over.
“Yes, Mom, I’m fine.” She rolled her eyes at me and locked eyes with Nathan.
“Nate freaking Harper, Mom?” She laughed and held out her hand to Nathan. He looked impressed with my kid and I smiled.
“Emma.” He smiled.
“Nathan.” She beamed back at him. “Seriously, Mom, leave it to you to have zero clue that you’re wearing one of Popular Magazine’s Sexiest Man’s T-shirt.” She shook her head at me.
I blushed. “Emma,” I whispered, embarrassed as I turned my attention to Cal.
“Well, I think she is handling this just fine.”
He chuckled.
“Please, I’m better than handling this. This is so cool, Mom. I was freaked out this morning. I had no idea what was happening. But when I got to school everyone was showing me the paper and—”
“All right, I can see you’re okay with this,” I interrupted her. “Since that’s the case, you can stay in school and I’ll see you at home after practice. Mr. Hopper has arranged for private transportation until some of the attention has died down,” I explained.
“Hate to break it to ya, Mom, but this isn’t dying down for a while. See ya later.” She hugged me. “Oh, and I want sushi tonight. You owe me.” She waved and practically skipped out of the office then she stopped short. “I almost forgot! Can Nathan come to my classroom? Please?”
“Um, sweetie, I don’t think right now—”
Nathan interrupted me. “Mr. Hopper, do you think we could arrange this for her?” he asked with a grin.
“Well, sure, I don’t see why not if you’re willing, Nathan. It’s close to lunchtime. Are you sure you’re up for this?” He laughed as if he knew something we didn’t.
“Ah yes, quite. Thank you, Cal.”
Emma was jumping up and down, clapping her hands. She dragged me out of the chair. “Hurry!” she squealed.
“We have five minutes. We have to meet Aunt Rachel for lunch,” I informed her.
“Then quit wasting time. Clock’s ticking!” She led the way to her classroom.
I TRIED TO IGNORE THE group of photogs outside the Mercer as we went in to meet Rachel. She was already sitting in the back away from the door when we got inside.
The minute we sat down she leaned forward. “Oh my god, I don’t know how you live like this, Nathan.”
“You don’t. You stay inside all the time or walk the streets at night like some nut job.” He winked at me.
“No, really, I assure you. This sucks.” She looked over at me and shifted gears. “Okay, I pushed the interview with the bartender to tomorrow at one o’clock and the ones with the other bartender and the barback-slash-bouncer to two.”
“Thank you.” I filled Rachel in about the course of action Emma’s school was taking for her. She wasn’t surprised.
“You know, the Hilton twats went there so I’m sure they’re accustomed to dealing with this shit.” She was busy on her phone but then looked up at Nathan. “Sorry, but it is shit.”
“I’m aware,” he replied dryly.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I said. “Be right back.”
“So, listen,” Rachel said as I walked away. I could hear her snapping her fingers to get Nathan’s attention. I just laughed and shook my head and kept walking. He was a big boy. He could handle her for a few minutes.
After we finished lunch we made our way to the exit to find it was just as packed out there as it was when we came in.
“Bye, love you bitch.” Rachel hugged me before she opened the door. “Truck’s parked across the way in the parking garage. I didn’t want to park it on the street and have something happen.”
Nathan and I were mostly silent on the ride back to my place. He was driving and humming along to whatever was playing on the radio, holding my hand.
“How you doing?” he asked, breaking the long silence as he lifted my hand to kiss it.
“I’m okay. I’m just trying to let it all sink in.” I turned my body towards him. “Did Rachel give you the mother of all lectures while I was
“Yes, Mom, I’m fine.” She rolled her eyes at me and locked eyes with Nathan.
“Nate freaking Harper, Mom?” She laughed and held out her hand to Nathan. He looked impressed with my kid and I smiled.
“Emma.” He smiled.
“Nathan.” She beamed back at him. “Seriously, Mom, leave it to you to have zero clue that you’re wearing one of Popular Magazine’s Sexiest Man’s T-shirt.” She shook her head at me.
I blushed. “Emma,” I whispered, embarrassed as I turned my attention to Cal.
“Well, I think she is handling this just fine.”
He chuckled.
“Please, I’m better than handling this. This is so cool, Mom. I was freaked out this morning. I had no idea what was happening. But when I got to school everyone was showing me the paper and—”
“All right, I can see you’re okay with this,” I interrupted her. “Since that’s the case, you can stay in school and I’ll see you at home after practice. Mr. Hopper has arranged for private transportation until some of the attention has died down,” I explained.
“Hate to break it to ya, Mom, but this isn’t dying down for a while. See ya later.” She hugged me. “Oh, and I want sushi tonight. You owe me.” She waved and practically skipped out of the office then she stopped short. “I almost forgot! Can Nathan come to my classroom? Please?”
“Um, sweetie, I don’t think right now—”
Nathan interrupted me. “Mr. Hopper, do you think we could arrange this for her?” he asked with a grin.
“Well, sure, I don’t see why not if you’re willing, Nathan. It’s close to lunchtime. Are you sure you’re up for this?” He laughed as if he knew something we didn’t.
“Ah yes, quite. Thank you, Cal.”
Emma was jumping up and down, clapping her hands. She dragged me out of the chair. “Hurry!” she squealed.
“We have five minutes. We have to meet Aunt Rachel for lunch,” I informed her.
“Then quit wasting time. Clock’s ticking!” She led the way to her classroom.
I TRIED TO IGNORE THE group of photogs outside the Mercer as we went in to meet Rachel. She was already sitting in the back away from the door when we got inside.
The minute we sat down she leaned forward. “Oh my god, I don’t know how you live like this, Nathan.”
“You don’t. You stay inside all the time or walk the streets at night like some nut job.” He winked at me.
“No, really, I assure you. This sucks.” She looked over at me and shifted gears. “Okay, I pushed the interview with the bartender to tomorrow at one o’clock and the ones with the other bartender and the barback-slash-bouncer to two.”
“Thank you.” I filled Rachel in about the course of action Emma’s school was taking for her. She wasn’t surprised.
“You know, the Hilton twats went there so I’m sure they’re accustomed to dealing with this shit.” She was busy on her phone but then looked up at Nathan. “Sorry, but it is shit.”
“I’m aware,” he replied dryly.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I said. “Be right back.”
“So, listen,” Rachel said as I walked away. I could hear her snapping her fingers to get Nathan’s attention. I just laughed and shook my head and kept walking. He was a big boy. He could handle her for a few minutes.
After we finished lunch we made our way to the exit to find it was just as packed out there as it was when we came in.
“Bye, love you bitch.” Rachel hugged me before she opened the door. “Truck’s parked across the way in the parking garage. I didn’t want to park it on the street and have something happen.”
Nathan and I were mostly silent on the ride back to my place. He was driving and humming along to whatever was playing on the radio, holding my hand.
“How you doing?” he asked, breaking the long silence as he lifted my hand to kiss it.
“I’m okay. I’m just trying to let it all sink in.” I turned my body towards him. “Did Rachel give you the mother of all lectures while I was
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