Page 2 of Silver Foxed

“I will,” I say as I pull up to the garage. I use the clicker Janie gave me this morning, and the door opens. “If I don’t talk to you, I’ll see you later this week at my birthday dinner.”

“Sounds good, honey. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

The phone call ends, and I turn off the ignition before staring at my green eyes in the rearview mirror. I have my long red hair pulled up into a high ponytail and no makeup on so I can see the patterns of freckles across my face. With all the time I plan on spending at the lake and pool this weekend, I’ll not only go through a gallon of sunscreen, but I’ll probably leave with twice the freckles. Something my ex-fiancé would’ve commented on.

He claimed he liked my freckles but always made it seem otherwise. For my birthday last year, he bought me the ugliest straw sunhat to wear with a massive brim, claiming it was “fashionable” and would keep the sun off my face when we went for walks or out together during the day. Fashionable, my ass.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts of him. “Nope. Nope. We’re not going to think about stupid Sean!” I yell out loud, my cheeks turning strawberry red from the force of my voice. “You’re leaving here a badass bitch, Alexandra Martin. An even hotter, ready-to-have-some-fun badass bitch.”

With my mantra now playing in my head, I get out of the car, ready to start my self-care weekend.

Chapter two

Elijah

I’ve never been one for the outdoors. Yet I find myself parked outside a lake house of all places in a town called Starlight Haven.

It’s…quaint. Okay, it’s more than quaint. The town I drove through to get here is, but this house is—ostentatious, to say the least. I don’t even have to go in to know the inside is decorated to perfection. Though I would expect nothing less from Oliver’s wife.

Ping!

I slip my aviators over the neck of my T-shirt and unbuckle my seatbelt, pulling my phone from the charger to find one new text waiting for me.

OLIVER: You make it there alright?

ELIJAH: I’m arriving now.

OLIVER: Enjoy your weekend. Remember to relax. I don’t want to hear from you or see you online at all. No work, or I’ll fire you.

The corner of my mouth turns up in a grin as I type out a response.

ELIJAH: You’d never fire me.

OLIVER: Then I’ll give you all our problem clients. I hear Deb is looking for a consult.

I bristle when I see the name of my ex-wife on the screen.

ELIJAH: You wouldn’t.

OLIVER: I would.

ELIJAH: …

OLIVER: Like I said, I’d better not see you online. Don’t even look at your email. Nothing. Take one weekend off. You deserve it.

ELIJAH: I’m going to HR with this text chain.

OLIVER: I’ll say it wasn’t me. They’ll believe me because nobody thinks an old man like me can text.

ELIJAH: You just outed yourself.

There’s a long pause before his text comes through.

OLIVER: Elijah Astor…

OLIVER: Take the damn weekend off. I’ll talk to you on Monday.

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