Page 97 of Sassy Love
Just Laws.
I roll over, studying her face. Her hand reaffirms on my jaw. Her eyes light before she breaks eye contact and her hands drops from my face, sliding back to her side. I grab it before it can disappear and press her palm to my lips. “Night, baby.”
Emotion rolls through those pretty features, and I close my eyes before the sight of her beside me, her hand still clutched in my own, can take me down.
Chapter 24
CARLIE
The cabin living room floor is littered with documents. Plans. Guests lists. And venue options and details. Ruby sits on the floor, her laptop to one side as her fingers fly over the keyboard.
“I can get the Met, maybe... Anna owes me a favor.” She chews on the end of her pen.
“The Met?” I ask, my mouth gaping.
“It’s on the ‘maybe’ list, don’t get your hopes up.”
“Holy shit,” I breathe.
I knew she was good, but this is?—
“How’s it going out there?” Laws calls from the bedroom, where he’s elbows deep in financial backup plans, should this all crash and burn.
Despite the excitement of working alongside Ruby, my mind keeps wandering back to that kiss yesterday after we arrived. To the moment Lawson carried me to the bedroom like I was the most precious thing he’d ever held.
And... that right there is why I don’t do relationships.
I can’t afford any distractions. With the stakes so high for both Serenity and my career, now is not the time to let my guarddown. I don’t actually know when that would be a good idea, if I’m honest.
That thought alone scares me.
“Okay, we have our first round of invites nailed down, anyone who doesn’t respond within twenty-four hours goes on the backup list, and we send out round two. This way we are guaranteed to have a waitlist instead of waiting for guests to take their time and decide. We want to create the illusion of scarcity. When an opportunity is fleeting, the right people bite. We want the elite who have appearances to uphold. A lesson I learned from Anna a long time ago.” Ruby slides two lists across the hardwood floor to me.
“That’s brilliant.”
“That’s how you get a sold-out event with highfliers, babe.”
“Can you big-sister adopt me, pretty please?” I ask, pleading hands clasped in front of my chest and all.
She chuckles and places her laptop on her legs, which are now crossed as she sits by my side. “Working together regularly would be nice. I’d like that. I’ve missed the high life a little, if I’m honest. And I would love to take Reed to some things, if he ever had a week off.”
“You guys are busy out here.”
“So much.”
“You always have guests? Year-round, I mean?”
“We do, for weddings, parties, and other events. We’re always running, but there isn’t anywhere else I’d be. My heart lives here, you know?”
“I think I’m starting to understand that.”
She smiles at me. “Good.”
“Do you think we’ll make the numbers we need for guests and sponsorship?”
“Let me make a few calls, then we’ll have a better idea.”
“Of course,” I say softly, gathering up the paperwork and heading to the bedroom to give Ruby some space.
