Page 42 of Suddenly Dating
“Please, sit. I’ll go,” Harry tried.
But Mallory had already banged into the guy sitting at the table next to them in her haste to be a good hostess. “Don’t worry,” she said to Harry. “It’s just a lot of red tape you have to go through to get a coffee here, that’s all.” She shoved past the next table on her way to the counter.
“That makes no sense,” Harry muttered. Then he fixed his gaze on Lola. “Mind telling me why you’re acting like I’m the grim reaper all of a sudden?”
“I’m not!” Lola protested.
“Yes, you are. Look, Lola, don’t be embarrassed. It wasn’t a big deal.”
She gaped at him in disbelief. She couldn’t believe that one, that he would just confront it head on, and two, that he didn’t get what a big deal it was to her. “I amnotembarrassed,” she blustered. But she could feel the heat of the truth rising up in her cheeks. She was mortified.
“Okay,” he said, shrugging, his amusement clearly evident in his eyes. “If you say so.”
“Stop looking so smug,” she muttered as Mallory reappeared with a cup of coffee.
Mallory handed the mug to Harry, then reviewed the full list of creamers and sugars and whatnot available to put in his coffee. It took some doing before Mallory would accept that he liked his coffee black, but she sat at last and smiled coyly at Lola. “So this is yourfriend,” she said. She planted her forearms on the table and leaned over them, locking her gaze on Harry. “DoesZachknow about your friend?” she asked, making air quotes around the wordfriend.
“I don’t... probably,” Lola said quickly. “I mean, it’s no secret,” she said, and looked at Harry. God, she hoped he kept his mouth shut.
But Harry looked confused. “I—”
“We haven’t seen Zach in a while,” Lola said, and reached for Harry’s arm. She tried to squeeze it, but Harry was pretty solid.
Harry’s look of confusion turned into a frown. He glanced at her hand on his arm—which, she would have to admit, was fairly damp with anxiety—then lifted his gaze to hers again.
“Aha! Iknewit!” Mallory cried triumphantly. “You’re more than friends!”
“Lola?” Harry said. “Don’t you want to tell—”
“You have to come to the party, Harry!” Mallory blurted. “I was just telling Lola about it. Everyone in East Beach is going to be there.”
“Oh, but he can’t!” Lola said cheerfully. “Thanks, but he has to go into the city today.”
“Don’t say no,” Mallory pleaded with Harry. “I live with my parents and it’s areallynice place, and if you don’t come, Albert and Lillian will be very upset. They pretty much think they own East Beach, you know what I mean? And these things are a big deal to Albert especially. He fancies himself quite the host,” she said. “Not only that, he wouldloveto meet Zach’s friends! He and Zach are like that,” she said, and held up two crossed fingers to indicate just how close.
Lola noticed that Harry was staring at Mallory just as intently as she was. He was probably trying to think of some excuse, too. “Thanks, Mallory, but we have plans—”
Mallory suddenly gasped. “Lola, I forgot to tell you! Guess who’s going to be there?Birta Hoffman. And she’s bringing her agent, too. What’s his name? I forget—”
“Cyrus Bernstein!” Lola all but shouted in her excitement. She knew all about Mr.Bernstein. He was one of the top literary agents in New York. To think that both Birta and her agent would be at this party was almost too much for her to bear. It felt a little like winning the literary lottery.
She made the mistake of looking at Harry, who was staring at Mallory as if he knew her from somewhere but couldn’t place her. “Still, I don’t think we can come,” Lola said apologetically, and felt herself deflate.
“Nooo,”Mallory moaned. “Youhaveto come. What am I going to tell Albert and Lillian?”
“I’m sorry... Albert is your dad?” Harry asked. “Your dad is Albert Cantrell?”
“That’s him,” Mallory said. “Why, do you know him?”
“No,” Harry said, glancing at Lola. She tried to beg him with her gaze.Please don’t blow it, please don’t blow it, please don’t blow it.
He was going to blow it.
“But I’ve heard of him,” Harry said and shifted his gaze back to Mallory. “He builds roads, right?”
“That’s right! Wow, I never knew my dad was a celebrity. Would you like to meet him? Lola, say you will come and bring your delicious boyfriend.”
“Oh-ho, wait a minute,” Lola said, laughing nervously. “He isnotmy boyfriend.”
