“I just meant this could be the big one. You might be at the start of the rest of your life.”
“A life with Walker.” Her smile grew even bigger. “And Hunter.”
Diane laughed. “Leave it to you to find an already-built family.”
“Everything I’ve ever wanted,” she agreed. She wouldn’t be on the outside anymore. Her boys would open their arms and welcome her home. Excitement bubbled inside her.
“There’s still a lot to sort out,” she hedged. “I don’t want to pin too many of my hopes on this. You know Walker. We might be back to square one in a week.”
“Uh-huh. I get to pick out my own bridesmaid dress. Just saying.”
Clara rolled her eyes. “That’s jumping the gun. Hell, I don’t even know what the game plan here is. I’ve got another couple of weeks with him, but who knows what will happen after. He might not even want more.”
“Or he might not want you to leave.”
She shook her head. “I’ll have to play it by ear. Thanks for letting me take all this time off. I’ll put it to good use.”
“Having hot sex with your hunky billionaire.”
“Taking care of an infant,” Clara corrected.
“Yes, Hunter is the priority.” Then Diane added, “That and the hot sex.”
“I feel like there’s an HR violation happening here.”
“We’re not in the office. It doesn’t count. Besides, you gotta give me something. You’re living every woman’s fantasy here. Prince Charming is sweeping you off your feet. Tell me a tidbit to make me less envious. He’s packing a twinkie in his shorts, isn’t he?”
“Afraid not.”
Diane sighed with a dramatic flourish. “Life is unfair.”
“There’s still a mystery baby mama out there,” Clara pointed out. “And, I’m about as far from a society wife as it’s possible to get.”
“Not an issue. Walker doesn’t seem to realize he’s part of a society.”
“He’s not that bad.”
“To you. To the rest of us he’s annoyingly down to earth. Seriously, couldn’t he sponsor a charity ball every now and then to give our entertainment writers a story to cover?”
“I’ll pitch it to him in the future.”
“That’s right,” Diane said. “You’re the inside girl now.”
“I was always the inside girl.”
“Trust me, there are cards a girlfriend can play that a friend simply can’t. Get us invites to his next tech open house.”
“I do that now.”
“Hmm. Okay, well I’ll think of something.”
She shook her head. “I feel I should point out that I’m not dating him for his connections.”
“No, because you’re also annoyingly honest. The two of you are perfect for each other.”
Yes, we are.
Clara remembered when she’d first seen him. Walker thought they’d met at the party when she’d dumped her drink on him, but the truth was, she’d seen him once before that. It’d been in the common room and he’d walked in, arms filled with tech manuals. The pencil she’d been chewing on had dropped from her mouth as her body froze at the sight of him. She’d never seen a more beautiful man. Never reacted to anyone with the intensity of the feeling he stirred within her.
She’d been debating going over to talk to him when her roommate had skipped along behind him. Clara had been unable to do anything while the other woman came up at his side and kissed his cheek. The smile he’d gifted his partner with had never left her, even after all these years.
And now that smile was all hers.
“Okay, lock in your billionaire and then start looking for one to introduce me to,” Diane said, breaking into her thoughts. “I offered up Todd, after all. Fair is fair.”
She laughed at the suggestion. “I’ll keep my eyes open.”
“Bonus points if he’s a fan of spontaneous getaways to Spain. I’ve got a lot of vacation days stashed up and a passport that needs some stamps.”
“I’d like to point out that you could take yourself.”
“Yes, but it’s not nearly as fun to go skinny-dipping in the Mediterranean alone.”
“With an offer like that, how could anyone refuse you?”
“Beats me and yet I have a bad case of perpetually-single-itis.”
“Ah yes, I had a brush with that myself.”
“Until you found the magic cure. You should go home, take two of him before bed, and definitely call me in the morning.”
“Shockingly, not the worst advice you’ve ever given me.”