This Changes Everything by Jennifer Ashley Page 0,20

bar shouting, Yes! and know the throw is good.

At the same time I realize Austin is right. I can’t hover on my stool and stare across the restaurant. Worried. Also drooling a little. I lift a napkin and wipe my mouth.

Abby glances up from her conversation and sees me.

I wait for her to show dismay, mortification, to turn away quickly and pretend I don’t exist.

Instead, she flashes a huge smile, one that smacks me right in my heart. She waves, says something to her date, and now she’s getting up, she’s walking over. What the hell?

Play it cool. Play it cool. Austin’s whispering the same thing, like I don’t know I should.

I drop my crumpled napkin and move to meet her. We intersect halfway between the bar and the tables, far enough from the television to cut its noise, and far enough from the tables that our conversation won’t be overheard.

Not that Abby keeps her voice down. While I desperately try to think of what to say, she cries, “Zach. How great to see you. I remembered you mentioning this place.”

It had been in both our heads, I guess. Me for a place to mope, her for somewhere to bring her next conquest.

Abby glances past me as I stand mutely. “Austin. Hey.” She waves at him. Presumably he waves back or otherwise makes a sign of greeting. I can’t turn around to check.

Abby resumes gazing at me, her smile full of warmth. “How have you been?” she asks. “You know, in the last twenty-four hours or so?”

Her teasing takes me back to our warm bed, the two of us surrounded by sheets and too many pillows while we loved each other hard.

“I’m … good. Been busy today.”

“Me too.”

More staring. My attempt at brilliant conversation peters out.

Again, Abby glances beyond me. Austin must be giving her signals, because she jumps.

“Oh, yeah. Come and meet Brent Savidge. He’s head of marketing at Global Innovations. He wanted to talk to me somewhere not near my office, and I remembered you recommending Mason’s. It’s not far from the airport, so I thought … perfect.”

Brent Savidge. What kind of name is that? Sounds like a comic book supervillain genius. One who can turn into a giant flying bug. Or a porn star.

Head of marketing. Abby works in sales and marketing. The ideas finally click in my slow brain.

“Wait, is this a job interview?”

“Yes.” Abby beams in animation that makes her eyes shine. “Well, sort of a preliminary interview. He’s a head hunter for his company, which is international.” She flashes me a card, which I assume has Brent’s name on it, but her hand is at her side the next instant. “He emailed me today and asked to meet me. Isn’t that great? I’d love to get out of the rat maze I work in.”

Abby hadn’t sounded happy with her job when she’d mentioned it. Excitement radiates from her now. I relax about her being with Brent romantically, but caution rises.

“He contacted you out of the blue?”

“Not really out of the blue. I met him at a convention last month—everyone in the business knows Brent Savidge—and hinted to him I was looking around for something better. Today he said he knows of an opening that might suit me. I couldn’t wait to talk to him, so I made an appointment with him this evening. He’s flying out tonight, so this is a good opportunity.”

She knows what she’s doing, my Abby. She nearly bounces on her toes with happiness, and it’s intoxicating.

“Awesome,” I say with enthusiasm. “Go back and talk to him. Don’t let me screw it up for you.”

Abby laughs. “You won’t. Come on. I’ll introduce you.”

She grabs my hand. Whatever I feel about meeting Brent no longer matters. Abby’s hand is in mine, and that’s all that’s important.

The man stands as we reach the table. He’s tall, in a charcoal gray business suit—which screams he’s not from around here—has wavy brown hair, and a smile full of too many straight teeth. He gleams with all those teeth. His face should be on the side of a bus.

“Brent Savidge,” he says, shaking my hand heartily.

“Zach McLaughlin.”

“Zach’s one of my oldest friends,” Abby tells Brent, as though it’s true. “His family owns a renovation business, one of the top-rated in the Valley. They win awards and everything. Zach is also head of McLaughlin Charities.”

I’m dumbfounded Abby knows all this, but Brent takes on a look of professional interest. “Great to meet you. It’s hard to be