Chapter 23

April 6th

How has it not even been two weeks since my epiphany? I feel as if I have learned so much already. I decided to step out of my box and I don't know if I ever want to go back in. It's not easy. But I'm working hard on learning not only more about myself, but about these amazing people I have in my life. You can learn so much from those around you when you pay attention, and I am now paying attention.

Paige pushed open the door to Café Felix and waved to Felix behind the counter before turning to join her friends chatting in their corner.

"Hey! I'm sorry I'm late. Jack held me after work to discuss the ad rollout for the new romance line. We've had more submissions than ever after Lenora casually dropped that her book was going to be published by Griffin Romance. We've had to move up our press announcement."

Paige took a seat in her chair and smiled as Eli pushed forward the drink that he'd ordered for her. "How is it going with your billionaire alpha boss?" he asked.

"Actually, really well. We've reached this point where he flirts, I shoot him down, and it's like a challenge. He doesn't get mad about it and it's not awkward. It's actually pretty fun."

"Foreplay always is," Leah said with authority. "Until you walk in one day, and he's over it and shoves you onto the desk and has his way with you."

Paige shrugged because she'd thought about that scenario way too many times to count. "Enough about my sex life, or lack thereof. How are you all doing?"

Eli sighed and very dramatically rolled his eyes. "I catch Kenneth eyeing me every now and then, but that's it. I try not to be too obvious, but every so often I smile at him or tell him he's playing really well."

"Is he worth all of this, though?" Leah asked what Paige had been trying to find a more delicate way of asking.

Eli thought about it. Paige was beginning to realize how hard it was to truly ask yourselves these types of questions and actually be honest with yourself. "Eli, you're a great guy. Anyone would be lucky to be in a relationship with you," Paige said as Amelia and Leah nodded. "The real you, not some prim and proper variation of you."

Eli gasped and put his hand over his heart, clutching imaginary pearls. "Are you saying I'm not prim and proper?"

Amelia giggled. Leah snorted.

"There is nothing prim about you. Now, proper? Maybe seventy-thirty," Paige said with a laugh.

"I'll take being proper seventy percent of the time. That sounds about right," Eli said as the women all tried not to laugh. "Fine, thirty percent might be overshooting it. But let's just acknowledge Miss Paige's very mature advice."

Her friends gave her a golf clap before they all burst out laughing.

Eli's smile slid as he reached across the chair and took Paige's hand in his. "You're right though. I'm pretty damn special just how I am. I like Kenneth for who he is. If he can't see how fabulous I am, he's not the one."

The girls gave another round of golf claps as Eli gave a royal wave and bow.

"Speaking of liking someone for who they are," Eli said, staring at Leah. "Are you off the hook-up apps?"

Leah made a pouty face. "I am. On the downside, I haven't had sex for over a month. On the plus side, none of my stuff has been stolen."

"And what about being a badass at work? How is that going?" Paige asked. The two of them had talked privately after Paige had gotten back from the wedding about taking their careers to the next level.

This time Leah smiled. "It's going really well. I'm taking the advice of the badass heroines in business we've read and going to work with confidence. I told my boss I want more responsibility to prove I'm ready for the promotion to advertising marketing manager that they said will be announced in the next few weeks."

"That's fantastic," Amelia said, truly happy for her friend. This was what Paige needed them all to see. They were lucky. They had support and love right here. They could talk and learn from each other and then cheer each other on in both their personal and professional lives.

"I was put on a huge pitch as Noah's second. He manages the projects overall with marketing and creative. If it goes well, the promotion might be mine," Leah explained.

"And maybe you'll get Noah along with that promotion," Eli said, giving Leah a wink.

"No. It's not like that. He's the only one who respects me as a member of the team."

"Leah, he invited you to The Red Door. He wants you," Paige said bluntly.

"He's not my type," Leah said for the hundredth time as she fidgeted with her hot chocolate mug. "He's kind of nerdy, super smart, doesn't stare at my boobs, and is really nice and respectful of me and my ability to do my job."

"If you don't want him, can I have him because he sounds pretty perfect?" Paige asked, earning a glare from Leah. "Ha! You do like him."

"He's not my type," Leah said again.

"I think we can admit your type of loser hook-ups isn't your real type. Maybe someone like Noah really is your type," Amelia pointed out.

"He's," Leah paused, her jaw dropping as she stared at the door, "here."

Paige turned to look as a man maybe six to eight years older than her, wearing a navy suit and royal purple tie, stepped through the door and looked around while he adjusted the leather satchel he was carrying. Leah was right. He wasn't her usual type at all, but he was hot in the way a man who can do mathematics in his head is hot. He was around five foot ten. He was lean, but definitely in shape. His brown hair was cut in what Paige would call a politician's cut, but one loose piece was hanging over the sexiest pair of chocolate eyes. He looked confidently around until his eyes landed on Leah's shocked face. Paige saw him look momentarily nervous, but then he squared his shoulders and strode over to them.

"Hi Leah. I wondered if you would be here." Leah sat motionless, stunned, and no words were coming out of her usually sassy mouth. Noah turned to the group and smiled. It was a good smile. It was kind, smart, and a little mischievous all at once. There was more to meet the eye with Noah—well, he did have a membership to The Red Door. "You must be Leah's book club she's always talking about. Hi. I'm Noah, her co-worker."

"My boss," Leah finally got out.

Noah smiled again as Eli and Paige shared a look that said they'd been right. This man wanted Leah and he was done waiting for her. "Not for much longer. I'm sure you'll get that mid-level marketing job and we'll both be considered management."

"Well," Paige said, coming to Noah's rescue before Leah could argue with him. "I'm Paige Turner. It's nice to meet you. Leah has told us how much she likes working with you."

Noah's face softened. "I like working with her too. Leah is so creative. It balances out my numbers side really well. We make a good... team."

"I'm Amelia Brown. It's lovely to meet you." Amelia shook hands with Noah who then turned to look at Eli.

"I'm Eli Trumpano and I'll go ahead and say it for everyone—thanks for the passes to The Red Door."

Leah choked on a sip of her hot chocolate. Noah looked amused. "I'm glad you enjoyed them. I'll let you know when we have another guest night."

"What part of The Red Door do you like the most?" Eli asked as Amelia had to reach over and begin to hit Leah on the back as she coughed. "Leah's the most adventurous of us, but Amelia shocked us all by learning how to flog someone. It's always the quiet ones who have the craziest sex lives." He paused and surveyed Noah appraisingly, "You seem like a quiet one."

Noah smiled again, this time not hiding the mischievousness. Eli nailed it. Noah seemed like the quiet one with a crazy sex life and by his not replying to Eli, he confirmed it. That, and the way he managed to look at Leah as if she were already splayed out naked on the table, was fire. Like, Paige saw flames in his eyes, type fire.

"So, what brings you here tonight?" Paige asked, earning a relieved look from Leah.

"Leah always talks about this place so when I was on this side of town, I thought I would stop by and check it out. Am I interrupting book club?" Noah asked politely.

"Yes," Leah said at the same time Eli said, "No."

"Would you care to join us?" Paige asked.

"Leah?" Noah asked instead of answering Paige.

Leah looked up with surprise. "You're asking me?"

Noah smiled at her. "It's your book club. I don't want to impose where I'm not wanted."

"We're talking about a romance book we just read. I'm sure they're not literary enough for you."

Noah opened his satchel and pulled out a copy of this week's small town romantic suspense book. "I thought it was wonderful. The action was well written. The male lead was strong, but respectful. And the heroine was plucky and not an airhead."

"Have a seat!" Eli said, gesturing to the loveseat where Leah was sitting. Amelia quickly got up and squeezed into the chair with Paige.

"How did you know we were reading this book?" Leah asked quietly as if she were trying to get some privacy from the group.

"Don't you realize by now that I notice everything about you? Even the title of the book you read during lunch or sometimes while you hide in your office instead of working. I thought I would check it out and see what was so engrossing. I have to admit, I thought romance books were just cliché. But while there are some cliché moments, they're very feminist, aren't they?"

Leah looked shocked. Paige felt shocked. Amelia's eyes were bugging out of her head. Eli nodded sagely. They weren't used to men coming right into their group and seeing that.

"Yes, they are," Leah said, finally finding her voice. "It's because the vast majority of authors of romance books are women. The dumb blonde stereotype is a male creation to prove their superiority over women who are too shallow to do anything but exist as an object of male desire. However, when women write romance, they show very clearly that is not what turns them on. Romance authors are leaders in normalizing women's healthy sexuality and the kind of characteristics we find attractive in both men and women. The men are smart and strong, yet vulnerable to love. It might be hard for them, but by the end of the book they've grown to express their feelings, desires, and always make sure the woman is satisfied both physically and emotionally."

"Preach, sister!" Amelia shouted and then ducked back to try to hide behind Paige when Felix looked over in surprise.

"I must admit, I'm a numbers man," Noah said, pulling a tablet from his satchel. "I was shocked when I got into the numbers of romance books. Readership isn't all female, but the vast majority is. However, over the years it's grown to include a good percentage of men as well as people of all races and sexual preferences. Further, I had no idea it was the top selling genre in publishing."

Everyone stared at him as pie charts were produced, one after another.

"I don't know if I'm horrified or turned on right now," Leah muttered as she looked at the breakdown of authors, readers, genres, and more that Paige couldn't see.

"Sorry," Noah said with a little grimace. "I told you I'm a numbers guy. When I see something interesting, I dive in and study it."

"Oh my bookworm, you and Leah would be perfect," Paige blurted out. Leah blushed. Noah smiled. "Not like that, well, maybe like that, but for Griffin Publishing. I'm launching the new romance line under Griffin Publishing for our top selling authors and newest voices instead of the romance imprint. We are working on an ad campaign, but nothing is sitting right for Jack or me yet."

"Jack, as in Jack Griffin?" Noah asked for clarification.

"That's right. I can't promise anything but a pitch. Are you and Leah up for it? I'll only do it if Leah's on the team. She knows romance better than any of us."

"Are you serious?" Leah asked. "I would be honored. I know how hard you've worked to get to where you are."

"I'll talk to Jack about it in the morning, but expect it to move fast as the press release is set for one week. Now, enough work talk. Noah, what did you think of the quirky secondary character used for comic relief?"