“More power to them, hopping on the wedding wagon.” Tess shook her head, her honey-brown hair brushing over the shoulders of her sweater. “Me, personally? Never again.”
“Oh, honey, don’t say never,” Natalie protested, but Tess surprised Harlow by throwing her head back and laughing.
“Um, just did. Ne-ver. As in, ever. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t turn down a couple of non-self-serve orgasms. But I’ve got to meet with my divorce lawyer on Monday. If anything will turn you off of commitment, it’s that.”
Harlow might not have logged a lot of hours with girlfriends (or, okay. Any, really) but some things were universal. “I’m sorry,” she said to Tess.
“Oh, don’t be,” she replied with a shrug. “My soon-to-be-ex has a pretty paralegal to keep him occupied, and I have tons of batteries, a stack of romance novels, and custody of my son. Trust me, we’re both much happier this way.” After a beat, Tess looked at her sheepishly. “Sorry. Too direct?”
“No,” Harlow said, and she meant it. “I don’t mind your bluntness at all. Actually, I find it kind of refreshing. I’m just used to a bunch of corporate executives who aren’t nearly this much fun.”
Charlie laughed. “We are kind of fun.”
“You know what would be fun,” Tess said. “A drink. No!” Her eyes gleamed. “Margaritas.”
“Ugh, I can’t go out.” Natalie scrunched up her nose. “I’m not supposed to be around too many people. Germs, and all that rot. The handful of us who were here tonight for training is my limit.”
Tess? Totally wasn’t going to be deterred. “So, let’s go to my place. I have to spring the sitter, anyway, and the guys are heading out for some penises-only thing at The Crooked Angel. We haven’t had a girls’ night in ages.”
“Ooohhh, that’s an idea,” Natalie said. “I can’t drink. I had another round of chemo this week and I already feel like I’m sailing the high seas. But someone’s got to pour. And take pictures for Twitter,” she added with a snort.
“You don’t have to twist my arm to rosé all day. Or, in this case, all night. I’m in,” Charlie said, and Harlow’s breath squeezed in her lungs. She smiled and took a step back, not wanting to overstay her welcome in the clearly tight-knit group.
“Have a fun time. Thanks again for volunteering your time to the clinic. I’ll see you all soon, I’m sure.”
“What are you talking about? You’re coming over, too,” Charlie said, and Natalie nodded with enthusiasm.
“Yeah! You totally should. It’ll be fun.”
But Harlow couldn’t wreck their fun like this. Surely, she’d be intruding. “Really, that’s kind of you.” Kinder than any woman had been to her since—she swallowed hard—her mother, to be honest. “But you don’t need to feel obligated to include me just because I’m standing here.”
The three women exchanged glances loaded with meaning, and Tess stepped in to link her arm through Harlow’s.
“Here’s a little pro tip you should probably learn real quick if you’re going to hang out with us. Not one of us does a damn thing we don’t want to. Not even Pixie Stick, over there.” She jutted her chin at Natalie, who gave up a sheepish nod.
“I may be nice, but life’s too short for that crap. If we invite you to hang out, it’s because we want to hang out with you. Plus, there’s tequila and a cute baby.”
“And chips,” Tess put in. “Because I have neither willpower nor shame.”
“So, you’re in, right?” Charlie smiled, and Harlow found it impossible not to smile back.
“Actually, I would love to.”
“This looks like mischief.” A masculine voice sounded off from a few feet away, and Jonah sidled up beside Natalie to place a kiss on her temple.
Natalie laughed, her eyes lighting up even though the shadows beneath them spoke of her health battle. “Nah, just girls’ night at Tess’s.”
“Right. So, mischief,” Jonah said. “Do you want me to pick you up when you’re ready to call it a night since we rode out here in my car?”
“Don’t be silly. You have plans.” Natalie pointed to Mallory, Parker, and—oh—Connor, who had joined the conversation, now, too. “I’m not messing with that. I’ll call an Uber.”
“She will not! I’ll give her a ride,” Charlie promised. “And we’ll all make sure she doesn’t get too tired. She’s in good hands.”
The way the whole group looked out for each other made Harlow’s heart squeeze, the sensation doubling up as she realized Connor was looking not at Jonah or Charlie, but at her.
“Okay. I still won’t be out late,” Jonah said, prompting Natalie to roll her eyes.
“Jonah, I’ll be fine.”
A smile designed to charm the hell out of its recipient flashed across the surgeon’s handsome face. “Oh, I know. I just mean to spend most of my night in our bed.”
“You’re terrible.” Natalie couldn’t sell the words around her blush, though. “Love you.”
“Love you, too,” Jonah said, kissing Natalie one more time before turning to look at Connor. “You ready for burgers and beers, my friend? Your treat.”
Connor grinned. “Yep.” He shifted his body to follow his gaze, which had never left Harlow’s face. “I’ll see you Monday?”
“Absolutely.” The exchange was perfectly amicable, and yet she felt it everywhere.
His gray-green eyes crinkled at the edges. “Okay. Have a good night.”
“You, too,” Harlow said.
God, she was perfectly screwed.
17
Strictly speaking, drool was not Harlow’s thing. But as she sat on Tess’s couch, sipping an expertly made margarita and watching Charlie and Natalie take turns cuddling Tess’s five-month-old baby, she had to admit, the little guy made a very cute exception.
“Your son is adorable,” she said to Tess, which made her beam in reply.
“Thanks. I’m biased, but I think so, too.” She placed a huge bowl of chips on the coffee table in front of them and plopped down next to Harlow. Charlie, who was currently favoring the baby over her yet untouched margarita, sat in one of the two cozy chairs flanking the couch, while Natalie stretched out in the other with a margarita glass full of sparkling water. Harlow’s experience with the diaper set was extremely limited, but Jackson—currently wearing pajamas with fire trucks and Dalmatians all over them and toothlessly grinning at Charlie as she repeatedly “stole” his nose—seemed like such a happy baby.
And really young for Tess to be getting divorced, Harlow mused, although from the sound of her ex, that might not be a bad thing.
Her curiosity must’ve betrayed her by showing—either that or Tess had crazy-good mind-reading skills (which Harlow wouldn’t put past the woman)—because Tess said, “What?”
Harlow shook her head. Was she an idiot? These women had just included her, for God’s sake. “I’m sorry. It’s really none of my business.”
“Which probably makes it a perfect conversation starter,” Tess said with a laugh. “You’re wondering how I’m getting divorced when I just had a baby.”
Harlow blinked her way through her shock and blurted, “How did you know?”
“We separated when Jackson was less than four months old. Trust me, you’re not the first person to wonder.” Tess paused for a healthy sip of her margarita. “The short answer is that my ex was a very different man when I met him, and, unfortunately for me, it didn’t take much to change him into someone I don’t recognize and definitely don’t like. I didn’t get the full memo on his personality transplant until after he knocked me up. But that’s okay. He can have his freedom and his whacked-out priorities. I have Jackson, and that’s all I’ll ever need.”
“Sounds like you got the far better end of that bargain,” Harlow said, and Tess smiled as she put her glass on a coaster and stood to take the baby from Charlie.
“I couldn’t agree more. Now, say goodnight to the ladies, mister. It’s time for you to hit the crib.”
&nbs
p; Harlow, Charlie, and Natalie filled the next few minutes with easy conversation—how Natalie was feeling (“crappy, but my test results are good, so it’s a win.”), how Charlie’s wedding planning was going (“crappy, but that’s what I get for trying to plan a wedding in between huge surgeries.”), and how much headway Harlow was making with the clinic budgets (oh, look! A crappy trifecta).
In hindsight, she should’ve realized that the gleam in Tess’s eyes when she returned would mean nothing good for her. But by the time it had registered, Tess had already re-parked herself right next to Harlow and said, “Okay. Since turnabout is fair play and I am one nosy bitch, I’ve got to ask you a question that’s none of my business.”
The pause that ensued told Harlow that Tess would give her an out if she really wanted one, but still, Harlow proceeded cautiously with, “Okay.”
“What is going on between you and the Jolly Green Giant? And please”—Tess held up her non-margarita hand—“you can tell me to mind my own business or plead the fifth if you want, but don’t even try to utter the word ‘nothing’, unless you want us all to break into a chorus of Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.”
Harlow’s face prickled with the force of a blush that had to be showing. Her defenses warned that she should beg off—attraction was an emotion, and in this case, it was a sticky one. Plus, these were Connor’s friends. He might not appreciate her blabbing about how they’d kissed, or how she wanted to do so much more than kiss him despite their co-worker status.
But they’re your friends, too, came a whisper from the back of her mind, and at that, her answer tumbled out.
“I’m not really sure. I mean, Connor and I didn’t get along in the beginning. At all.”
“Yeah, there was definitely some tension that first day when you came to grab him out of the ED,” Tess said.
Natalie, who seemed to be the optimist of the group, picked up the thread. “But not now. You two seemed to be getting along great the other day when I popped in to talk to Dr. Mendoza about tonight’s training.”
“And let’s not forget The Look,” Charlie added, arching a copper-colored brow over her margarita glass as she buried her smile in a sip.
“Oh, God, yes,” Natalie said, grinning and grabbing the blanket from the back of her chair to snuggle up. “I’ve never seen Connor do that before. Have you guys?”
Tess and Charlie shook their heads, leaving Harlow no choice but to ask, “So, what’s The Look?”
“The Look—capital T, capital L, by the way—is what one person gives another person when they’re, um…” Charlie trailed off, but Natalie gleefully chimed in.
“Interested.”
“In banging!” Tess punctuated, draining her glass. “And Connor totally gave it to you tonight.”
Harlow considered swallowing her tongue. “I, ah…we’re not sleeping together.”
“Okay,” Natalie said gently. “But there’s definitely chemistry there, right?”
She knew she could lie and deny it, but all three women had seen the look Connor had given her, which meant they had to have seen the way she’d reciprocated. “Well, yes, but we work together.”
Charlie laughed, reaching for the chips. “Been there, done that. Just ask Langston.”
“Me, too,” Natalie said. “It’s not against the rules for you and Connor to hook up, though, right?”
“No,” Harlow allowed, taking a gulp of liquid courage before adding, “but I work for my father, who would likely find it a conflict of interest.”
“So, he’d be mad,” Tess said.
“More like disappointed.” Damn it, they really should just relabel tequila as truth serum and be done with it. “And the success of the clinic means a lot to me. I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.”
“Then don’t.” Tess lifted one shoulder in a shrug, her startlingly matter-of-fact words sinking right past Harlow’s armor. “I mean, I get it. Work is important to all of us, too.”
“I didn’t bust my ass in medical school and residency for it not to be,” Charlie said, and Natalie nodded in agreement.
Tess continued. “But you and Connor are smart, capable, horny adults who both want the clinic to succeed. There’s no reason the two of you can’t keep the bedroom separate from the boardroom if you decide you want to sleep together.”
Surely, it couldn’t be that easy. Harlow opened her mouth to say so, but then closed it before the words could form. Quinn and Luke worked together so flawlessly that she hadn’t even known they were a couple until they’d chosen to show it. Natalie and Jonah did, as well, although they didn’t work together directly. God, Charlie and Parker even managed to work together as an engaged couple, and she was one of his direct supervisors.
Maybe it really was that easy.
Except… “Okay, working together aside, what am I supposed to do? Just tell him flat-out, ‘hey, if you think it won’t wreck our flow at work, I’d really like to have sex with you’?”
“Why not?” Natalie asked. “That’s kind of how Jonah and I got down to business the first time.”
“Really?”
“Yep! We had different hurdles, namely that I was a virgin and he was stubborn as shit about our best friendship, but once I laid it out there—”
“No pun intended.” Tess snorted, and Natalie gave up a giggle.
“He was totally on board. In truth, it’s not a bad idea to be upfront about what you want. That way, you’re both on the same page and you don’t have to waste brain power worrying about how things will be afterward. You can enjoy the…”
“Toe-curling orgasms?” Tess supplied.
“Moment,” Charlie said.
Harlow had to admit, the idea had merit. All of her other relationships, whether casual or serious, had followed the progression from social functions to dates to (sometimes) sex. The parameters of each relationship had never been discussed, though, and in every case, she’d ended up feeling unfulfilled. But if she put everything she wanted out in the open from the start, there was far less chance of that happening.
And a far greater chance that she’d have a few toe-curling orgasms.
“I’ll think about it,” Harlow said. “Thanks for the advice. And for the invite to join you all tonight. I don’t really get to do this very often.” But, no. She felt truly included, so she loosened the truth. They wouldn’t judge her. “Ever, really.”
“You do now,” Charlie said, lifting her margarita in salute.
“Just do us a favor, would you?” Tess sat up straighter, her dark brown stare growing serious. “Don’t break Connor’s heart.” She softened the words with a grin. “Or any other parts of him. He’s a really good guy. You can trust me when I say they’re rare as hell in this city.”
Harlow’s heart picked up the pace behind her pale pink blouse. “I’m sure it won’t get to that, but I promise.”
“Damn. I’m going to be the only unlaid woman in Remington soon,” Tess said over a laugh. “Thank God I’ve got a giant stash of romance novels to keep me company.”
Grateful for the shift in subject and the lighter mood, Harlow grinned into her glass. “I borrowed one today, actually.” She tugged the book out of the laptop bag she’d deposited beside the couch, and all three women erupted into a chorus of sighs.
“Oh, that’s a good one!” Natalie said. “Definitely check out chapters seven and thirteen if you want some inspiration. Eighteen only if you’re super flexible.”
Tess lifted a brow and sent an appreciative glance over the book in Harlow’s hand. “Yeah, but can we just talk about this cover for a sec? Because I have highly impure thoughts about this man.”
“Really?” Charlie giggled. “Not that he’s not hot, but he’s pretty much the polar opposite of He Who Shall Not Be Named.”
“Who, Voldeprick?” Tess asked, pouring herself half of another margarita from the pitcher on the coffee table. “That’s the point. Plus, it’s just a fantasy. He’s got to be like, a decade younger than I am, and it’s not
like I’m ever going to meet the guy. So, what’s the harm in having him in my spank bank, really?”
Huh. She had a point. “None,” Harlow said, finishing her margarita. “Sexual fantasies are largely healthy. This one isn’t hurting anyone. If anything, it’s helping. And he is really hot.”
“Amen, sister.” Tess laughed, and Charlie reached for the bowl of chips.
“I knew I liked you,” she told Harlow. The conversation drifted to other topics, like whether or not the new Asian fusion place on Sycamore Street was any good (two votes for yes) and which Chris was the hottest Chris (one vote each for Hemsworth, Pine, Evans, and Pratt). Although she actively participated in the conversation, Harlow couldn’t help but let her mind drift back to Connor, and the idea of simply asking him if he was interested in getting the crazy attraction they’d been batting back and forth out of their systems, once and for all.
She could handle it like any other proposal, she reasoned as they all switched from margaritas to the sparkling water Natalie had been sipping on all night, since two of them had to drive and one of them had an infant in the house. She and Connor were adults. Yes, they worked together, but the clinic mattered to both of them. It would take a hell of a lot more than a fling to get in the way of them setting the place to rights. For God’s sake, they’d worked together when they’d considered each other the enemy. Surely they could work together if they had a little casual sex outside of the office.
Eventually, Natalie grew tired and Tess admitted that the baby would have no qualms about waking her up before the sun tomorrow if the spirit moved him. They all hugged each other goodbye, which was another odd ritual for Harlow, but it felt far too good to shy away from. She navigated the streets to her building, a faint buzz humming under her skin that had nothing to do with the alcohol she’d stopped drinking a good while ago, and everything to do with asking Connor into her bed.
Now that she’d made up her mind, Monday seemed like an eternity away. Patience had never been one of her virtues, and Connor was out, right now. At a bar. Which was probably packed with plenty of sane, smart, sexy women who would see him for the great guy he was.
Between Me & You: An Enemies to Lovers Workplace Romance (Remington Medical Book 3) Page 17
