Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75481 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75481 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Have they not traveled much?”
“Not at all.” My cheeks colored, and I didn’t know why I felt embarrassed about that. They were simple people. Good people. We didn’t always have the means to travel anywhere. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. My stomach sloshed uneasily.
“Aw, that’ll be special,” Anita said, squeezing my shoulder.
“They’ll love the city. Everybody does,” Rowan said flippantly, grating on my nerves. As if this city was the epicenter of life. I supposed in some ways, and for certain personalities, it was.
“That’s not exactly true.” I scratched my neck. “Some people are overwhelmed by big cities and enjoy a quieter life.”
His eyebrows scrunched together, as if he couldn’t imagine such a thing.
“Except for you.” I rolled my eyes. “Have you even visited a small town?”
He’d said on more than one occasion that he was born and raised in Brooklyn, so what the hell did he know? Even the five boroughs were gigantic cities compared to Stockton.
“Of course I have,” he scoffed.
“Does a chalet in the French Provence count?” Kendall asked as she came into the room. “Or a winery in Tuscany?”
“Not unless he was staying in a barn.”
Kendall and Anita laughed while Rowan shook his head.
“You should get them tickets to Kendall’s show,” Anita suggested.
“That’s not a bad idea,” I said absently. “Apparently, they’re flying in Thursday morning. So maybe the afternoon show?”
Kendall said, “I’ll ask Naomi to reserve seats for your parents.”
I nearly made a joke about taking Brett’s seats but held my tongue.
“You’re a godsend, thank you!”
“Anytime.” She winked, then turned to Rowan. “So what am I wearing?”
I drove Casey a bit mad the following week as I prepped for my parents’ visit. No way could we accommodate them in our small apartment, so I reserved a hotel room in Midtown. It would be an extra expense, but hopefully, they’d enjoy the view and the buzz around Times Square. Or they’d despise it. Either way, it was only three nights. I could only imagine what it took to get my dad to agree to time off work. Maybe the blood of the twins’ firstborn or something.
“Why are you freaking out? Everything will be fine,” Casey exclaimed as I scrubbed the toilet for the second time. “Your parents might not be used to city life, but they’re reasonable people.”
“I know. It’s just…I want everything to be perfect.”
“You want them to see that you’re happy and everything’s going to be okay?”
“Yeah, guess so.”
“That’s natural. I felt the same the first time my family came for a visit.”
I motioned with the scrubber. “And like, maybe that I’m not flying by the seat of my pants and actually have my career together?”
“Mr. Arrogant might not be much help in that department. Are you even going to introduce your parents to Rowan?”
“I’ll have to when they come to the show.” I was undoubtedly grateful for the tickets, and Mom seemed excited too. “He’s not that bad.”
“Well, listen to you.” He folded his arms, amusement in his expression. “According to your complaints the last several months, he’s prickly and full of himself.”
“True, but since the fundraiser…” I sighed, not sure what I was trying to say. Things between us seemed less…prickly. Maybe.
“That kiss is messing with your head. Maybe it’s time you got laid.”
It had been a while since I’d hooked up with someone.
Was I swayed by the idea of his warm, soft lips?
“And not by him because that would definitely make it much worse.”
I wouldn’t tell Casey about the tension between Rowan and me that just about drove me insane.
“I don’t want anything from him, believe me.”
He smirked. “Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that.”
“I’m not stupid.” I made a frustrated sound. “No way I’d do anything with him.”
“What if you’re required to attend another event where the ex shows up, and you have another bright idea?”
“I told you he called Kendall last week to fish for information. And surprise! I didn’t grab Rowan, drag him to her office, and try to kiss him,” I said, exasperated. “Are you proud of me?”
Why did the idea of another kiss—fake or not—warm my stomach?
“Very proud.” He smirked. “But I do like all the cleaning. Our apartment never looked better. Keep it up.”
11
I watched the audience from behind the scenes, my eyes focused on my parents in the second row, their excitement obvious as the Kendall Jacobs Show got underway. They’d taken a cab to their hotel that morning, and then I’d sent a car to bring them to the studio.
I’d met them at the door with the other ticket holders and tried to usher them inside early, but the rules were strict and didn’t include special privileges for the employees’ families. So I told them I’d meet them afterward to show them around.
I knew if I did it beforehand, Rowan would pop a blood vessel that I wasn’t at his beck and call. Kendall had two changes within the show today, and neither female guest had stylists with them. So we were busy, barely having time for small talk before the show or during, for that matter. By the time the whirlwind was over, and I saw the security guard leading my parents down the long hallway, I was stunned that the day was practically finished. Outside of cleanup and prep for future shows, of course.