honest, with herself and everyone else. He had to admire that, even if he didn’t like the fact that she wouldn’t push herself a little harder. “Operative word being ‘near.’”
She turned away, dismissing his point, now staring at a gift basket from Connecticut Muffin. Smiling, she bent over and wrote out a bid. “You know I have to win this.”
He snickered as they continued meandering along the tables, looking at the various gifts—jewelry, first-edition signed books, vacation-home rentals, and other items including a 10 percent coupon on Lockwood & McKenna design services for any project over one thousand dollars. Claire also placed a minimum bid for an in-home spa basket and for a color and cut at a local salon.
“Logan!” Karina’s familiar voice boomed from behind them. Her tall, shapely frame carried her merlot-colored gown well, its lengthy slit showing off long, toned legs. “Oh, Logan. A sight for sore eyes.”
She offered a partial hug, careful to hold her martini away from his jacket, then set her hand on his shoulder while flipping her shiny black hair behind her shoulder. “Cute little shindig. Almost worth the drive up,” she teased. “Guess it’s the closest thing to a real party you’ve been to in months, right? But don’t worry. We’ve missed you almost as much as you’ve missed us.”
Ah, the glib repartee commonplace in his circles. Funny how hollow it sounded tonight.
“Karina, let me introduce you to Claire.” He reached for Claire, who’d fallen silent, but apparently not before she’d given Karina a once-over and drawn conclusions about her and Logan. Probably not wholly incorrect conclusions, either. “Claire, this is Karina, the journalist I’ve told you about who I work with on occasion.”
“Yes, I remember.” Claire smiled, extending her hand. “Nice to meet you, Karina.”
Karina shot Logan a curious look and returned Claire’s smile. “You too, Claire, although I confess I’m at a slight disadvantage, having not yet heard about you.”
If Logan could’ve stomped on Karina’s foot without drawing attention, he might’ve. “I’ve known Claire since middle school. She’s redecorating my apartment, which is going to be fabulous.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” Karina smiled. “Will it be finished by the time we get back from Lesbos?”
He felt Claire stiffen and assumed it was because he hadn’t yet told her about his decision to leave for Lesbos in another week.
“It might even be finished before you leave,” Claire tentatively replied.
“So soon?” Karina laughed before knocking back most of her drink. “You must be a miracle worker. Maybe I’ll hire you next.”
To Claire’s credit, she didn’t quiz him about when they were taking off. Her smile didn’t slip. For all intents and purposes, she looked completely unaffected by his impending plans. That should please him. He’d never liked a clingy woman. Still, he surveyed the heaviness in his chest and knew it didn’t feel anything like relief.
“No miracles, sadly. I do try to understand people so that their home reflects something about them.” Claire’s expression suggested she might’ve bit back a snarky remark—about what, exactly, he’d never know. Perhaps she thought Karina was the woman with whom he’d painted his bedroom wall. “Of course, compared with what you two do, my job must seem rather ordinary.”
“Actually, it sounds really nice. Logan and I expose ugly environments in the hope that horrifying others will force change. You create environments designed to make people feel good. Must be nice to bring a smile to someone’s day.” She elbowed Logan, laughing, and polished off her martini. “At the very least, people are happy to see her coming. Us, not so much.”
Logan needed to occupy Karina with someone other than Claire, for everyone’s sake. He caught Ben eyeing them again and waved him over. “Karina, I want to introduce you to another friend. A good-looking, single one who’s here alone, like you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him before pasting a smile on her face and turning to greet Ben just as he arrived.
“Ben Lockwood, this is my colleague, Karina Báez. Karina, Ben . . . an old friend.”
Karina’s smile turned genuine in the face of Ben’s rugged good looks. Sandy-colored hair, hazel eyes framed by dark brows and lashes, and a strong, square jaw. All cleaned up he looked sophisticated, unlike when in jeans at the hardware store.
“Nice to meet you, Karina.” Ben shook her hand.
“Same.” Karina took Logan’s hint and, after handing her empty glass to him, threaded her arm through Ben’s. “So, Ben, how about we hit up the bartender for another round and