Part 2 (1/2)
”Oh.” Harper's voice was laced with disappointment. ”Are you going to be gone the whole week?”
”It's a weeklong event,” Jared said. ”It's some charity thing to raise money for children's cancer, but Josh wants me to come so we can catch up.”
”That sounds ... fun.” Harper swallowed hard.
”Oh, don't worry, Harp. I'll be here to keep you company,” Zander said. ”We can gossip in bed as much as we want.”
”I ... sure,” Harper said. ”That sounds fun.”
Jared considered stringing Harper along a little longer but opted against it. ”The invitation is for two,” he explained. ”I was kind of hoping you would want to come with me.”
Harper's eyes widened as she s.h.i.+fted to glance at Jared over her shoulder. ”Really?” She looked so hopeful Jared couldn't stop his heart from rolling.
”Really,” Jared confirmed, hauling her back so he could kiss her cheek. ”Do you really think I want to be separated from you again after our last debacle?” He referenced a recent event that almost derailed the couple's relations.h.i.+p. His mother injured herself and needed help so Jared had to leave town for an extended trip. Jared was embarra.s.sed to call Harper during their time apart because he didn't want to appear needy, so he left things hanging for ten days. It didn't go over well, and he practically had to beg her to forgive him when he returned. ”Do you want to go to a murder mystery event with me?”
”I don't know,” Harper hedged. ”What would we have to do?”
”We would eat dinner and sleep in a fancy room,” Jared replied. ”We're supposed to partic.i.p.ate in the mystery event, but it's not necessary if you don't want to do it. It's an island, so we can swim. They have a pool if you don't like the lake. There's also a tennis court. The food is supposed to be to die for. No pun intended.”
”That sounds great, Harper,” Zander said. ”You have absolutely nothing to wear to those big dinners, though. We're going to have to shop all day tomorrow to get you ready.”
”But ... .” Harper broke off, biting her lip.
”What's wrong?” Jared asked, pus.h.i.+ng her hair away from her face. ”If you don't want to go, we don't have to go. I can go out on my own for an afternoon to catch up with Josh. It won't be a big deal.”
”I want to go,” Harper said. ”I just ... I'm not sure if I can leave GHI on such short notice. I am technically the boss.”
”I didn't think of that,” Jared said, his heart dropping. He'd been looking forward to time alone with Harper. He didn't even pause to consider the ramifications of her work situation.
”You're going,” Zander said, taking Harper and Jared by surprise. ”I'm also the boss at GHI. If we get a gig that requires your special talents, Ha.r.s.ens Island is a half-hour away. I can pick you up, take you to the job, and drop you back off. It will probably be a dead week anyway. I'm sure it will be fine.”
”Dead week,” Jared snickered.
”I thought you said we weren't in high school?” Zander challenged, causing Jared to sober.
”I want you to come with me,” Jared said, digging his fingers into Harper's neck to remind her of what she would be missing if she declined the invitation. ”Please.”
”Okay,” Harper said. ”It sounds fun.”
”It's definitely going to be fun,” Zander said, causing Jared to grin as he reached for a pad of paper. ”We need to make a list of the things we need to shop for tomorrow.”
”Do we really have to shop?” Harper wasn't thrilled with the suggestion.
”You need dresses that don't make you look Amish and lingerie that doesn't make you look s.e.xless,” Zander shot back.
Harper turned her pleading eyes to Jared. ”Can't you help me?”
”Oh, Heart, he had me at lingerie,” Jared teased.
THREE.
”Wow! You guys look as if you bought out the entire mall,” Jared said the next evening, walking into Harper's bedroom with a garment bag draped across his arm and a small leather bag in the opposite hand. He hung the garment bag up in Harper's closet and moved to the pile of clothing on the bed. ”How much did you spend?”
”A lot,” Harper intoned, rubbing the spot between her eyebrows. ”Zander said I needed options.”
”Oh, my poor Harper,” Jared said, offering her a soft kiss and lingering hug. He knew she hated shopping. ”I missed you today.”
”I missed you, too.”
”And everyone missed me,” Zander said, striding into the room. ”Okay, it's time to show Jared what you bought and then pack.”
”I can pack myself,” Harper argued.
”No, you can't,” Zander countered. ”If I leave you to pack you'll fill your suitcase with jeans and T-s.h.i.+rts. That's not happening on my watch.”
Jared sat down on the edge of the mattress to watch as Zander started sifting through the clothes. ”This is kind of exciting. I can't believe I just said that, but there it is.”
Harper scowled. ”This is a conspiracy. I dress fine.”
”You dress like you're trying to hide flaws and you don't have any flaws,” Zander said. ”Ask Jared. He looks at your body when you're naked all of the time. Do you think he wants to see you covered in a potato sack or showing off some skin?”
”This is the worst day ever,” Harper muttered.
”Come here,” Jared said, grabbing Harper around the waist and pulling her to his lap. ”I think you look beautiful in whatever you want to wear. If this isn't your thing, you can wear whatever you want.”
Zander tossed a tiny nightie it happened to be blue and sheer at Jared's head. ”That's only one of the naughty things we bought.”
Jared studied the item in question and smiled. ”On the other hand, maybe you should listen to Zander.”
”You're a pig,” Harper said, her cheeks coloring as she grabbed the nightie from Jared.
”I can't wait to see you in that,” Jared said, nuzzling her cheek. ”If that makes me a pig ... well ... oink.”
Zander laughed. ”That was a very good response. So, we picked out several c.o.c.ktail dresses and a few more simple spring dresses.” Zander started holding them up so Jared could see them. ”Harper insisted on a lot of black because she's afraid of too much color. I did the best I could on that front.”
”I like that black one with the missing back,” Jared said. ”Definitely pack that one.”
”I will,” Zander said. ”You should see the heels that go with it.”
”I'm not wearing heels,” Harper said.
”Oh, you're wearing them.” Zander returned to the pile of clothes. ”What's the deal with the dinner parties? I'm a.s.suming she'll get away with simple dresses most nights.”
”Yeah. Josh said only the first night and the last night were formal occasions,” Jared said. ”I brought a black suit.”
”Men are lucky because they can wear one thing and look gorgeous,” Harper said. ”I have to dress up like a ... beauty queen ... and let you parade me around.”