A Convenient Arrangement(39)

“Just a couple interviews.” Today, Ilko’s hair was the same yellow as a newborn chick’s fluff. She wore a red captain’s cap and big red glasses. Leo thought she had kind of a Ronald McDonald vibe going. “Nothing too major. New York Times, Forbes—”

“Wired.”

“A few more.”

“They love you man. I mean, we had to cut off the interviews at twenty-five—”

“Twenty-five?” Leo froze, his chopsticks gripping a tuna roll suspended in midair. Yes, he was good with the media, and he’d been giving interviews ever since he’d started working at Travati Financial, but these interviews about the Convenient Arrangement app would get personal. How could they not delve into his lifestyle—past, present, and future? He wasn’t exactly certain what his lifestyle would be in the future, at least not the near future. He wasn’t participating in a convenient arrangement, he was in a relationship. Or he guessed that’s what the thing with Gwen was, because they’d spent nearly every night together since his disastrous attempt at dinner. Giving interviews to multiple media outlets about his “Convenient Arrangement” lifestyle when he was actually in a real relationship stunk of hypocrisy, and Leo didn’t like that smell. “When?”

“The interviews? They begin end of this week. You’re booked for two days of back to back to back, almost like a press junket for an app.” Ilko high-fived Todd. “So awesome. The media is going to be strong behind this launch. This plus the party—”

“Hey,” Todd jumped in, “did that party planner lady, what’s her name, Jenn or—”

“Gwen.” Leo sipped his hot tea. The nonchalance with which Todd tossed around Gwen’s name irritated him. She wasn’t just “that party planner lady.” No, she was so much more. More than even he’d imagined. Thoughts of her lips, her eyes, her flesh careened through his mind. Damn. He’d spent last night at her apartment, he could barely stand being away from her today, and it was only Tuesday. Not his style. But he was definitely having her over to his place tonight. So much for playing the whole damn thing cool.

“Right, Gwen.” Todd pointed his chopstick at Leo. “Did she talk to you about that venue we want?”

“The Puke Palace?” Leo lifted an eyebrow. “Uh, no. Absolutely not. Gwen will be making the venue selection.”

“That wasn’t part of our deal.” Todd slouched back against the chair. His shoulders hunched and his lips twitched, as though he were an annoyed adolescent.

“Nor was it part of our deal that the two hundred A-list guests I’ve invited be forced to attend a launch party in a venue that has vomit on the floor.” Leo leaned forward. “Look, I’m doing the media campaign, Gwen is selecting the venue. You two will still determine the look and the feel of the launch party, but I need the location to be safe, convenient, and clean.” These weren’t big asks. Then again, maybe they were for Ilko and Todd, who were used to having their own way. As the hippest in the room, backed up with their track record of success, they had everyone catering to them and their wants in the hopes of using their brains and their hipness to strike it rich. Hell, Leo had said yes to this app because it was Ilko and Todd asking to create it. They had the sales to back up their reputations, but regardless, he was not having the launch party in a place that deserved a condemned sign.

“I’m chill with that,” Ilko said. She looked at Todd, who gave a grudging nod.

“Great. Liaise with Gwen.” Leo put his credit card on the plastic tray holding the check. “Now, I want a complete list of all the media outlets.”



*



“Tell me about your date last weekend.” Aubrey lay on her bed, propped up on a mountain of pillows. Gwen had come by to talk planning, but clearly her friend wasn’t willing to be put off any longer.

Gwen blushed. Her date, her weekend, had been fabulous. Beyond what she could have wanted. It was only Wednesday and already she’d had dinner with Leo two times this week. She expected a text asking her to come by his place tonight.

Aubrey smiled and looked down at her lap to scroll through the pictures Gwen had loaded onto the iPad: the color palette, decorations, and floral arrangements Gwen envisioned for the baby shower.

“The date was good.” Gwen turned toward the window and bit her bottom lip. She didn’t want to lie to Aubrey, but she definitely wasn’t ready to tell her, or anyone else, that Leo had taken up residence in her mind and sexual fantasies. Especially knowing how Aubrey felt about Leo and his dating habits.