Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 78142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I nod. “I don’t doubt it. They expect even more out of their architects. But I think it’ll be good for me. I’m no stranger to hard work, and if I can get on this project…”
“Just do your best, Diana.”
“I always do.” I open the nearest drawer. “Do you have cookie cutters?”
Teddy scratches her chin. “I have a few, but they’re all Christmas themed.” She opens a drawer next to the one I was looking through. In it are several cookie cutters. A tree, a gingerbread man, a candy cane… All seasonally inappropriate options.
I pick up one of the cookie cutters, this one shaped like a Santa hat. “Too bad you don’t have any Halloween ones. A pumpkin would be perfect for today. But no worries. I just need a paring knife, a sharp one.”
“Okay, sure.” A few minutes later, Teddy hands me a paring knife.
I start to cut into the brie when— “I guess I should have asked. Do you have jam or jelly?”
Teddy frowns. “Oh… I don’t.” She darts her gaze around the kitchen. “But I do have some honey. It’s fresh. I just bought it a few days ago.”
Honey and brie. That sounds really good. “Yeah, let’s try the honey.”
With the paring knife, I carefully carve a pumpkin shape that turns out to look more like a big cherry, but what the hell? Then I carefully remove the rind from the cutout and drizzle the honey into the indentation.
“This should taste really good,” I say to Teddy, “and it actually looks cute, but it looks a lot better with a darker jam or jelly. You know, to contrast with the white rind.”
Teddy’s eyes are wide. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a charcuterie tray look better, Dee. Thanks for your help.”
“Not a problem.” I shrug. “It’s kind of fun to do. Lets me flex my creative muscles in a different way.”
“Well, you’re a genius at it.” Teddy picks up the tray. “Hey, everyone, look at this amazing piece of art that Diana and I put together.”
Like vultures, the guests descend on the tray, filling up their plates.
“Hey.” Teddy’s friend Tracy grabs my arm.
“Yeah?”
Tracy takes another sip of her beer. “Where did your friend go off to?”
“Who? Teddy?”
“No, that guy you brought with you.”
“Oh, Dragon…” I cast my gaze around the room. “I don’t see him. He’s probably in the bathroom.”
Tracy scratches her arm. “He’s not. I just checked.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You checked the bathroom for a guy?”
“Well, yeah.” Tracy’s cheeks turn pink. “But no one was in there. I can’t find him anywhere.”
I look around Teddy’s loft. She only has the one bedroom and bathroom. Plus this big open living area and kitchen.
“Is he seeing anyone?” Tracy continues.
“Uh…” I keep darting my gaze around. “What?”
“Your friend,” Tracy says. “Is he seeing anyone?”
I swallow. “Not that I know of.”
“And the two of you aren’t…”
Warmth surges over my cheeks. “Oh, no. Not at all. We’re just roommates. He’s a friend of my brother-in-law’s, and I’m letting him stay at my place. That’s all.”
Tracy smiles at me. “I’m glad to hear that. Because he is hot.”
I can’t disagree with Tracy. Dragon is hot. Classically handsome, with granite-carved facial features, amazing eyes, with the long hair and stubble that give him that dangerous look.
I’ve always appreciated his attractiveness, but I considered him some kind of enigma. Someone who’d be hard to get to know.
Plus I always had other things going on and wasn’t interested in finding a man.
I want to work toward my career in architecture. At some point, I want to be one of those architects whose work is featured on the cover of Architecture Digest. The one who billion-dollar corporations hire to design their next amazing building.
Tracy is yammering at me about something, and I catch the last couple of words.
“…you think he left?”
Good question. “Let me grab my purse. I’ll give him a call.”
Tracy nods as I head into Teddy’s bedroom where everyone’s coats and purses are stashed. I grab my phone and—
“Oh, shit!”
I run out of the room and find Teddy, who’s dancing with Bud. I grab her arm.
She cocks her head. “Yeah, what is it, Dee?”
“My friend I brought with me. Dragon. He went up to the roof, and now he’s stuck up there.”
She drops her jaw. “Oh my God. Yeah, you either have to have a keycard to open it, or most people just stick a brick in the door jamb. There’s a pile of bricks.” She frowns. “I wonder why he didn’t do that.”
“He probably didn’t think of it. If I know Dragon, he probably went up to get some alone time.”
She digs into her pocket. “Here, take my key. Go on up and get him.”
“Thanks, Ted.”
I grab my jacket from the bed and leave Teddy’s apartment. I walk to the end of the hallway to the stairwell and up to the top. I open the door.