Page 29 of Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye

Sarah: I luv you, Princess x

Leia smiled wistfully at her childhood nickname and traded her phone for one of several cotton organza pinwheels she had cut that morning from a secondhand dress. That vintage shop next door has so many great finds! I must thank Simon for introducing me to the owner. A creak of the wooden stairs told her she’d have her chance sooner rather than later—Simon’s shift tending to customers was over, and he was free to design. Oh! He’s coming up. Pinning the organza to a piece of silk, she sniffed one more time as the door eased open. “Hey! Good day so far?”

“Not bad—for a rainy Thursday.” Wearing a pleased grin, Simon nudged the door closed with his elbow, a steaming cup of green tea and a bowl of Greek salad in his hands. “I sold two dresses before eleven. One’s been slow to move, so I’m taking it as a major victory.” His eyes flitted from Leia to her open garment bag to her dress form. “Looks like you’ve been busy, too.”

“Yeah, it’s taking shape—slowly.” She stepped away from the future prom dress and picked up her half-eaten chicken salad sandwich, which had been keeping three rolls of colorful Rockets candy company. “Do you work downstairs every day?” She took a big bite of the soft brown bread, covering her closed mouth with her hand as she chewed quickly.

“No, just Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings.” Simon placed his food on the table and sat down. “I’m closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I do most of my design work then when there’s no sales staff with questions, no phone calls—well, unless it’s my fiancé.” Picking up his fork, he spotted the unopened bag of ketchup chips Leia had brought in, his wide grin brightening the room. “Do you have a boyfriend back in New York?” Simon dug through his bowl of greens, unearthing colorful peppers, Kalamata olives, and chunks of Feta cheese.

“Uh, no.” She traded her lunch for a handful of pins and returned to the form, clearing her throat. “Too busy.” She attached another organza pinwheel, adding to the prom dress’s ruffled skirt. I can’t risk it, telling him about Tyler. Simon might Google him and ask a million questions—I’m not ready for that. Peering over her shoulder, she furrowed her brows. “The other night…is Freddie okay?”

“Yeah. He works in television production, and every time there’s a new job opportunity, they overlook him. This time they said he didn’t get it because he’s too valuable where he is.” Simon stabbed some greens with his fork and stuffed them in his mouth.

I know what that feels like. The thought made Leia queasy. It has to go well tomorrow. I need that full-time position. I just hope Tyler’s affairs, the gossip, and all that notoriety won’t harm my chances. “Aw, poor guy.” She tucked a hand under the skirt, working the fabric so it twirled and puffed like a silky cloud. “Have you set a wedding date?”

“Yeah”—Simon swallowed his mouthful of salad, his eyes cruising over Leia’s two cut-up dresses on the table—“December 21st. Freddie’s in charge, taking care of everything. I told him he can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn’t ask me to cosplay. He’s big into cons and sci-fi.” His gaze hopped up from the silky fabric. “Have you ever cosplayed? With a name like Leia…”

“No, Star Wars was my parents’ thing. My name is the collateral damage of their nerdiness.”

“Tarquin’s a huge Star Wars fan.” Simon dug his fork through his salad, banishing the olives to the bottom of his bowl.

Huge? “Yeah, I heard his ringtone.” Now’s the time to find out more about him. “Have you been friends long?”

“Well, I’ve known of Tarquin longer than I’ve actually been friends with him. I met him last summer through my friend Alex.” Forehead creased, he speared a pepper but didn’t eat it. He settled back in his chair, his lips twisting like he was figuring something out. “Late June, I think? He seemed nice at the time.”

Leia cocked an eyebrow. “At the time?”

“Oh, I barely said hi to the guy. It was at an event and they were on their way out. They actually broke up the next day. Tarquin went off to New York, and our paths didn’t cross again until last month. We have mutual friends, though—Harry and Lucy—so we’ve hung out a few times. We always end up talking business, much to the annoyance of Freddie and Lucy.”

A pin fell from Leia’s hand and she stooped to retrieve it. “Does Tarquin see Alex much?” She squeezed her eyes shut. Well, that sounded better in my head. Simon’s gonna think I’m jealous or interested or… shit. Stop lying to yourself—you ARE interested! She stood up and fussed with a ruffle, trying to appear nonchalant.

“They talk, yeah.” Simon shot her a wry smile. “Why?” He nibbled on the pepper.

He’s onto you. Leia shrugged, taking her time to answer. “It’s…just nice when exes stay friends.”

Simon shook his head. “I’ve never been able to manage it.”

“Me neither.” But for good reason. Leia stabbed a pin in her fabric. Before Tyler, high school Leia was in a relationship with a guy in her biology class. They broke up when he made an insensitive joke to his buddies about Sarah and her wheelchair. “I keep my distance.”

“Yeah. Tarquin can’t, though. Alex is like a sister to Harry. That’s how she met Tarq in the first place, through Harry. Their split caused ripples—Harry and Tarquin didn’t speak for a few months, but now they’re thick as thieves again. And Alex is back being friends with Tarq, too.” He set down his fork. “I give Tarquin credit. He offered the olive branch first. It couldn’t have been easy, especially with him being single and Alex happy with”—he made air quotes—“Britain’s sexiest TV star.”

“Oh my god.” Leia stopped pinning. “Who’s that?”

“Mark Keegan.”

Who? She pressed her lips together and shook her head.

“The Irish actor? Lairds and Liars?” Simon did a double take. “It’s that popular series set in 18th-century Scotland. You know, the former soldier avenging his wife’s death?”

Leia shrugged. “Never seen it.”

“You must’ve seen ads for Mark’s movie, A Promise Unspoken, though. His face is plastered on practically every double-decker bus in London.”

“Sorry.” Leia winced. “I honestly don’t know who he is.”

Simon snorted with mirth. “Well, Mark’s a huge deal here—one of the hottest actors around. Alex struggled with that at first, but they’re solid now. They’ve been together three years, I think.”

But how does Tarquin fit in?