"HARPER FUCKING WILLIAMS!"
Harper's smile faded from her face as she entered the neon pink offices of Bright! Magazine. She was still reeling from her weekend with James. They had spent all day in bed. After a late dinner Sunday night, he had finally dropped her home. She couldn't remember the last time she had truly enjoyed her entire weekend.
"HARPER FUCKING WILLIAMS!" Jade screamed, yanking Harper by the arm, as she dragged her into their cubicle.
Harper glared at the back of Jade's head as her coworkers stared. It was too early in the morning for Jade's drama. Harper tried to apologize, but Jade had already pulled her into their cubicle. She locked the door and turned towards Harper.
"What!?!" Harper asked. She turned towards her computer, turning it on as she sat down getting ready for work.
"How was your fucking weekend?" Jade questioned sarcastically.
"Nothing exciting..." Harper began as she logged in. "My date with Jamal, the guy who you promised me was amazing, was horrible. First, he talked all about himself and when he wasn't talking about himself he was checking out other girls. Jade, he didn't even remember my name."
She rambled on unaware of Jade's glare. "Jade, it was bad. How did you even know Jamal?"
Jade stood with her phone out at Harper. On the screen was the picture of James that she had sent Jade on Saturday night. Harper grabbed her phone out of her bag. She had completely forgotten about her phone the entire weekend. She plugged it into the charger and then turned towards Jade.
"I can explain." She began.
"James FUCKING Blair!" Jade shouted. "You don't just send me a fucking photo of New York royalty without a fucking explanation."
"Jade."
"I've been calling you all fucking weekend. How did you do it? The fucking bastard just got into town. How the fuck did you do it?"
Harper stood up trying to stop Jade from pacing. "It was an accident. Let me explain..." Harper stopped. "Wait. What do you mean royalty? How do you know Jay?"
"You're already on a nickname basis with him?" Jade sighed as she plopped down on the chair.
For a big city, New York was a small place. Everyone kind of new everyone, so Harper wasn't surprised Jade knew James. It was part of her job to kind of know everyone, but that didn't stop the confusion. How did her one night stand become New York royalty? Who the fuck was James Edward Blair?
Jade stopped fidgeting once she saw the look of confusion on Harper's face.
"Oh sweetie, you don't know. Of course you don't know. You weren't here when it happened. We need to create a tabloid bible for you newbies." Jade finished.
Jade grabbed Harper and sat her down in the chair. She turned towards the computer and searched "James Blair Breakup"
The articles and headlines popped up and Harper's world crashed down. Pictures of James splashed across her screen. It was midnight and she was not Cinderella. Her perfect one night stand was a tabloid magnet. There he was with his stupid fucking dimples smiling back at her confused face.
"James Edward Blair, son of business mogul Edward Blair and former New York Senator, Jessica Blair returns to the city." Harper began reading.
"The prodigal son returns. Three years after his abrupt break up from super model Zarah Phillips, New York's favorite bachelor is back in town. The playboy is leaving LA, his home for the past three years, and moving back to the big city. Sources close to the 27-year-old sports agent say, he is finally ready to come back home. Blair moved to LA shortly after his breakup with Phillips. A breakup that left the city in shambles. The former couple, unable to be in the same party or city (we all remember when Hurricane Phillips hit the Hamptons), left Blair with a one way ticket to the west coast. He had no trouble moving on in LA with the continuous string of models and actresses clamoring for his attention. Sorry, West Coast girls! Blair is a city boy and us city girls are ready to welcome him into our arms once again! Ladies, you better hurry!"
"Harper?" Jade asked. Harper clicked on the next article.
"New York's It Couple Breaks Up. James Blair breaks supermodel, Zarah Phillips heart. It's official! You can now add Zarah Phillips to the long list of women who've had their heart broken by New York playboy, James Blair. The picture perfect couple surprised all of New York when they called it quits. Although both parties have continued to stay mum about the break up, sources close to the couple say the break up was not amicable. Phillips recent drunken outburst at several Hampton parties only confirms rumors about the less than friendly break-up." Harper continued reading.
"Harper?" Jade asked with concern. "You got to stop reading."
"Model of the week. James Blair steps out with another blonde bombshell in LA shortly after break up with Zarah Phillips. The break-up, which had New York buzzing for months, ended with Blair moving to the west coast and Phillips drowning her sorrows in the Hamptons."
"Harper, it's just gossip."
Harper backed away from the computer unwilling to read anything else. She stood up from her chair and ran to the bathroom.
"Harper!?!" Jade shouted.
Harper entered the stall and immediately began to vomit.
"Harper!?!" Jade whispered as she entered the bathroom and locked the door. "What the fuck?"
She watched as Harper emptied the stall and rinsed her mouth in the sink.
"Jade, I slept with him."
"What!?! When!?! Was it good? It must have been so fucking good. No wonder you didn't call me back." Jade rambled.
"Jade." Harper groaned, covering her face.
Jade started pacing again. "How big was he? I mean, what exactly happened?"
"That's not the point."
"Harper, that's the whole fucking point! You got fucking laid. James fucking Blair fucked you." Jade squealed. "I don't know if I am jealous or proud?"
"Shhhh!" Harper whispered trying to calm Jade down. "I didn't know I was sleeping with New York's favorite playboy."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing." Harper paused. "Everything. The man is practically a walking tabloid. We write crap about these people all the time. Not to mention the string of women at his disposal and this weekend I was fucking one of them. Gosh, how I could I be so dumb?"
"Calm down. You're not that dumb." Jade asked jokingly.
Harper rolled her eyes. Jade's reaction made her realize that she never wanted to see James Blair again.
"Harper, you had a fucking one night stand with the guy. Relax. Based on his previous history with women, he has probably forgotten all about you. Besides, you had fun with James right?" Jade questioned.
Harper nodded as Jade pulled her into a hug. "Good. Because there is another guy I want to set you up with..." Jade continued.
"No. No. No. It was your blind dating ideas that got me into this mess. I am never doing this again." Harper replied as she unlocked the bathroom door and headed back to their cubicle.
"Harper." Jade whined as she followed.
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It was mid-afternoon and Harper was finally getting back into the swing of work. She was working on a piece about some reality star. The drama from this morning had subsided and she was no longer thinking of James. Jade was still trying to persuade her to go on another blind date.
"His name is Levi. He is a photographer." Jade continued.
"Jade." Harper groaned as she typed away on her computer.
"Will you at least look at him?"
Harper rolled her eyes as she finished typing. The ring of her phone saved her from hearing Jade ramble.
"Harper Williams for Bright! Magazine."
"Harper Williams." Harper's heart dropped. She recognized his voice instantly and froze. Jade stopped talking noticing Harper's strange behavior.
"Hi." James spoke.
Harper moved her phone from her ear. She didn't know what to say. This morning she had decided that she never wanted to see James again. Now, he was calling her at work.
"Who is it?" Jade whispered rolling her chair over to Harper's desk.
Harper grabbed the notepad on her desk and wrote James's name. Jade gasped. She pushed the phone towards Harper's ear.
"Talk!" Jade whispered leaning towards the phone.
"Hi." Harper replied awkwardly.
"Hi." James responded.
Harper turned to Jade. "Keep talking." Jade whispered.
"Hi." Harper repeated.
James laughed. "I was going to call your phone, but I wasn't sure if it recovered from the weekend."
Harper laughed. They had found her cell phone buried deep in the sand the next morning. She reached for her phone now, finally turning it on. Pieces of sand were still wedged into the small cracks on her phone.
"It's a bit sandy, but it's okay." Harper joked.
James broke out into a laugh. She could see his dimples etched into his smile. His jaw would tense and his eyebrow would raise slightly as he grinned. Harper had his smile engraved in her mind.
"You are quite the comedian." James sighed still chuckling.
"Thanks." Harper responded. Her heart beats quickened as each second passed. She wasn't sure what to say. He was a playboy and a tabloid darling. She was his latest conquest and the tabloid writer who would eventually have to write about him. Either way it wouldn't work. The warning signs were glaring at her and she was too smart to ignore them. She needed to end whatever this was or wasn't...
"Hey, you still there?"
Jade nudged Harper's arm. "Keep talking!" She whispered.
"Yeah." Harper said.
"How about dinner tonight?" James asked, interrupting Harper's thoughts.
"Aren't you tired of seeing me?" Harper stalled.
"Never. For some reason, I can't get enough of you. I have the scars to prove it."
Harper closed her eyes. She turned away from Jade, trying not to smile. This was her opportunity to end things before it all got complicated. The less she got involved with him the easier it was going to be for everyone. He would just be a good story to tell at a future bachelorette party.
"Harper?" James asked alarmed by the long pause. "It's just dinner."
Jade poked Harper's side. "What did he fucking say?" She whispered.
"Dinner." Harper mouthed to Jade.
Jade grinned. "Say fucking yes!"
Harper ignored Jade. "James. You're a great guy..."
"Why do I feel like your breaking up with me?" James interrupted.
"I had an amazing time with you, but..." Harper continued. Jade rolled her eyes as she plopped down in the chair.
"Great. Let's grab dinner." James interrupted.
"This weekend was amazing, but I think it's time we both stepped back into reality." Harper continued.
"Okay, great. Let's step back into reality tonight at dinner." James quipped.
Harper rolled her eyes. "James."
James persisted. "How about this? You pick the place and I'll be there."
She groaned. "Look, I just don't think this can..."
He interrupted. "I look forward to seeing you tonight."
Harper put her phone down wondering what just happened.
"So?" Jade asked.
Harper sighed. "I guess I am going to dinner."
Jade squealed jumping out of her chair. "James fucking Blair just asked you out. What are you going to wear?"
"Nothing because it doesn't matter...because I am going to end it." Harper replied.
"Nothing with like a trench coat would be so fucking hot." Jade continued pacing across the room.
Harper rolled her eyes. "Jade. Are you listening to me? I am ending this." She paused watching Jade walk around their cubicle. "You're always telling me to live a little and I did. I had my one-night stand and a great story to go with it. Now I am ready to move on. Besides, my job is to write shit about people like him. I write gossip, not participate in it.
Jade stopped moving. "Harper Tasha Williams. I am not going to let you ruin this. Who cares about all this other bullshit. You need to have fucking fun. You are young, single, and hot. Now, the most eligible fucking sexiest man in New York City wants to take you out. Girl, enjoy being desired."
"Jade...." Harper warned.
"All you have to do is say yes. Carrie Bradshaw would say yes. You know why? Because life is fucking hard and living in New York sucks sometimes, so if you're not having fun...what's the fucking point. Sometimes, you just need to have fun. You don't have to fall in love with the guy. Harper, just have fun. Have your Carrie Bradshaw moment."
"But..." Harper interrupted.
"No. You are fucking going. Now, what are you going to wear?" Jade asked.
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