I stopped at Kina’s place on the way home. We’d met in college where we’d been roommates, and the friendship had lasted. She buzzed me up to her apartment, and I hugged her when she opened her door.

“I was expecting you,” she said.

“Why?”

I dropped my bag and coat on the couch and sat down.

Kina shrugged. Her blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and she had already changed out of her work clothes into something more comfortable. I worked later than most people. When you’re married to your job, that tends to happen.

“Because we haven’t seen each other this weekend. You always do it like this. Drop in after a long time of being absent.”

I chuckled. “I need to change it up. I’m becoming predictable.”

Kina put on a pot of coffee in the open plan kitchen and leaned with her elbows on the counter.

“So, what’s new?” she asked.

“I got a new project today,” I said.

“Who is it this time?”

“Football player. Hanson Bell.”

Kina raised her eyebrows. “Impressive.”

“No more than the others,” I said. “I see too many famous people.”

Kina laughed. “Oh, excuse us, your majesty.”

I shook my head. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, I work with a lot of people who think they’re God’s gift to mankind, who only realize almost too late that they’re just as flawed as the rest of us.”

Kina nodded, grinning. “Right.”

I rolled my eyes. The coffee was ready, and she turned to fill two cups. She added sugar to mine but no milk. To hers, no sugar and a splash of half-and-half. She walked around the kitchen counter and handed me my mug.

“I’ve heard of this guy,” Kina said. “Hanson Bell. His name comes up every now and then.”

“Which is why I’ve been called in. Apparently, he’s been suspended, and having him back is going to cost him.”

Kina smiled, sipping her coffee. I blew on the top of mine.

“I don’t care how bored you are with Miami’s elite. It still sounds interesting to me, every time you get a call to help a new PR client. Other people fix things. You fix people. That’s exciting.”

I shook my head. “I don’t fix them. You know how I feel about it. I just show them how to hide it well enough so it doesn’t become a problem for the rest of us. Everyone has secrets.”

It was a statement I lived by. Everyone had secrets. People accepted or rejected you based on what they knew about you, not on what they didn’t. Once you understood that, you had the power to create your image and keep the things that really mattered away from those who didn’t deserve to see it.

“You have your job cut out for you,” Kina said. Then after a pause, as if she wasn’t sure she should say it, she added, “They always choose you for the men.”

“The men?” I wrapped my fingers around the coffee cup. “What are you talking about?”

Kina smiled. “Oh, come on. I’ve never said it before but don’t act like you don’t know. You’re hot. You work out and you dress well. You have that spunky hairstyle, and those eyes that grab attention. That hourglass figure reminiscent of Christina Hendricks or Marilyn Monroe. They give you the men as your clients because you can wrap any man around your little finger.”

I shrugged. Kina was right; it was true. Men were just that much easier to influence when it came down to the ever-important sphere of public image.

“It’s not my fault they listen to me,” I said innocently.

Kina laughed. “If I had a dollar for every time you told me it wasn’t your fault they fell for you.”

“Hey, this is business. I don’t mix business and pleasure.”

Kina nodded, finishing her coffee. She leaned forward and put the cup on the coffee table.

“You’re right. I know that about you.”

She hesitated again and then asked another question. Kina and I had known each other for so long that it was impossible to keep things— whether they be questions or answers— from each other.

“So, what about Luke? What’s happening there?”

I finished my coffee, too, and put down my cup. “I broke it off with him.”

Kina sighed. “Why?”

“Because he was getting serious. He wanted more, and I didn’t want to give him more.”

Kina shook her head. “You can’t keep pushing everyone away,” she said.

“I’m not. I told him from the start that I didn’t want anything other than sex from him. He’s a guy. He’s supposed to be happy about that. I don’t want a relationship.”

Kina kept shaking her head. “One day, you’re going to meet someone and realize all you’ve been doing was waiting for Mr. Right to sweep you off your feet.”

I chuckled. “I don’t think so. I don’t do relationships because I don’t need them. I’m happy alone. If I can sleep with them, I’ve gotten what I need. What’s so wrong about that? Men do it all the time, and no one questions them.”

“You’re right,” Kina said, picking up one of the throw pillows and hugging it to her chest. “I just think that you should have given Luke a chance. He was a nice guy. He treated you right, and he wanted to commit. Do you know how hard it is to find that combination?”

“When I get around to looking for those qualities, specifically, you can weigh in more and I’ll let you know what I think. Until then, I’m happy with my life and what I’m doing with it. I don’t need a man. You don’t have to worry about me. You know this is how I do it. Besides, when I don’t have someone distracting me, I can give my job my all. My career is important to me.”

“There’s more to life than work, you know.” Kina wasn’t going to let this go. “You’re already twenty-eight. Shouldn’t you start settling down?”

“Shouldn’t you start minding your own business?”

Kina laughed and held up her hands in defense. “Okay, okay,” she said. “I’ll drop it. I won’t talk about men again until you bring it up, okay?”

“I’d like to see that,” I said. “But I don’t think you know how to not talk about it.”

Kina made a face at me. She was still smiling, though.

“I only give you my unsolicited advice because I care about you,” she said.

I knew she was telling the truth. She truly was just worried about me. I understood that.

What she didn’t seem to understand was that I was perfectly happy being alone. I was good at my job, good in bed, and good at keeping both of those areas of my life separate. I was good at not getting involved.

And my way of doing things suited me just fine, no matter what Kina had to say about it. Even though I knew her concerns were coming from a place of love, I didn’t think I should listen because my life was already perfect just the way it was.