Page 63 of Yours Temporarily

If I didn’t rely on a ride from Jeremy, I would’ve left before the dance, but of course, he offers a silent invitation to the dance floor. My heart races, and I grit my teeth. He has such an effect on me, yet tonight, our relationship ends.

I shiver when his palm rests on my waist, pulling me into an orbit of warmth and closeness. I feel so safe and secure in his embrace. My heart aches, and my arms wrap around him as if I can hold onto this moment, this memory.

“Is everything okay?” he whispers in my ear, causing me to stiffen. I refuse to showcase my emotional attachment. Jeremy dislikes clinginess, the kind Sonya has demonstrated these past few days.

“I think I need to catch up on sleep.” I shudder against his shoulder. I’ll be staying alone at Hope’s house tonight. It’s good because I can cry it out but also bad because my singleness will be the only thing consuming my mind.

“It’s been a long week.” His fingers caress my back, smoothing along the layers of my strapless pink dress. “As soon as the dance is over, I can drive you.”

“Let’s stay until the bride and groom leave.” I whisper in his ear. I wouldn’t want to take him away from his brother’s ceremony.

He doesn’t say much to me the rest of the night. He’s probably sensed my withdrawal. We make a tunnel outside, and cold air seeps into my bare shoulders as we throw confetti over the bride and groom. Their smiles are broad beneath the fairy lights.

Then a coat drapes over me, and warmth embraces me as Jeremy whispers. “You need this more than I do.”

“Thanks.” Loud claps cover my response as the couple hurries into the limousine.

Minutes later, Jeremy and I are in the car as he drives me back to Hope’s house.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks, his gaze on the winding road.

I ease off his coat, already missing the scent of him as I put it on the back of my seat. There’s no need to wait any longer. So I also slide off the ring and tuck it in the console. “I’ll leave your ring here.”

“Oh!” Is he surprised? It’s hard to see his face as we drive the mountain road. The headlights guiding our path only reveal his silhouette. “I bought the ring for you.”

“But our agreement ends today.” Unless you want to change the terms? I hold my breath, almost expecting him to say something. But he doesn’t, and I won’t be that girl clinging to him if he doesn’t want me.

“If you say so.”

He doesn’t say anything else until he parks in the driveway and comes around the car. The ranch-style homes aren’t far from each other. All are vibrant with light, save for the silence that indicates everyone is in bed.

He still opens the car door for me, but unlike the other times when he hovers closely, he steps far from the door as I step out this time.

“’Nite,” he whispers, and I manage a thank you. As I walk toward the door, I sense him looking at me, but I don’t look back. I punch in the code, and the beep signals.

As soon as I close the door, I toss my clutch bag and lean my head against the door. My heart thunders as fear invades me. I’ve made the worst decision to hand back the ring.

But I can’t be clingy. Jeremy needs to use his words and not have me guessing whether he’s in the mood to want me or not. I run a hand through my hair and groan. “What have I done, God?”

If I’d asked God before I started playing this façade, would things be different now?

CHAPTER 23

Zuri

Squinting against the screen’s glow, I reread the financial spreadsheets Jeremy crafted last month outlining my café’s future. I don’t have to scroll back to two months ago to look at the projections he’d made for the remodel, mostly taking down the wall. I had to pay the architect and laborers, expenses I hadn’t expected I’d be responsible for given that I didn’t own the building. But it wasn’t on the company’s agenda to change the appearance of my café, so that was fair. Good thing Jeremy invested in the café.

I skim the current list to the additional refrigerator for cold teas and calorie-free beverages, the artisan bakery supplies, and the employee start-up payments, all of which came to mind later when Jeremy brought it to my attention.

Then I read the four necessary insurances we added to the café’s expenses. General liability, product liability, workers’ comp, and business interruption. I hadn’t anticipated any kind of insurance plan when I drafted what I needed for the business, but man, it’s a must.

With the grand opening a week away, doubt gnaws at me. What was I thinking when I took on a huge business venture?

Tomorrow, I’ll be meeting with the servers. Some are former employees of Carol’s Café, who agreed to stay on and work for me. I had to persuade a couple of them with a slight increase in their hourly pay, especially since the prolonged reopening left them out of work for months. It only worked out for them to wait for me because one of them tutors international students at night, and the other works virtually as a telemarketer during the night shift.

I scroll with the mouse, reading the list, and smile as I remember that Jeremy insisted on buying two registers and a computer dedicated to online orders. We have another employee to man the website and focus on the online orders, which will come in handy once customers embrace online ordering.

I click at the top to open another tab for my blog. A blank page I’d opened intending to share the café’s updates, but I don’t feel like typing anything today.

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