Azure nodded. To lighten the mood and put him at ease, she spoke from the heart. “We’re a lot alike, you and me, and I think—”
“Is that so? In what way, Ms. Ellison?”
“For starters, we’re both keen observers who don’t automatically buy what we’ve been told. We’re hard workers who never take the easy way out, but we’re often overshadowed by louder, flashier colleagues who believe their own hype.”
Harper stroked his jaw reflectively. He was impressed. Azure Ellison had described him to a T. No one had ever done that before, but the longer he stared at her, the more convinced he was that she was hiding something. There was something familiar about her, mysterious, too. Was it possible they’d met before last month’s photo shoot? Through an acquaintance or business associate maybe? Instead of playing a solitary game of twenty questions, he decided to lay his cards on the table. “Who are you really, Azure Ellison, and what are you after?”
“I sensed a bit of animosity between you and Jake during last month’s interview,” Azure said, sidestepping his question. “I’m curious if there was more to that argument I witnessed than you led me to believe.”
His eyes narrowed, lost their luster and the veins in his neck pulsed.
Bingo! Tempering her excitement, she paused to taste her cocktail and waited a half second before moving in for the kill. “I’d love to profile you, Harper. Just you. We could do a full-page spread with pictures, quotes and a list of your most high-profile cases.”
Interest sparked in Harper’s eyes as he straightened in his seat.
“I suspect that you’re the unsung hero of the firm, and I’d love to give you a chance to tell the world what’s really going on behind the scenes at Hamilton, Hamilton and Clark.”
Azure was spinning her tale as fast as she could, saying and doing all the right things, but Harper didn’t respond. He looked amused, as if he were watching a kitten chase its tail around in circles, and his broad grin was growing by the second. “Will you do the interview?”
Several long, tense seconds ticked by.
“I’ll do it, but only if you agree to have dinner with me tomorrow.”
“Lunch,” she countered. “In my office on Friday.”
“Dinner. Six o’clock sharp.”
“Brunch. Eleven-thirty.”
Harper wore an arch grin. “Tomorrow night. The Clearwater Grill on Sixth Street.”
“Why not somewhere around here or in Mount Airy?”
“Because I’d love a good steak, and no one does it better than the head chef at the Clearwater Grill on Sixth.”
Azure frowned. “Really? I’ve heard of the place, but I’ve never been there.”
“You’ll love it. Everyone does. It’s quiet, the service is great and the manager is the funniest guy you’ll ever meet.”
“I’d rather interview you in my office. It’s a more professional setting and we won’t have to worry about being interrupted or distracted.”
“The Clearwater Grill,” he repeated, his tone calm, cool. “Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll be there.”
What just happened? Azure thought sourly, wishing she hadn’t given in so easily. That went real well, Azure. Are you sure you’re the one in charge? She was beating herself up for giving Harper the upper hand when she caught sight of a slight man in a striped fedora and matching sports coat in the waiting area.
Azure blinked hard, tried to get a better look at the stranger’s
profile. Perspiration drenched her palms and clung to her dress. No. It couldn’t be. Her boss wouldn’t do something as sneaky as spying on her, would he? A former tabloid reporter, with a remarkable gift for sniffing out the truth, Leland Watson was as cunning as he was brilliant, and he never let her forget it. He was an acclaimed journalist, and well respected in the field, but Azure wouldn’t put anything past him. And the more she considered it, the more likely it was her boss in the tacky fedora and sports coat. After all, he’d asked—no, ordered—her to track down Harper and been the one to suggest they meet for cocktails at Table 13, too.
Azure peered over Harper’s shoulder. The stranger strode through the bar, and when he disappeared into the lounge and out of sight, she released a sigh of relief. Hopefully someone rich and famous had caught his eye. Either way, it was time to call it a night. She had a long day ahead of her, and now a brand-new interview with Harper to prepare for. It wasn’t time to sit pretty. It was time to go on the attack. And when she met with the famed attorney tomorrow night, that was exactly what she was going to do.
“See someone you know?” Harper asked, sliding several crisp bills into the leather billet. “Or are you trying to get a better look at Drake and his ten-man entourage?”
Azure dismissed his question with a wave of her hand. “Drake’s cute, but he’s way too young for me. Besides, I like my men the way I like my coffee. Strong and dark.”
Harper rocked with laughter. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You do that, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Call me Harper.”
“Only if you call me Azure.”
He nodded, leaned in so close she could smell his spicy, masculine cologne. “So, what do you do when you’re not working?”
“I’m always working. Aren’t you?”
Another hearty chuckle. “Yes, but I make time to hang out with my family, to watch my beloved Seventy-Sixers and I travel several times a year. You should see my passport. It looks like a dog’s chew toy!”
“I’m so jealous. I’ve never left the States, and all the travel I do is for work.”
“I’ll have to do something about that, then.”
Their eyes caught, and held, and Azure was so overcome by the intensity of Harper’s gaze and his heady scent that all she could do was stare at him.
“You should come with me to the Cabo San Lucas Music Festival. I go every year, and the concerts, cuisine and atmosphere are out of this world.” Harper added, “But don’t take my word for it, come and see for yourself.”
“My boss will never give me the time off.” Azure felt guilty for lying to Harper—again—but she didn’t feel comfortable sharing her business with him. She couldn’t afford to go to Cabo, or anywhere else for that matter. Not until she paid off her bills. But Harper had given her something to think about. A trip to the famed celebrity hot spot sounded divine, something worth planning once she straightened out her finances.
“Is there a special man in your life anxiously waiting for you to return home?”
Azure was caught off guard by the question, but she didn’t show it. “No, just my cats.”
“Your cats?”
“Yup, Darius and Lovehall.”
Harper thought for a moment, then released a deep, hearty chuckle. “You named your cats after the male character in Love Jones?”
“I sure did.”
“You must really like the movie.”
“Who doesn’t? It’s one of the greatest romantic movies of all time!”
“The movie came out when I was in high school, and my female classmates went wild for Larenz Tate. The editor of the school newspaper even devoted an issue to the movie.”
Azure couldn’t believe it. Harper remembered the column she’d done for the school