Page 45 of Until I Own You

I gape and smack my hand over my mouth.

“Yeah. I know. So, after years of covering up for that piece of shit, he ran off with Dory’s wife. Well, ex-wife now. Left him with a little girl too.”

“Aww…” I say.

Abigail slaps my arm. “Don’t aw that!”

“He’s a single dad. That’s cute.”

“No. He got what was coming to him.”

I frown.

“Besides, he leaves his little girl with his parents all the time while he travels and goes to weddings and–”

“I think you’re too hard on him.”

Abigail’s face grows red. “He’s a jerk, okay? And no one needs to get involved in his mess. That’s all. I’m protecting you.”

Saved by the buzz in my pocket. “Alright, alright…” I pull out my phone and open the message.

It’s from the automated BDSM Underground concierge. I frown.

Your appointment at two-thirty has been confirmed.

“Huh…”

“What? What is it?” Abigail sticks her nose over my arm to look at the message. She gasps. “Bridget! You’re going to finally rip off the band aid?”

I swipe my phone out of her line of sight. “No! I didn’t make an appointment. This must be a mistake. Or…” A light bulb goes off in my head. “You’re kidding me.”

“What? What?” Abigail gabs my arm.

I shake my head with a chuckle. “Sonia.”

Abigail frowns. “Sonia?”

It’s as clear as day to me. An unexpected appointment in the Underground? “She’s trying to push me to…you know.”

“Do a scene?” Abigail looks down her freckled nose at me.

I sigh. “Yeah.”

Of course, Sonia would arrange this when she’s impossible to contact on her honeymoon island retreat and I can’t call her to yell at her.

“I’m sorry, Abs, I have to go deal with this.”

Abigail smiles. “No big. I’ve got to get back to some grad school work anyway. And…maybe you should consider going and enjoying yourself.”

I open my mouth to protest but am interrupted when the seamstress drops the bag of my fabric yards in front of me. “On your tab?”

“Please.” I swipe the bag. “Thanks.”

I give Abigail one last look.

She’s smirking.

“Stop thinking about it.”

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