Page 60 of One Little Lie
“Can I read it?”
“Nope.”
Hatty opens his phone, and I know he’s googling it.
“You read romance?”
“Don’t you?”
His chuckle bounces off the walls. “No, I can’t say that I do. But Loki’s wife, Sloane, writes romance. Colton read a few paragraphs to us on the plane heading to Vermont. It’s, ah …” He blushes and glances away. “It gets pretty hot, huh?”
“Mhm.”
“I need some water. Do you want something to drink?”
I shake my head as I watch him.
“Let’s play a game, Hatty.”
He turns in slow motion like he doesn’t entirely trust what I’m about to say.
“What kind of game?”
“Strip poker,” I deadpan, and laugh when he sprays water all over the floor. “Just kidding. How about twenty questions? You know, catch up on what we’ve missed while I was … away.”
“Twenty questions?”
“Are you a parrot? Yes. Twenty questions. I’ll go first. Do you like working at The WB?”
“Jesus. You’ve been hanging out with Lexi too much. It’s The Westbrook Group, and yes, I do. I love it, actually. I love working with numbers, finding solutions, keeping our legacy on the straight and narrow, and skyrocketing it toward our future.”
“You always liked routine.”
“And math.”
I laugh, crossing my legs and patting the spot across from me. “And math. You like to find solutions. You’re a fixer, Hatty.”
He whispers, but I don’t catch it as he crosses the room and sits across from me. “My turn. I’m happy you followed your dreams.”
“Me too, but that’s not a question.”
Smirking, he pulls at the beard that’s filling in along his jaw. “What do you have planned for work now that you’re home?”
“Colton put in a call with his friend, Lochlan, for me.”
“Lochlan?” Hatty grunts. “What for? Doesn’t he own a bunch of hotels or something?”
“He does, but his sister, Nova, is planning a show in New York in September.”
“What kind of show?” His voice softens slightly, but his body language keeps its edge.
“She’s a designer. She’s creating a moving life exhibit and wants her clothing showcased with nature. Colty has been trying to get me to put in my portfolio for over a year, so when I moved back, it seemed like the right time. Her photographer backed out over creative differences, and he thinks it’ll be a good opportunity for me.”
“It sounds like it,” he grumbles.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” he says too quickly. “I’m glad Colton could help.”
