And that hurt.
––––––––
LATER THAN NIGHT, HARPER stepped out into the foyer feeling pretty good, considering everything. She’d had a long soak in the enormous spa bath in her penthouse and paired her new Michael Kors black heels with her red dress.
They weren’t Manolo Blahnik like the women Daniel dated wore, but she doubted he’d be here tonight, anyway. If he was, he’d see she was wearing his watch.
The Cartier.
She looked up and saw her three amigos. They hadn’t spotted her yet. She grinned at how they had all styled their matching shirts differently. Cooper was wearing a pair of blue jeans that hugged his very nice butt. Graydon, a pair of long black shorts, and Luke, a pair of tan cargo shorts.
For a bunch of trust-fund babies, as Luke had called them, they were a lot of fun and very down to earth.
Cooper turned first and a smile lit up his face.
Harper blushed.
“Hell, yes,” Graydon said and took the lead in walking across the floor to lean down and kiss her cheek. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” she said, as Luke and Cooper followed suit. “You guys scrub up pretty well yourselves.”
Cooper offered her his arm. “Come, milady, delicious beverages await us.”
The four of them rode the lift to Altitude which was decorated in red, black, and white everything as per the Valentine’s theme.
They were handed red and white leis and a red cocktail as they walked in.
Harper smiled up at Cooper, who had put his hand on the small of her back. She was ready to relax and have some fun.
Damn, she deserved it.
They found a table and got settled. A small band was set up in the corner singing cover songs, and the sun was beginning its descent in the sky. Harper loved this time of the day in Hawaii. There was something calm and deliciously happy about the warm tropical air as the sun disappeared.
It felt as if everything was right in the world.
And maybe it would be, if she opened up to different possibilities with a man one day.
Not today, but one day.
She glanced at Cooper, who was laughing at something Luke said. Maybe he was right for her? Or maybe not.
Tonight, she just wanted to have fun.
The party soon heated up, the sun long gone, and a dance floor appeared in front of the band. Grayson pulled Harper onto the dance floor, and it wasn’t long before they were all dancing.
For a moment all her worries disappeared, and she let the music, cocktails, and tropical heat swallow her up.