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“That hardly makes it okay.” She sets down her glass. “But I appreciated how you didn’t even try to hide how you felt about that.”

“How do you mean?”

“You might have physically been there, but…” Mimi chuckles. “Well, your ass was in the chair and that’s about it.”

“There was a time when I might have made more effort, when I cared about how my behavior made me look, but I had to let that go, for the sake of my own sanity.” I pause for effect. “Turns out not caring what others think of you is very liberating. You have so much more energy left for things that actually matter.”

“Such as?” Michelle fixes her dark-eyed gaze on me.

She’s caught me off guard. Usually, recipients of my little speech either take it as a personal affront or are too stumped to inquire further.

“Personal things,” I manage to say.

“Okay.” She leans back and slings one leg over the other. “So, no hard feelings?”

“None whatsoever.”

“Good.” Mimi takes her glass and tilts it in my direction. “How about we have dinner just the two of us some time?”

The sip of cocktail I just took catches in my throat. “What?”

“Oh.” Mimi gives a hearty chuckle. “Just dinner. Definitely not a date or anything like that. After what happened with Gerry, I won’t be asking anyone who works with me on any sort of date.” She grins at me. “I meant like a working dinner. Just to get to know you as a co-worker. I get the feeling a more private setting works better for you.” She gazes into the house. “Or is that unthinkable without your entourage?”

“I’d have to think about that.” I quickly regroup. “And just for the record, I didn’t for a second consider you were asking me on a date.”

“Good. Because I most certainly wasn’t.” Another grin. “Imagine Austin’s reaction if I did.”

“Do you, um, date women?” It’s a bit forward, but she invited me to dinner and I hardly saw that coming either.

“Yeah.” She nods wistfully. “I’m quite gay, actually.” She locks her gaze on mine again. “And by ‘quite’ I mean ‘extremely.’”

“Okay.” This raises quite a few questions, but I’m sure I can find the answer to most on the internet. Hot shots like Michelle St James always have a Wikipedia page with some details of their personal life recorded for all the world to read.

“How about I tell you all about it over dinner soon? I’m a decent enough cook so if you’d prefer not to go to a restaurant, you’re very welcome to come to my house.”

At the very least, I’m intrigued. “Sure. I’ll have dinner with you.”

“Just out of curiosity and since we’re asking personal questions.” Mimi tilts her head. “Are you and Imani together?”

I can’t help but chuckle. “Me and Imani?” I knit my eyebrows together. “No.” Where did she even get that idea?

“Just wondering.”

“Now you know.” It dawns on me she might be asking for different reasons than wanting to know aboutmyrelationship status. “She’s single, for your information.” I’m fairly certain Mimi’s not Imani’s type, but who am I to decide these things?

“Oh, God. I keep giving you the wrong idea, Nora. That’s really not why I asked. How old is she? She’s gorgeous, but no.”

“You can’t tell by looking at her, but Imani’s almost fifty.”

“Fuck me.” Mimi’s eyes go wide. “The wonders of this town never cease to amaze me.”

CHAPTER4

MIMI

It’s hard to get a read on Nora, but she’s charming in her own way—even with the camera off.

“That’s where you’ve been hiding.” Stella’s partner, Kate, walks up to us.