Page 21 of The Mastermind
No way.I turned and met Remi’s piercing eyes. A prominent butterfly with velvety wings fluttered in my stomach. He wore a casual gray sweater that made him appear mysterious, elegant, and dangerous. The mystery always got to me. That prominent butterfly twirled, settled in my stomach, and multiplied tenfold.
Remi was having lunch with a man with white hair. Remi waved at me, and I returned the gesture. The white-haired man glanced over his shoulder, smiled at me, and waved as well. I’d seen him a few times in the office, but I forgot his name.
My friends lifted their hands to Remi and his companion.
I whirled back at my friends. “You knew he was here?”
Michelle smiled. “Of course.”
“I got here early to grab a table with Michelle when Remi walked in. He stopped by to say hello and asked if you’d be joining us.” Kiera tapped her finger on the table. “As a photographer, I notice a lot of details. I noticed the glint in his eyes when he asked about you.”
Amused, I cocked my head. “You noticed the ‘glint’ in his eyes? Did it flash like stars?” Though it sounded absurd, there were butterflies flitting wildly in my tummy.They better stop. I need to eat lunch.I wasn’t in the mood to take an antacid, and it wouldn’t help with this kind of stomach issue, anyway.
“We all know he’s a private person, an enigma.” Kiera rested a palm on the side of her face. “It’s like you need a key code, a fingerprint, a master key,anda drop of blood for a DNA match to unlock him. So when he reveals a sliver of emotions, itshows.” Her eyes brightened.
Oh, no. I knew this look. It meant she had an idea—one that would totally embarrass me.
A waitress came to take our orders.Thank goodness. Hopefully, Kiera would forget and move on to another subject. A girl with adorable freckles and auburn hair tied back into a ponytail held out her ordering tablet at the ready.
“Hi, girls. My name is Tasha, and I’ll be your waitress today. Are you ready to place your order? If not, I can come back.”
“We’re ready,” I said too quickly.
“Someone’snervous.” Kiera kicked my leg under the table.
“No,someone’shungry.” I kicked back and laughed.
“Someone’sblushing.” Michelle kicked us both.
“Oh my God. I amnotblushing.” Was I? I wouldn’t look at my reflection in the window or rush to the bathroom to check. That would be too obvious. “I thought you guys already graduated high school.”
Kiera narrowed her eyes and pouted. “We like to revisit it now and then, especially when it pertains to one of our besties.”
Tasha’s eyes beamed. “Female friends are the best.”
“We are, aren’t we?” Michelle grinned and turned to the waitress. “I’d like a salad with grilled chicken and dressing on the side. The soup of the day would be great.”
“I’d like the fish and chips and sweet potato fries, please. Can I also have water with lemon?” I needed carbs to battle my friends’ torture.
“You got it.” Tasha tapped her screen and turned to Kiera.
“I’ll take the turkey club with a tomato soup, thanks.”
Before Kiera or Michelle started again, I reached into my bag and pulled out a jewelry box.
“What do you think about this necklace and earrings? I’m considering showcasing them for the New York Jewelry Show next year. I’m making a few samples before I narrow it down.”
Kiera gasped and yanked. “Color me impressed. They’re gorgeous. Want me to take some photos for you? You can model them. We can do an entire mood setup. We haven’t had a photoshoot in a while.”
“That’ll be fun. You’re the best! Thank you!”
“I can blog about your jewelry line whenever you want. Give me some images, and I’ll make you a star.”
“That would be wonderful. Oh, I love you both. Thank you!” I loved having friends who I could collaborate with.
Kiera dug into her purse. “I almost forgot about this.” She slid a postcard to me. “My stylist friend, Zach, is attending an exclusive fashion show in August for some fancy charity event. The designers are always looking for jewelry to present with their ensembles. I showed him some of your jewelry, and he thinks they’re perfect.” She held up an elegant finger with a pink French manicure. “One, are you interested in participating? Two, do you want to attend? It’s free PR for you.”
My heart thudded with excitement. This was a great opportunity I shouldn’t disregard. It would be like a test before the big show next year.