Page 102

“When you two tie the knot, you’ll be coming to me for the cake, right?”

I stare back at him, not speaking since I’m unsure how toanswer that question. I’m only just getting my head around how fast I’m falling.

“Are you coming over or what?”

I spin around to find Collins drumming her fingers on the bar in front of her.

She smiles as I make my way over and set the tray down in front of me. “What is this? Alice’s tea party?”

I snort and pick up my scone, taking a bite and humming with appreciation. “Want to try it?” I offer her the other half.

She scrunches up her nose and picks at her brownie. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Did you ever hear from Mr. I’m Not Married?” I ask, getting straight into it since I get the impression Collins doesn’t stand on ceremony. She’s the kind of girl who doesn’t do small talk either.

She shakes her head. “No. I did send him an invoice for the parts he kept coming back for though.”

“Obviously,” I say, bringing the cup to my lips and hating the fact that this is the best tea I’ve ever tried.

Damn him.

Collins winces. “Didn’t go over too well with the boss though.”

“Why? You did nothing wrong.”

She winces harder. “I added Asshole Tax.”

I choke on my tea, a few splashes hitting the window in front of us, and I quickly wipe it away with a napkin.

“And, yeah, that was the end of that job.”

“Wait, so you’re unemployed?”

She shrugs like it’s no big deal. Maybe it isn’t. I know very little about her.

“Are you some kind of millionairess and jobs are just for fun?”

She stirs a spoon of sugar into her coffee and laughs. “No. Not all of us are pro soccer players.”

When we spoke over the phone, Collins told me she assumed I was a hockey player and that’s how I’d met Jack. I quicklycorrected her with soccer, still, it’s obvious she thinks I’m rolling in cash.

Dream on, Kendra.

“Yeah, the big bucks are reserved for the men,” I reply.

“Ah, yes, it’s a man’s world. I forgot that part. Silly me.”

I love her.

Still stirring her coffee, she sits back in her stool and brushes some brownie crumbs from her jet-black jeans. “I live my life how I want. I don’t spend much time in one particular area, and therefore, I don’t place any particular importance on a job. It’s a means to an end.”

As much as I respect her and kind of envy her attitude, I can’t help my heart from sinking a little. “So, you won’t be staying in New York?”

She shrugs and then laughs. “Depends if I can find a new job.”

I laugh along with her. “But seriously, I’ve spent half of this year worrying about money. What will you do?”

Her brown eyes find my own. Her carefree expression is kind of refreshing. “I don’t know how much of my life you’re interested in knowing.”