“What?” Sarah rinsed out some glasses.
“You and Harriet, being all secretive.”
“Oh, nothing. She had toilet paper stuck to her sandal, and I didn’t want to embarrass her in front of her friends.”
He laughed, “Girls, looking out for girls.”
“You better believe it. We have to stick together, have each other’s backs.”
“Guys need their backs watched, too.”
She laughed. “Then get your guy friends to do that for you.”
“Come on, Sarah, give me a little hint about this girl you are setting me up with.”
Sarah made a zipping motion across her lips with her fingers.
Logan draped his arm around her shoulder. “Just an itty-bitty clue.”
Sarah shrugged him away. “Don’t worry, she is hot, and really nice. I swear you will love her.”
“And that’s all you are going to say?”
“Conversation is closed, Logan.”
When Sunday came around, Logan was having serious regrets about letting Sarah set him up. First of all, he couldn’t even decide what to wear. He grabbed a button down and held it against himself, then decided it was far too hot outside for that and dropped it on the bed, with the rest of the contents from his closet.
He snatched up his phone. Sarah hadn’t even told him where he was to meet this woman yet, so he had no idea what would be appropriate. He opened his text messages.
How dressy or casual is this place?
Not very, just be yourself, Logan.
You know you are going to have to give me an address soon. I have to get there.
Don’t worry, you can walk. And I will send you the address in ten minutes.
Settling on a black tee, with his dark-wash jeans, Logan went into the kitchen. As he walked out of his bedroom, Harriet appeared, her hair brushed out, hanging down her back. She was wearing a cute, floaty skirt and pretty white top.
“You look nice.”
She smiled back at him. “Thanks, so do you. Are you going out?” She pointed at his cowboy boots in his hand.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Drinks with the boys again?” she probed.
“Um, no.” He felt slightly embarrassed to admit what he was doing. “Sarah set me up with a friend of hers. What about you? Seeing the girls?”
“No.” She didn’t elaborate, but just checked her purse.
“A date?”
Harriet smiled at him. “Yeah. I’ll see you later.”
A twinge of jealousy flashed through him as he watched her leave. Damn, maybe she was meeting that Wesley guy again. Honestly, he needed to get over these feelings for her. Logan slumped back on the sofa and placed his phone on the table, waiting for Sarah to send him the address where he was to meet her friend.
It came through five minutes later, and, true to her word, the place was only two blocks away at a little bijou French restaurant he’d been to a couple of times. Wiping his sweating palms on his jeans, he grabbed his keys and wallet and left.
It only took him ten minutes to get there. Through the full plate-glass window he could see most of the inside. They only had a small seating area, and he surreptitiously glanced in to see if he could work out who he was meeting. His heart almost stopped when he saw a blonde woman being shown to her seat. Damn, of all the places for his blind date to be at, it was where Harriet was meeting Wesley. He scoured the rest of the restaurant, but couldn’t see a woman at a table alone. Hmm, maybe that meant she wasn’t there yet. Perhaps he could head her off at the door. Persuade her to go somewhere else.
As he hesitated by the entrance, a brunette came down the street. She stopped and said, ‘Excuse me.’ And he moved out of the way to let her in. God damn, he really should have persuaded Sarah to give him some sort of description or a name. He had no idea how he was going to find who he was meeting. The brunette disappeared inside, and a second later, his phone beeped with another message from Sarah.
When you get to the restaurant, go inside, and give your name to the greeter.
He rolled his eyes and groaned. Harriet was going to be so mad if she saw him there. With no other choice, he went inside.
“Hello, sir, do you have a booking?”
“I think so. I’m supposed to meet someone here. My name is Jackson, Logan Jackson.”
“Ah, yes, Mr. Jackson, your lady friend is already here.”
The waitress strode off and he hurried to catch up with her. She stopped abruptly, and stood back to let him sit down. As she moved out of the way, Logan found himself facing Harriet.
“Harriet? I- I’m sorry. Honestly, I had no idea you would be here, Sarah…”
Harriet put out her hand, indicating the seat. “Sit down, Logan.” She turned to the waitress. “Perhaps you could bring us both a glass of Malbec.”
Confused, Logan lowered himself to the chair. “Look, as soon as I find out who I’m supposed to meet, I’ll suggest another restaurant.”
Harriet smiled back at him. “That won’t be necessary, Logan. I’m your date.”
Logan’s jaw fell open as he processed the words. “Sorry, I don’t understand.”
The waitress brought them their wine, and Harriet picked hers up and took a sip. “Lori and I enlisted Sarah’s help to set you up on a blind date, with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I think we need to talk, don’t you, Logan?”
His cheeks heated. Was she finally going to tackle him about that kiss, or had she worked out that he was L.J.? “We do?”
The waitress returned and placed their drinks on the table. “I’ll send your server over.”
Logan’s reached for his drink and took a fortifying gulp. He looked back at Harriet. Her gaze didn’t waver, and he decided perhaps he should just pull off the Band-aid. “Um, is this about me kissing you, or L.J.?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “L.J? Why would it be about him?”
16
Harriet
Harriet’s mind and heart raced. When she and Lori had concocted this plan to set up
