I smiled apologetically at her and started to stand. “He’s one of the biggest clients of the firm and he’s taken a shine to me, and although some of the partners don’t like it, everybody agrees that the firm would assign to him whomever he wanted. And he wants me, so ….”

I kissed her cheek. “This is what it’s like, honey.”

The four of them stood, preparing to see me off when Shane slapped her forehead, “Oh, I’m sorry I forgot to tell you that I parked your car in the parking building where Helena and Kit maintain parking slots for “Hit” VIPs.”

Earlier, when Alice had asked where I’d parked, and I’d told her, she and Shane both exclaimed that the parking hours on that street had changed because of some construction so it was likely that I’d have to move my car right away. Shane had offered to move it and park it somewhere that they knew would be safe to park in.

“That’s at least a 10 minute or so walk from here, in her heels, isn’t it?” Helen asked, frowning. “And then she’ll be stuck in awful traffic just to get to Melrose, much less make her way to the 101?”

Aerin stood, “Well I’m parked just behind this café, and, I think from here we can hop on the 101 faster than that, so I could take you to your office, Harley.”

I hooked my arm around Aerin’s, and asked, no purred, “Well you’ll have to drive me around for the evening, too, honey, because I’ll have no other way to get around.”

“Eahh, that’s what a girlfriend does, Harley,” Alice waved her hand dismissively.

“Girlfriend, huh?” I mouthed to Aerin, who reddened considerably.

“You won’t mind me hanging around your office?” she asked after Helena teased her about my new quasi-girlfriend status.

“Oh, you’ll be well-distracted in the office I think, between the men who’ll keep trying to get your number and the women who’ll be trying to score a dress and look like yours,” I answered with a laugh, and then caressed the forearm I’d hooked my arm around possessively. Does she consider me her girlfriend?

She shook her head, still blushing from the gentle ribbing she was getting from her friends.