Page 18

Archer
“Harlan.” I nod politely, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at his shit-eating grin.
“What are the chances I’d run into you right after your big declaration? Congratulations by the way.”
Serena sinks down the slightest bit in her seat, warily glancing between the two of us.
He holds his hand out to her. “Harlan Nash. I went to high school with your husband here.”
“I know,” she murmurs, slipping her small hand in his for a handshake.
What does she mean she knows?
“I went there too,” she continues at his quizzical expression. “I was two grades behind you guys.”
That’s right. I forgot about Gabriel telling me that.
“My apologies,” Harlan laughs. “You must know my wife, Courtney, then. She’ll be here in just a- Oh, there she is.”
A brunette struts out of the ladies’ room, with a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses on despite being indoors, and makes her way over to Harlan, wrapping her arm around his waist. “Look who you found,” she says, smiling coquettishly at us. “Serena, I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Serena gives a half-hearted nod, clearly not enthused with Courtney.
“Would you like to join this party?” our server asks them, menus in hand.
“Oh, you don’t have to-” I start, but I’m soon cut off by Harlan’s enthusiastic assent as he takes the seat next to me.
Wonderful.
“You have to tell me how you two met,” Courtney says, finally taking off her sunglasses as she sits down. “Was it through Gabriel?”
There’s a calculating gleam in her eye, her fishing for information obvious. And, unfortunately, I don’t have an answer to give her. Serena and I haven’t got that far in coming up with a fleshed out story. And unlike at the wedding, when I could pawn any busybodies off with the claim that we had other people to talk to, there’s no way I can avoid the question now.
“We met at Redmond Prep actually,” Serena says, looking down at the table.
“Really? Do tell.”
She fiddles with her straw wrapper for a moment before balling it up in her fist. “Well, it was the first week of classes and this big guy bumped into me, knocking me on the floor. My textbooks and notes I was carrying went everywhere. God, it was a huge mess.” She peeks up at me, a shy smile on her face. “And Archer was the one who helped me up.”
The way she’s looking at me, almost like she’s captivated… Wow, her acting’s top-notch.
“He asked if I was okay and made the guy apologize, then picked up my books. I never forgot how kind he was to do that.”
She stares at me for a moment longer before breaking the contact. “We lost touch after high school but reconnected again recently. He hasn’t changed at all. Still kind and honorable. I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
I continue watching her, but she won’t look at me, a faint wash of pink on her cheeks. How does she do that so easily? The story seemed so believable, her reactions so natural. Has she taken acting classes?
“That.” Harlan points at her. “That’s what we need.”
Serena rears back at Harlan’s finger, eyes going wide. “What?”
“For the show,” he says to Courtney. “Damn, we should have had the cameras follow us today.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“Me, Frank, and Jordan are doing a show. They’re calling itNash Ville.” He frames his hands wide like the title is supposed to impress us. “And you two would be perfect to have on it.”
Serena sinks further in her seat. Yeah, I’m not crazy about the idea of being on reality TV either.