Sleepless In Manhattan

“You’re the bravest person I have ever met.”

His touch was so surprising that she almost snatched her hand away. Instead, she stood, her hand trapped by his just as her heart had been trapped all those years before.

“I’m not brave.” She turned to look at him. He was standing closer to her than she’d thought, his face right there, angled toward hers with attentive concern.

The urge to lift herself on her toes and press her mouth to the sensual curve of his was almost overwhelming, but she stayed still, her willpower sufficiently robust to stop her moving forward but not robust enough to make her step back.

Laughter drifted across from the far end of the terrace but neither of them turned.

Slowly, he disentangled his fingers from hers, but instead of putting distance between them he lifted his hand and brushed her cheek.

She stayed still, her gaze trapped by the molten shimmer in his. She couldn’t have looked away if her life had depended on it.

Usually he teased her, goaded her, drove her insane.

It was as if he’d tried to give her a thousand reasons to fall out of love with him.

This tenderness was something she hadn’t seen in him since she was a teenager, and seeing it now caused a sharp pang of pain.

She’d missed this. She’d missed this easy relationship, his wisdom and his kindness.

She swallowed. “When you have no choice, it isn’t brave.”

“Of course it is.” His mouth tilted in a half smile and she felt a twinge of envy for all the women he’d kissed.

Unfortunately she wasn’t one of them.

And she never would be.

Unsettled, frustrated with herself for spinning fantasies when reality was right in her face, she turned away. “Thanks for the advice.”

“I’ll give you one more piece.” He didn’t try and touch her again, but his voice held her captive. “Weigh up the pros and cons, but don’t overthink this. If you focus on the risks, you’d never do anything.”

“I feel as if I’ve lost my security.”

“Your security wasn’t the job, Paige. Jobs come and go. You give yourself security, with your skills and your talent. You can take those elsewhere. What you did for Star Events, you can do for another company, including your own company.”

His words gave her a burst of much-needed confidence.

And they made sense to her.

She felt like a wilting plant that had suddenly been given a large drink of water.

“Thank you.” Her voice was croaky and he gave a smile.

“When you find yourself working eighteen-hour days for seven days a week you might not want to thank me.” Jake strolled off to rejoin the others but Paige stayed where she was for a moment, thinking about what he’d said.

You give yourself security.

Eva and Frankie were laughing at something Matt had said and it was so good to hear them laughing that her own spirits lifted.

She walked back to them. “What’s funny?”

“We’ve been thinking up company names.”

“And?” She could still feel Jake’s touch on her hand, and she wondered how the casual brush of his fingers was enough to send a thousand electrical currents soaring through her body.

“We’re trying to sound bigger and better than Star Events.” Eva grinned. “Global Events. Planet Events. Universe Events.”

“We’re not only an events company.” Paige settled herself on the arm of Eva’s chair, careful not to look at Jake. “We’re more personal. And we need to differentiate ourselves from the competition.”

“We’re going to be a happy company. That makes us different,” Eva said.

“It’s lifestyle as well as events. While you’re busy working we can choose the perfect gift for your wife, or arrange flowers for your mother-in-law.”

“Or we could poison your mother-in-law,” Eva said happily. “Belladonna muffins.”

Frankie ignored her. “It sounds as if we’re offering a concierge service.”

Paige thought about it. “That’s it. That’s what we are. An event concierge service. We don’t just organize your event, we do all the extras. If you’re our client, we take care of all the little things you never have time to do.”

Eva snuggled back against the cushions. “So all we need now is the name and an office.”

“We need clients more than we need an office. We can work from the kitchen table to begin with. We’ll be out and about most of the day anyway. Or on the phone.”

Frankie frowned. “Where do we start? I’m a floral designer. A gardener. I can arrange flowers for your birthday party or your wedding, and I can do a design for your roof garden, but don’t ask me to cold-call clients. I can’t sell myself.”

“But I can.” Paige reached for her bag and pulled out her phone. Jake was right. Organization was what she did best. The excitement was back, and this time so was the confidence. “That’s the point of our company. I can’t do the flowers for your engagement party, but I know someone who can. That’s you by the way.” She glanced at Frankie. “And cooking isn’t my thing, but when Eva and her team cater your work party it will be something people talk about for months.”

Eva looked mystified. “I have a team?”

“You will have.”

“Outsourced,” Matt advised. “Don’t inflate your payroll.”

Frankie gave a crooked smile. “And don’t make anyone kale and spinach smoothies.”

“She does that?” Jake winced. “If a woman ever made me that, our relationship would be over.”

“It’s breakfast,” Eva said cheerfully. “Your relationships never last until breakfast, so you’re safe.”

“Breakfast is the most serious meal of the day and the word serious doesn’t appear in my vocabulary.”

A statement Paige knew to be untrue. She knew that Jake advised on cyber security at the highest level. Her brother had once told her Jake was the smartest guy he’d ever met. It was only in his relationships that the word serious didn’t appear.

And she knew why.

He’d talked to her about it, before she’d created a rift between them.

“This is exciting.” Eva gave Frankie a light punch on the shoulder. “I’m going into business with my two best friends. Maybe you could give me a fancy title. That would make my day. How does Vice President sound?”

Paige felt a flicker of tension. Being responsible for herself was one thing, but being responsible for both her friends was something else entirely. Jake, she knew, employed hundreds of people in several cities across the globe.

How did he sleep at night?

How did Matt sleep at night?

Paige glanced at her brother and he gave a faint smile of understanding.

“Ready to ask me for help yet? You might find I know a thing or two if you ask me. And Jake deals with start-ups all the time. He gives advice and he invests. We both have contacts. We can talk to a few companies—get you introductions.”

Paige didn’t want to ask Jake for help.

Even that brief conversation had left her feeling unsettled. Asking for help would mean getting close to him, spending more time with him. There was no way she was up to that.

“You’ve helped me enough. I want to do this on my own. I can do this, Matt. You’ve been bailing me out of trouble since I was four years old. It’s time I did something on my own.”

“You do plenty on your own.” He sighed. “At least let me help with the legal side. Company setup, tax, insurance—as Jake said, there’s a lot to think about.”

It made sense. “All right. Thank you.”

Matt stood up. “I’ll call my lawyers in the morning. You need a business plan—”

“I’ll work on it tonight and tomorrow.”

“Talk it through with me. And we need to talk about funding.”

“Matt, you’re smothering me.”

Her brother gave her a long look. “I’m offering you business advice and financial backing, and before you turn it down you should probably check with your business partners.”

“I want you to help and advise,” Eva said immediately, “especially if you’re not going to charge. I’ll cook for you in return. In fact I’ll do anything except look after your psychotic cat.”

“I’ll look after the cat,” Frankie muttered. “She’s suspicious of humans and I get that. If you’ll help, I’ll care for the roof garden all summer.”

“You already do that for me. And you do a great job. I’d employ you in a heartbeat.”

Paige glanced up from the list she was typing on her phone. “You’re poaching my team before we’re even officially a business?”

“All the more reason to use me in an advisory capacity. I’m less likely to steal your staff.”

“Fine! You win. You can advise. But no hovering over me. I want to do this myself. If this is a success I want it to be because of me.”

“But if we fail, then we could blame him.” Eva’s cheeks dimpled. “I’d be happy to bask in success but losing my job twice in one week would dent my confidence horribly.”

Paige heard the uncertainty in Eva’s voice and a blaze of determination shot through her. She’d do this right. Whatever it took, she’d do it.

“We still need a company name, and we need it to say what we do.”

“We do a bit of everything from the sounds of it,” Eva said. “Whatever you want—your wish is our command.” She said it with a dramatic flourish and Paige put her phone down.

“That’s it.”

“What is?”

“It’s brilliant. Your wish is our command. That’s our tagline. Or our mission statement or whatever it’s called.”

“You’ll have people phoning you for sex,” Jake drawled, reaching for another beer.

The flickering candles sent a golden glow across his lean dark features. Watching him woke up parts of her she would have rather stayed asleep.

She was almost relieved that he’d returned to being annoying. “Do you have anything helpful to contribute?”

“Unless you want men phoning you with indecent requests, that observation was helpful.”

“Not everyone thinks about sex all the time. We need a company name that goes with that. Genie Incorporated? Genie Girls?” She pulled a face and shook her head. “No.”

“Clever Genie.” Frankie deadheaded a rose.

Matt stirred. “City Genie?”

“Urban Genie.” It was Jake who spoke, his voice low and sexy in the darkness. “And anytime you three want to rub my lamp, go right ahead.”

Paige turned toward him, a sharp rejection on her lips, and then she stopped.

Urban Genie.

It was perfect.

“I love it.”

“I love it, too.” Frankie nodded and so did Eva.

“Paige Walker, CEO of Urban Genie. You’re in the driving seat, heading down the freeway to fortune. I’m happy to be your passenger.” Eva raised her glass and frowned. “My glass is half-full.”

Frankie grinned. “I would have said the glass was half-empty. I guess that says a lot about the difference between us.”

“We each bring our different strengths to the business and there are no passengers.” Paige reached for the champagne bottle and topped up Eva’s glass. “You’re driving, too.”

“Hey, I can change a wheel but I’m not driving the car.” Frankie brushed soil from her sweatpants. “That’s your job.”

Their faith in her was as scary as it was heartwarming.

“Three women drivers,” Jake drawled, glancing at Matt. “Better start taking the subway.”

Paige knew he was winding her up but this time she didn’t care.

Anticipation and excitement rushed through her. She was starting her own business. Right now. And with her closest friends.

What could be better?

“Urban Genie. We’re in business.” She raised her glass. “Eva, go and rescue your lucky shirt. We’re going to need it.”

Four

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, unless your best friend is a cook.

—Frankie

“Wake up.” Paige put a cup of coffee down by Eva’s bed but her friend didn’t stir. “I’m going for a run, and when I get back you need to be awake and ready to go.”

There was a sound from under the covers. “Gowhere?”

“To work. Today is our first day as Urban Genie. We’re going to make it a good one.”

Paige’s head throbbed. She’d been up half the night making lists and notes. And trying not to second-guess her decision.

What had she done?

Would they all be better off looking for jobs?

“What time is it?”

“Six-thirty.”

The lump in the bed moved and Eva emerged, hair wild, eyes sleepy. “Seriously? This is what time our day starts at Urban Genie? I resign.”

Sun shone through the windows, illuminating the high ceilings and hardwood floors. Eva’s clothes were strewn around the room, in rainbow colors and assorted textures. A pair of gold flats peeped from under the bed and three bottles of jewel-bright nail polish sat on the bedside table next to a book on how to look fabulous on a budget.

Despite her state of anxiety, Paige smiled. Eva always looked fabulous.

When she’d first arrived in New York, she’d been the only one living with Matt. Eva had been sharing an apartment with her grandmother until she’d moved into sheltered living and the apartment had been sold to fund her care. Eva had been homeless and Paige had asked Matt if she could have a roommate. He hadn’t hesitated. Frankie had joined them a month later.

They were three small-town girls, living in the big city, and soon they were as close as they’d been growing up.

Living with her friends had proved surprisingly easy given their differences, one of the biggest of which was the hours they kept.

Eva was a sloth in the mornings.

“Get up.” Paige gave her friend a nudge. “I want you to design a personalized menu for Baxter and Baxter. I’m calling them later.”

“The ad agency? Star Events pitched for that account.”

“And lost because they weren’t original enough. This is a young, dynamic agency. We need to be equally dynamic. And original.”

“I don’t feel dynamic.” Eva pulled the pillow over her head. “And I can’t be original at six-thirty in the morning. Go away.”

“You have until seven-thirty to shower and be ready in the kitchen with menus.” Paige pulled her hair into a ponytail and glanced at her reflection in the mirror on Eva’s wall.

That brief glance told her that all the panic she felt was safely concealed inside.

Her hair was smooth and straight. Even New York humidity couldn’t put a kink in it.

Eva gave a grunt. “You’re a tyrant. It wouldn’t kill you to have a day off exercise. You’re already in great shape.”

“I won’t be in great shape for long if I don’t run. It’s my stress reliever.” And physical fitness was important to her. Her body had let her down once through no fault of her own. She did what she could to make sure it didn’t let her down again. “Could you fix breakfast? We can eat while we work.”

“I’m reporting you to human resources.” Eva yawned, emerging from under the pillow. “We do have a human resources department, right?”

“I’m it, and your complaint is duly noted. Anything you want me to pick up? I could call in at Petit Pain. Walnut bread? Sourdough loaf? Bagel?” Petit Pain was one of their favorite local bakeries, run by a man who had started baking when his wife had died. He’d discovered a new passion and his business had grown, supported by the local community.

Eva sat up and rubbed her eyes. “We can’t afford it. I’ll make breakfast from scratch. Frankie needs to eat something that isn’t full of additives. She barely ate at all yesterday. It was that text from her mother that started it.”

“Yeah, well, knowing your parents have sex is weird for anyone, but when your mother is sleeping with men the same age as you and bragging about it, it’s so far away from weird there is no word for it. It’s no wonder poor Frankie is damaged.” Paige watched as Eva scooped her mass of sunny hair away from her face. “How come you look so good when you’ve just emerged from under the pillows?”

“My hair looks like a bird’s nest.”

“But it’s a cute bird’s nest. So you don’t want anything?”

“Berries?”

“Berries aren’t comfort food.”

“They are to me. And anyway, we don’t need comfort, we need health. If we’re going to be working hard and subjecting ourselves to bucket loads of stress, we need to strengthen ourselves nutritionally.”

“Berries.” Paige made a mental note. “And more coffee.”

“Coffee is bad for you.”

“Coffee is my life force. Do not go back to sleep.” She ripped the cover off her friend. “Get up. We have things to do, places to be, people to please and fortunes to make. If we’re going to make a success of this, which we are, we’re going to need to work hard. No part-timers.”

Eva grunted. “You sound uncannily like Cynthia.” But she slid her legs out of bed. “What were you and Jake talking about on the terrace last night? You two looked cozy.”

“He was apologizing for being an idiot.” Familiar with Eva’s ability to find romance in any situation, Paige jogged quickly to the door. “Don’t you dare go back to sleep. I’ll see you in an hour.” Relieved to have escaped the inquisition, she ran down the stairs and knocked on the door of the ground-floor apartment.

At least Frankie wouldn’t ask the same question. Frankie didn’t see romance even if a couple were tongue wrestling in front of her.

Her friend answered the door in a pair of pajamas. She was holding a small basil plant in her hand and it was obvious from the dark smudges under her eyes that she hadn’t slept much, either.

Paige wondered if there had been more texts or phone calls from her mother.

“I’m going for a run. Do you want to join me?”

“Dressed like this? I don’t think so.”

“We live in Brooklyn. It’s acceptable to be different.”

“I’m the responsible one in the family, remember? And anyway, I want to finish my model.”

Paige glanced over her shoulder and saw the half-built LEGO model on the table. “Is that the Empire State Building?”

“Yeah. Matt gave it to me for Christmas. I was waiting for a stressful moment to build it.”

“I guess yesterday qualified.” Paige looked at the detail, marveling at Frankie’s dexterity. “Was it the job or your mom that made you open it?”

“Both.” Frankie rubbed her fingers over her forehead. “Look—you don’t have to worry. I’m dealing with some stuff and—it doesn’t matter. Building the model works for me. I’ll meet you when you’re back. I need to tend to my Ocimum basilicum.”

“Your—? Oh, you mean your basil plant. You could just call it a basil plant. On the other hand that would be a waste of your fancy training.” She smoothed down her ponytail. “Right, well I’ll leave you and your Ocimum basilicum in peace and I’ll see you for a breakfast meeting in the Urban Genie offices at seven-thirty.”

Frankie blinked. “We have offices?”

“Your kitchen is our office until we can afford something more official. Ours is a little bigger but your doors open onto the garden and it’s lovely in the summer. And your kitchen table isn’t covered in Eva’s cookery experiments. Don’t prepare anything. Eva is in charge of catering.”

“As long as she doesn’t expect me to drink a kale and spinach smoothie. It’s not often I agree with Jake, but on that we are in total accord.”

Wishing Jake’s name wouldn’t keep coming up in conversation, Paige jogged down the steps to the street.

It was her favorite time of year, when spring nudged the edges of summer and the cherry blossoms and magnolia burst into bloom. They filled the air with scent and color as if the city was celebrating its release from the deep layers of snow that had buried its charms over the long winter months.

In the winter and the height of summer she took spin classes indoors, but right now there was no better way to enjoy the weather and her neighborhood than running.

She loved the wide streets and the symmetry of the historic brownstones shaded by cherry trees. It was quintessential laid-back Brooklyn. Some people chose to live here because they couldn’t afford Manhattan. She lived here because she loved it—the smells, the vibe, the rhythm of the neighborhood. Although it was early, the streets were already alive with activity, and she watched people going about their lives as she ran to the park, feeling the sun warm her neck, breathing in spring air scented with blossom and baking.

The panic of the previous day had eased, along with those unsettling feelings that being with Jake had unleashed.

Today would be all about planning. She’d already had ideas and her light had been on most of the night as she’d made notes.

Like Jake, she loved technology. It satisfied her need for organization and allowed her to track projects and maximize efficiency. Maybe she didn’t understand the detail in the way he did, but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy using the results of other people’s creativity.

She tried telling herself that the reason she hadn’t slept much the night before was all down to nerves, excitement and the use of her mobile devices late into the night. Everyone knew that using screens at night was bad, didn’t they?

Her sleepless night had nothing to do with Jake Romano.

Except—

She ran into the park and picked up her pace.

Being evasive with romantic Eva was one thing, but what was the point in lying to herself? Better to admit that she was in trouble. At least that way she would be on her guard. And although she hadn’t wanted to be flattered, his attention had felt nice. He’d boosted her confidence when it had reached the point of collapse. He’d pushed her when she’d wanted to hide and play it safe.

She was accustomed to Jake saying the wrong things. There were days when she was convinced he chose his words with the intention of annoying her, but last night he’d said all the right things. He’d made her feel as if she could do this. He’d given her assurance when she’d needed it most. He’d made her feel—he’d made her feel—

Crap.

She stopped running and bent over to catch her breath, frustrated that he could still make her feel this way.

She’d been seventeen when she’d first laid eyes on him. Because her condition had required specialist care beyond the capabilities of her local hospital, she’d had surgery in a hospital in New York, which meant Matt had been able to visit her.

The first time he’d brought his friend Jake with him, she’d thought she was hallucinating.

It was lucky she hadn’t been rigged up to a heart monitor at the time or she was pretty sure she would have had every doctor in the building running to help with the emergency.

From that moment, everything changed. It was as if someone had flicked a switch and changed her life from black and white to color.

People commented on how brave she was, and how well she coped with the boredom of being in hospital.

What they didn’t know was that she’d spent almost every hour thinking about Jake.

Eyes closed or open, he was always in her head.

She’d lived for his visits, even though she was rarely alone with him. When her dad’s commitments to his law practice in Portland, Maine had prevented him from being by her bedside, her mother had been there, and if neither of them could make it, then Matt was there. Their cumulative anxiety levels had filtered through to her.

Jake was different.

He’d entertained her with outrageous stories, and on the nights when Matt had been studying for exams, it had been Jake who had stayed late, keeping her company.

Paige had fallen in love.

First love.

Everyone said you got over it and they were right.

For her, humiliation had proved to be a magical cure.

Unfortunately sexual attraction hadn’t proved so easily destructible.

Most days it was easy to ignore because Jake was as irritating as he was attractive. But last night—

Last night had been an aberration. A response to the fact she’d lost her job.

Pushing him out of her mind, she took a shortcut that led through the trees back to the street.