"Don’t worry about it." I step back and extend my hand to Harper, not liking the sensation of being out of contact with her for to long. "Erik, you remember Harper."

He takes a deep breath, nodding. "I sure do. How are you, Ms. Kingsley?"

I can feel the tension building in the room. Oh shit. Please, Erik, be nice; please, be nice.

"I’m fine. Please, call me Harper." She extends her right hand to him.

He looks at it for a moment. Take it, Erik. Damn it, take it. He smiles and doesn’t disappoint me.

"Nice to see you again." He doesn’t hold her hand any longer than needed. "Kels, where in the hell have you been? I’ve been worried sick."

"I’m sorry. I left a message for you with a production assistant. I was in New Orleans."

"New Orleans? Doing what?"

"Harper took me there for Thanksgiving. I went home with her, spent the holiday with her and her family."

His brow arches and looks to her. "Really? I’m guessing you had a good time."

"I had a great time."

"We," Harper pipes up, gripping my hand just a little tighter, "had a great time."

I’m really glad to hear that she had a good time too.

"Glad to hear it," he offers.

Jesus, Erik, lighten up a little. If it gets any chillier in here, I’ll need a jacket.

"Kels, why don’t I grab a cab, go home, get unpacked?"

"I can run you home."

"No. You two have things to catch up on and talk about. I’ll head out and when you’re ready, give me a call. We’ll do dinner, okay?" She leans in and gives me a kiss. It almost feels like a good-bye kiss and my stomach drops a little. I tighten my hold on her and try to communicate that I will call her.

"Don’t go to far from your phone, Tabloid. I intend to take you out to a very expensive dinner tonight." Leaning up, I manage to whisper in her ear. "Then bring you back here for dessert."

"You’ve got all my numbers, Little Roo." She offers with a wink. "I’ll talk to you later."

I stay in the kitchen, resisting the urge to follow her. I listen as the elevator opens and closes. I turn back to Erik. "Why didn’t you just tell her to get out?"

"What? What did I do?"

"You could have tried to be a little friendlier."

"Kels, come on. That was Harper Kingsley. The ‘bane of your existence’, remember? What in the hell is going on anyway?"

"I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure it has some to do with the fact that I’m thirty-two years old and tired of living my life by everyone else’s rules."

"So you decided to be the flavor of the week in Harper’s bed? Jesus Christ, Kels."

"No, it’s not like that," I defend her, hoping to God I’m right. "It’s different."

"Did she tell you that?"

"No." I admit quietly. I open the fridge and grab a bottle of water. Leaning against the counter next to Erik, I twist off the cap. "She hasn’t said anything to me about where this is going. I don’t think we know."

"Kels, honey." He moves closer and wraps his arm around my shoulders. "I’m your best friend and I love you. I want you to be happy and I don’t want to see you get hurt. You have to admit her track record isn’t a very good one."

"I know, but isn’t it possible that things are changing? I mean, isn’t it possible that we could build a long and wonderful relationship together?"

"Sure it is. But it’s also possible that by the time you call her to make dinner arrangements she will already be on the move. Don’t you remember what you told me after dinner that night? She left the library with one woman in the afternoon and had another with her at dinner."

"She wouldn’t do that to me."

Would she?

"I hope not, Kels, but please don’t delude yourself, and, please, please, be careful."

I nod, as I sip my water. "I will."


* * *

I drop Trouble to the floor. He meows in protest and ambles off to find his food bowl, always thinking with his stomach.

I toss my garment bag on the couch and go through my apartment. I manage to slam every door I can find. I even open up the linen closet door just so I can slam it shut.

Who the hell does he think he is? Mr. Erik "I'm a big movie star wannabe, but I'm so far in the closet it ain't funny" Collins. Locked his big, gay self in the closet and trapped Kelsey in there with him too.

Fuckin' hypocrite.

Thinks I'm not good enough for Kelsey.

What if I'm not?

Fortunately, the phone rings sparing me any self-analysis. It can't be Kelsey, it's too soon. If she even calls me at all. Somehow, I think Erik is doing his best to talk her out of whatever it is we are doing.

"Hello?"

"Bonjour, mon coeur."

"Hi, Mama. Ah, shit, I forgot to call you when we landed."

"Qui t'a dit, Harper Lee."

I groan. Gotta watch my language around Mama. Think I'd know that by now. "I'm sorry, Mama."

"What's wrong?"

How is it that mothers always know when their children are stressed? And with my mother there's no good in denying it. If I do, I'll find her on my doorstep in the morning. "When we got home, Erik came back."

"Erik? Who is this Erik?"

I sigh. I hadn't wanted to get into this but, now that the Pandora's box has been opened, I have no choice. I tell her everything I know about Erik and Kelsey's relationship.

"So you think this man he says bad things about you?"

"I'm pretty sure about it."

"And you think Kelsey will believe him?"

Do I? I don't know anymore. I tell Mama that. "Maybe I should call her and tell her it doesn't matter."

"Espèsce de tête dure!"

Great. Now I'm being called hard-headed again. A little compassion here wouldn't hurt, Mama.

"You need to give Kelsey a bit more credit, Harper. She's a grown woman and very capable of making her own choices. Let her choose you. Don't you go and do something so stupid. And don't you dare hurt that lovely girl."

"I think you like her more than you like me," I grouse.

"Mais, non. I love you so much I will not let you hurt yourself by hurting her."

I sigh. "Okay, Mama, okay. You win."

"What will I do with you? I don't win. You win. I only win when you give me a grandbaby."

I bang the receiver against my forehead several times. "Mama!"

"I'm sorry, but it is true, Harper."

"Well, we have a slight problem here. One I hardly need educate you about."

She laughs and I smile for the first time since I left Kelsey's apartment. "I have great faith in your problem-solving capabilities, Harper. Now, I must go so your very beautiful girlfriend can call you."

I don't bother telling Mama that I have call waiting.


* * *

When the phone rings for the fourth time, my hopes for a nice dinner are beginning to fade. Maybe she’s gone out with her friends at The Rio. I certainly wouldn’t blame her if she did after the way Erik acted today.

Maybe he’ll reconsider his attitude when he finds the presents I left for him in the pockets of his favorite jacket. It’ll take him forever to get the smell out and it’ll cost him a small fortune to get it cleaned. It was very satisfying.

"Hello?"

Ah, there’s the voice I wanted to hear. "Hey you." I feel like a teenager, not quite knowing what to say.

"So," I hear her pause and wonder if she’s feeling the same way, "what’s up?" she asks, sounding like a teenager. Oh yeah, she’s feeling it too. I smile at the thought. I prefer a level playing field.

"You still up for dinner?" I ask.

"You know it. Where?"

"Actually, I thought maybe I’d stop, pick up something and come over to your place. We could have a nice quiet evening in."

"That sounds nice. Especially after the plane food for lunch. Why don’t you come straight here and then we go out together to get the food? I’d rather you not be running around by yourself."

"Oh yeah, almost forgot about all that." But she didn’t. That has to be a good sign, right? At least, she cares.

Hopefully my little admirer has forgotten about me over the holiday. There wasn't anything new waiting for me at my apartment today.

"So, does that work for you?"

I can hear a noise in the background that sounds like something rapping on wood. "Works for me, Tabloid. What are you doing?" My curiosity gets the better of me.

"I’m stretched out on the couch watching a video. Trouble’s fat ass is on my stomach and his big head keeps blocking my view. Why?"

That’s a fun image, but not what I was wondering about. I do like the mental picture of her sprawled out on the couch waiting for my call. The cat will have to move though when I get there. "What’s that tapping noise?"

"Un, oh that, I um was tapping my knuckles on the coffee table."

What are you nervous about, Harper? "So when should I come over?"

She laughs. "You’re a half hour late as it is."


* * *

There’s something about eating Chinese food straight out of the carton that I’ve always found fun. I can’t explain it, but it is. The fact that I’m giving Harper chopstick lessons is fun too.

Truth be told, it’s a good reason to put my arms around her in an effort to help. Like I need a good reason. I’ll take a poor one or none at all, actually. She’s sitting on the floor, between my legs, and I’m leaning down from my spot on the couch. From my vantage point, I can smell the perfume she put on recently. And I like the feel of her skin against mine as I guide her fingers around the wooden sticks.