can I compete with that? I’m too plain.”
“You’re down-to-earth, and maybe that’s exactly what attracts him to you, aside from your great hair, big Bambi eyes, and how adorably tiny you are.”
“Purse size,” Sabrina chimed in.
Kate rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m sure that’s what every hot rich guy wants. A purse-size girlfriend.”
“Look, babe, forget all of that. The real question is, do you like him?”
Kate inhaled, held her breath, and let it out slowly. It was something she’d given a good amount of thought to lately, because while there was no doubt in her mind that she liked Jack Dawson, she was also acutely aware that something was missing. They’d had that first flirtatious moment, with some sort of chemistry there, and yet . . . she didn’t know. She didn’t know why she wasn’t head over heels for him, and it was driving her crazy.
“I do like him . . .”
“But?” Sabrina nudged when Kate trailed off.
When Kate didn’t reply, Lara asked softly, “But . . . Kennedy?”
“What’s Kennedy have to do with this?” Kate said automatically.
Lara turned away and looked at Sabrina. “Flip for it?”
“Nope, I’ve got this. You get more champagne. We’re going to need it.”
“For what?” Kate demanded as Lara went to the fridge and came back with another bottle.
But Sabrina didn’t answer. Instead, she waited until all of their glasses were full of another mimosa before turning to Kate. “Okay, babe, we’re way past due for this. Are you in love with him?”
The question hit Kate like a punch in the gut. Had it been anyone else besides Lara and Sabrina, she would have played dumb. She’d have pretended to assume Sabrina was asking if she was in love with Jack. But she knew she wasn’t, and Kate wouldn’t lie to her closest friends. What’s more, she realized Sabrina was right. This conversation was past due.
And she needed to talk about it.
“Not anymore,” Kate answered simply. “But yes, once I was one hundred percent crazy, all-the-way in love with him.”
“Oh,” Lara said on a breath, sounding a little bit awed and a little bit sad. “When was this?”
Kate gave a small smile and sipped her drink. “My very first day at Wolfe. It was the Tuesday after Memorial Day. I remember it felt like the first day of school. The office manager at the time gave me a hurried tour of the building and showed me to my desk, which was in the middle of the bull pen.”
“Wait, how’d we get to baseball?” Sabrina asked.