“Wow, Harper. Um, no, I will not be knocking my boots off with Shea Adler. That would be a horror. A big sexy man like him, looking at my dumpy body? Please!”

Elli purposely didn’t answer the other question. That was an embarrassment in itself. Something Elli didn’t even want to venture into.

“Your body is beautiful, Elli. You’ve got sexy curves, something I wish I had. I’m just bones and skin.”

Elli gave her a pointed look.

“Please, don’t give me that ‘I wish I were curvy’ speech. No skinny girl wants to be fat.”

“You’re not fat!”

“I’m not skinny.”

“Whatever, Elli, and don’t think I forgot about my question. How long has it been?”

“Why does it matter?” Elli asked, picking a piece of popcorn apart. When she was nervous she always had to keep her fingers moving.

“I want to know.”

It got quiet for a moment and when Elli realized Harper wasn’t going to let it go, she let out a breath before saying, “Six years.”

“What! Since Justin?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Oh my God, you need to get laid. No wonder you’re such a bitch sometimes.”

“For the love of God, shut up! I am fine.”

“You most certainly are not!”

Elli was about to yell some more when her phone rang. She picked it up and looked at the display.

“It’s him,” she whispered, looking up at Harper in horror.

What the hell was he doing calling her?

“What? Shea? Answer it!”

“No! What would I say?”

“Umm. Hello?”

“Shut up!” Elli slid off the bar stool and walked to the living room, pushing talk.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” Shea said.

“Hey.”

“It’s Shea.”

“I know.”

“Oh, okay, you sound weird.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Don’t be, what’s up?”

“Um, nothing, what’s up with you?”

“This is Elli right?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong? You sound really weird.”

Elli slapped herself in the forehead, trying to get it together, but how could she?! Shea Adler was calling her!

“Oh, well, I’m just surprised you called.”

“Am I not supposed to?”

“Oh no, it’s not that. I just didn’t think you would.”

Silence.

“Alright. Did I do something wrong? Because I thought this afternoon went great,” he said.

“It did. I thought that was all it was though, an afternoon.”

“Oh, is that all you want it to be?”

“Oh, no you don’t. Don’t put that loaded question on me!” He laughed, and she smiled. Harper came into the living room, threw herself on the couch, and grinned up at Elli. Elli, of course, gave Harper the death glare.

“Okay, then I will tell you this. I want it to be more. I want to see you again, Elli.”

“You do?”

“Oh yes, I do. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, as in the day that comes after today?”

“Smartass.” He chuckled, which made her smile.

“I have to work during the day and then I have to photograph a wedding tomorrow night.”

“Okay, Tuesday?”

“A bar mitzvah and work all day.”

“A bar mitzvah? You do those too?’

“Yup,” she said with a grin. Harper just smiled at her.

“Okay, I have an event Wednesday, what about Thursday?” he tried.

“Wedding.”

“Well shit, woman!”

She laughed as he said, “I bet Friday and Saturday is a no go.”

“Friday I have weddings all day. And on Saturday I’m spending the day with my nieces and nephews. My assistants are doing the weddings that day, and then I have a wedding that night.”

“Okay.”

“I know I’m stupid busy and-”

“We will make the time, okay? The season opener is Wednesday, and then I’ll be wicked busy.”

“I know. I understand.”

She guessed he was thinking when the line went silent, because that’s what she was doing. She was contemplating asking Harper to help with her heavy workload, but she quickly dismissed that idea. It wouldn’t be right to ask Harper to do her job just so she could go on a date with Shea.

“All I know is that I can’t wait until next Wednesday to see you,” Shea confessed.

Elli’s heart warmed. He was so sweet.

“That is a long time away.”

“Yeah, it is. I go to practice every day from nine to eleven. Your studio isn’t far from the arena, maybe we can do lunch one day?”

“Sure. I don’t have my schedule in front of me, but I can text you in the morning and let you know if that would work.”

“Sounds good. So I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I hope so.”

“Good, do you have time to talk?”

“Um, well, actually I have a friend over.”

“Okay, well I’ll let you go then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Bye, Elli.”

“Bye, Shea.”

When she hung up, she looked over at Harper, who had the biggest grin on her face. Elli’s hand came up to cover her mouth. Was this really happening? Did Shea Adler want to see her? For real? Not as friends? Elli was on the verge of tears. She had never been so happy and scared at the same time. Her mind was reeling.