16HarperCode Words
Harper
Code Words
Harper was glad to be back on the calendar with Ash, even if it meant that somehow the kiss never got talked about.
Piper advised her to ask, but Harper couldn’t work up the courage.
Of course, Piper also said Harper needed to ask Ash about the ten thousand dollars.
Harper didn’t want to do that either. She didn’t want to risk losing Ash again.
On the other hand, Thanksgiving and a visit back to Denver was right around the corner, and she didn’t want to face Cooper without being able to pay him back. Harper vowed the next date that she would gather the courage to say something, but she wasn’t looking forward to it.
Their next event turned out to be a grand opening for a new children’s wing of a hospital.
Which was nice, but Harper found peculiar.
Ash said there was a Ven diagram of people with the financial standing to invest, interest in world-changing technology, and enough social acumen to leave the house.
Therefore, given the well-documented Seattle freeze when it came to meeting new people—the best way to meet potential investors was to be a patron of non-profits.
He also sat on several boards and consistently worked with local college organizations to assist STEM students.
“OK,” said Ash as they surveyed the crowded room. “I see the hordes are about to descend.”
Harper could also see the cluster of individuals moving toward Ash. She got the feeling from the way non-profit people greeted him that he donated a lot of money.
“But I want to talk to those people over there,” he jerked his head toward another group standing by the windows. “And there are those engineer people that you liked over there.”
He pointed to a group that Harper thought were probably the ones who had designed and built the new wing.
They had an indefinably practical look about them.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on what made them different from the other guests.
Ash was always happy to talk to them, but he never targeted them as part of his business.
“Oh, I like Tina! She’s so Swedish.”
“I don’t know what that means,” Ash said.
“She’s from Sweden.”
“In that case, I do know what it means. Will you be OK if I leave you alone for a bit? I don’t think you want to be here for all the schmoozing.”
“Yeah, no problem!”
Ash grinned at her. “OK, then we rally at the emergency exit in twenty minutes, and by seven, I’ll be taking you someplace fun for dinner.”
“Limited quantity socializing, maximized fun,” said Harper cheerfully. She loved that Ash didn’t make her strain her allotment of people energy.
“Exactly! Go, Team Smoak and Ash!” He held up his hand, and Harper high-fived him with a laugh. His fingers closed around hers, and they held hands for a moment. “See you soon, Smoak,” he said with a smile that made her heart do backflips.
Harper dutifully talked to her engineering friends and then made her way toward the rally point.
The room had become crowded, and Harper had to edge her way through knots of people all chattering loudly.
Harper avoided an older woman’s cocktail as she emphasized a conversational point with her arm, sidestepped a large man, and then found herself eye-to-eye with Stephanie Richland.
Stephanie paused and looked Harper up and down with a tight smile.
Like at the birthday party, her blonde hair was sleekly swept up, but it was in a French twist this time.
She was in a black and white patterned shift dress that Harper thought was Balenciaga.
Stephanie was staring. Harper wanted to look away but felt like they had entered a glaring contest.
“You’re here,” said Stephanie. “What a surprise.”
Harper didn’t know how to react. She thought Stephanie didn’t look surprised—she looked pissed.
“Cute dress,” said Stephanie, “Loewe does drape so nicely. I take it Ash is buying your clothes now. Funny, he usually can’t keep track of designers. Emma used to pick out his clothes, you know.”
“Oh,” said Harper. “I guess that explains all those bags of shirts he donated.”
Stephanie glanced over her shoulder, and Harper followed her look to where Mason Richland was talking to Ash a few clusters of people away.
Mason matched his wife in black, and Harper tried to decide if his shirt sleeves were folded back in a casual style or if he was intentionally trying to display the large watch on his wrist.
“Well,” drawled Stephanie, pulling Harper’s attention back to herself, “I hope you enjoy the clothes. It’s always nice to keep a little something when a relationship ends.
Which it will, of course. I do hope you understand that.
I’m not trying to be mean. I’m just not sure you understand the facts.
Ash’s insistence on acting like he’s some sort of everyman is sweet, but he’s one of the wealthiest individuals on the West Coast, and you are…
what now?” Harper opened her mouth to respond, but Stephanie held up her hand.
“It doesn’t matter. The point is that you work for a living. ”
“Ash works—”
“Ash creates investment opportunities. Our kind of people produce money and jobs. You work for someone else. We are not the same. You can wear whatever designer you want, but everyone knows you don’t belong in the room.”
Harper had never heard anyone spell out the differences between the haves and the have-nots quite as clearly as Stephanie.
The attitude was pervasive in Harper’s family.
The unemployment of her mother and sister was a status symbol for the men in their lives, and working was an embarrassment.
Cooper had said repeatedly that his wife also wouldn’t work.
Until after the baseball game, Harper hadn’t realized that he had been talking about her.
Harper had never been able to delineate where the lines were or why they existed.
She only knew that she didn’t fit in. And now, thanks to Stephanie, she knew she never would—she liked her job and independence too much.
“Oh,” said Harper. “Thanks for explaining that.”
Stephanie blinked. “Glad I could help,” she said, then stared at Harper another moment. Harper stared back, not knowing what was expected of her. Stephanie gave a soft snort and stalked away.
Harper hurried toward Ash, suddenly anxious to leave, but slowed down as she approached. Mason had his arm around Ash’s shoulders, pulling him away from the crowd. Ash was twirling his phone by the pop socket attached to the back, which Harper knew meant he was uncomfortable.
“Look, Ash,” said Mason, and Harper hesitated. They weren’t looking at her, and now it felt like she was eavesdropping. “I know things have been awkward since you and Emma broke up.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry,” said Ash. “I just didn’t want to put you in the middle.”
“I appreciate that, but bros before hos or whatever.”
“What?”
“Sorry, I’m on my third glass of shitty wine. What I’m attempting to say is that just because you and Emma broke up doesn’t mean we’re not friends. And it also doesn’t mean that you need to delete me from your contact list.”
“I haven’t!”
“Really? Then why am I just now hearing about the Miller Project? You know that’s totally in my wheelhouse!”
“I’m not sending that one to anyone. It’s strictly vetting.”
“Well, send me the research! You know I can help. I’ve got three grad students this year. I’m barely grading anything. I’ve got loads of time.”
“Uh, well.” Ash’s phone made another flip. Harper didn’t know what the Miller Project was, but Mason was making Ash epically uncomfortable.
“And to be honest, this thing with Steph’s Dad is putting us in a bit of a bind.”
“Hey, baby!” said Harper. Baby was their code word. They both hated the nickname. Ash thought it sounded basic, and Harper thought it weird to refer to a romantic partner as an infant. If one of them used it, the other was supposed to immediately offer to leave.
“Oh,” said Mason, looking her up and down.
“Smoak,” Ash said, stepping away from Mason. “There you are. Mason, you remember Harper?”
“Didn’t think she was here tonight.”
Ash snapped the pop socket closed on his phone with a sharp click as he dropped it into his pocket.
“Have you had it up to your eyebrows in the creative hors d’oeuvres?” he asked Harper, holding out his hand. Harper took it, and he gave her fingers a squeeze. “Time to make a break for it?”
“I think we’re closing in on our reservation time,” said Harper.
They never had reservations to anywhere. Ash usually just bribed his way into a table.
“Right. Mason, sorry, we have to run. I’ll call you next week.” He began to back toward the exit, pulling Harper with him.
“I’ll text Romeo,” said Mason. “I know you won’t remember.”
“Yeah, you know me,” said Ash with a tight smile. “Come on, Harper.”
“Thanks,” he muttered as they exited.
“I thought maybe you didn’t want to be having that conversation,” said Harper.
“I didn’t. I guess I should have seen that coming. I’m sure Mason is fine, but I can’t send anyone remotely close to Emma the preliminary research on anything, let alone the Miller project.”
“You can’t?” asked Harper, puzzled. “Why not?”
“Yeah… it’s… Never mind. Thanks for the rescue.”
They had just settled into Ash’s Porsche, and Harper rested her head against the headrest. She knew she shouldn’t let Stephanie get under her skin, but she couldn’t help thinking that maybe Stephanie was right about her and Ash.
“I know I promised you a fun dinner,” said Ash, “but I think I’m kind of tapped out. I need to get back to the safety of the Batcave.”
“It can’t be a Batcave,” said Harper. “We’re Smoak and Ash, so it would make better sense to be a volcano lair. You know, for the fiery properties.”
“That is so obviously true that I can’t believe I didn’t think of it first,” said Ash. “I am going to get a cat so I can stroke it threateningly!”
“You’re not going to get a cat. You’re still worrying about Bob.”
“She had two yellow leaves! What if I used the wrong packing peanuts? Mom is usually on point about these things, but maybe I didn’t follow directions correctly. I’m not sure why everyone is trying to wedge everything into November.”
“Thanksgiving is coming up,” said Harper without moving her head.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Everyone’s trying to get one more fundraising event in before the holidays, but it’s a lot to keep up with.”
“Most people probably don’t go to all of them,” said Harper reasonably.
“You make a point,” he agreed.
“I promised my sister I’d go home to visit for a week at Thanksgiving.”
“You said you didn’t like her.”
“I’m still obligated to spend time with my family.”
“See, I don’t think you are,” said Ash. They pulled up at a stoplight, and he grabbed his phone and sent a text. “Did I mention the Miller Project to you?”
“I don’t think so?” Harper tried to remember. He got excited about some of his projects, but he didn’t always specify which was which. “Was that the one with the eyeball?”
“That bionic eyeball will be a giant shift in the marketplace if we get FDA approval. But, no. The Miller Project is Dr. Daniel Miller. I’m doing a technology valuation. Did I mention it?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so either,” he agreed. “I haven’t been talking to anyone, so how did Mason know about it?”
“I don’t know,” said Harper.
“Me neither. We’re doing Thanksgiving at Rowan’s this year.
I’m looking forward to it, but they didn’t invite Mom.
I’m lowkey pissed. Fortunately, she’s going to Palm Springs.
But Forest is bringing Chloe. They can’t invite our actual Mom, but they can invite the weird nanny?
I don’t know why we have to invite the staff. ”
“Oh, um. Maybe she didn’t have anywhere else to go, and he wants to be nice.
” Harper struggled to get the conversation back on track.
This seemed like her opportunity to mention the money.
“But anyway, I will be seeing other people. At home, I mean. And I wanted to wrap up all my obligations there.”
“Obligations?” Ash repeated, sounding confused.
“Yes, financial obligations.” Harper took a deep breath and prepared to ask about money. “It’s just that—”
Ash’s phone blared out the rapid-fire notes of Flight of the Bumblebee.
“Ah! Shit!” Startled, Ash snatched at his phone, but it slipped through his fingers and into her lap.
He grabbed for it again but just ended up planting his hands all over Harper’s thighs.
His palms were warm and firm, and his fingers seemed to curve over the tops of her thighs in a distractingly perfect way.
Startled by her reaction to Ash’s touch, Harper grabbed his phone and shoved it at him.
“Your phone always scares you,” she said breathlessly.
“It’s usually on vibrate,” said Ash, sheepishly. “But my mom overrides it.” He swiped up and put the phone back to his ear as he returned his other hand to the wheel. “Hey, Mom.”
Harper couldn’t hear the words, but his mother’s tone sounded frantic.
“Uh… Mom? Slow down. What? OK. Um. I will be right there. Just stay in the car.” He hung up and looked at Harper with a worried expression. “Someone broke into her house!”