after hours to check our experiments because those are resources that HR refuses to approve because it’s too expensive.” She paced back, scooped up her glass, and took a large sip. “Never mind that all of that was built into my request when I wrote the grant and the funds are there—”
A sigh.
“I’m boring you.”
Kate jumped to her feet and rushed over to her friend, hugging her close. “Absolutely not,” she said. “I was just thinking that this is the first conversation I’ve had with you about your work where I could understand everything.” She pulled back on Heidi’s snort. “And I empathize. I know you worked hard on the grant, know that you were so excited to get it.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I was.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.” Heidi made a face. “I’m really going to miss my lab.”
“Are you . . .” Kate stopped, nibbling at her bottom lip, then figured she might as well just ask. She and Heidi had never hidden anything and if she didn’t ask, she’d worry. “Are you going to be okay for a while without a job? Money wise?”
A nod. “I’m good, Katie girl.”
Relief slid through her. “That changes, you let me know.”
“Will do,” Heidi said, “but I’ve already begun applying other places. Luckily, there aren’t too many people who can do what I do. I know it won’t take long to find something.”
“Smarty-pants.”
“Liar pants,” Heidi countered with a lifted brow that seemed to say, “your turn.”
“I haven’t even finished my first glass of wine yet,” Kate muttered, though there was hardly more than one drop left.
“Here.” Heidi topped her off then did the same for her own drink. “Second glass commencing.”
Kate pouted. “Bully.”
“Assertive,” Heidi said.
“Pain in my ass,” Kate muttered.
Heidi nodded. “Damn right.”
Kate sighed. “Annoying.”
“You love me,” Heidi sing-songed.
Kate did love her friend. So freaking much. Which was why she didn’t want to admit what she’d done. Heidi would understand, but Heidi would also . . . understand too much.
She knew all about Kate’s superpower.
“Can’t we just pretend you didn’t hear what you heard?”
“You mean, can’t I just pretend that you’re not fake engaged when your mom calls me and tells me we have to plan a surprise engagement party for you and the mysterious Jaime, and we have to do it fast?” Heidi shook her head. “No can do, babe. We can’t pretend that didn’t happen.” A nudge of her shoulder against Kate’s. “And you’re damn lucky she called me first and I could write my shocked-into-silence off as distraction by something in my lab instead of her calling Kels or Cora first. They would have balked and spilled the beans, and you know it,” she said, naming their other two closest friends. “I told her I would do a survey of everyone’s availability and get back to her, but Katie . . . this is a big lie.”
“I know.” She tried to swallow down the guilt and asked quietly, “How’d you know it was a fake engagement?”
“Really?” Hazel eyes bored into her. “We all had dinner not even a week ago, and you went on and on about how you were worried you’d be re-virginized because it had been so long.” A roll of those eyes. “That convo ring a bell?”
Oh. Yeah. That.
“Pretty short courtship for a real fiancé,” Heidi said.
“I—”
Heidi cut her off. “Why’d you do it?”
Kate made a face. “My mom was going to set me up again, and I just blurted something out. I didn’t even really mean to say I was engaged. It just slipped out and then it was out, and she was so thrilled that I didn’t know how to take it back and—”
A nod. “Thus, the lie grew.”
Kate winced. “Yeah.”
“So, who is he?” Heidi asked.
“JaimeTheVet,” she said.
Heidi blinked. “The Instagram guy with the man bun that you’ve drooled over for months?”
Kate nodded. “Though he doesn’t have the man bun anymore. He cut it off because he didn’t think my parents would approve of him having long hair.”
“Really?” Heidi exclaimed. “But his hair was so nice—” She stopped herself midsentence with a wave of her hand. “That’s not the most important conversational hurdle at this point. Did he teach you how to do that flawless bun?”—her gaze went to Kate’s, who shook her head—“Damn. Okay, we’ll circle back to that glorious hair later. The more important part of this story is that he doesn’t know you, so why would he agree? Are you paying him?”
A shake of her head. “No,” she said. “I messaged him after