Page 83 of Mark & Don't Tell

“You remembered,” I say with a grin.

“It wasn’t hard to forget. You never order anything different.” He rolls his eyes but smiles too. “And the Thai fried rice and tom yum soup for you.” Vic slides two containers toward Lincoln. “And the Pad Prik King for me and tom kha for us to split.”

I get up to grab three bowls for the soup and two more tumblers while Vic grabs the utensils.

“All the meetings went well?” I ask Linc.

“Everything is good. The distributor signed the contract, so we can start sending products to our Midwestern partners.”

There are only a few companies we agreed to sell wholesale to—sex positive shops that have the same core mission that Good Vibes does—and branching into other parts of the country is our first step in expansion.

I set the tumblers down, and Lincoln fills them for me and Vic while I split the soup. “And Daria?”

The few texts I exchanged with her in the group chat and individually were good, but it’s hard to read emotions in a message. I wish I could have seen her. I hate that I have to wait until the weekend.

“She’s doing great. Terrance has her working on graphics for the website, and he has nothing but good things to say.” Lincoln pushes his rice around. “She went home sick yesterday afternoon.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?” Vic asks.

“I was a little distracted.” Lincoln watches him pull out his phone and fire off a quick text.

My device chirps in my pocket, and I pull it out, looking at Vic’s message.

Vic

Little doe, are you sick?

Daria

I’m better today.

Vic

Should I come over?

Daria

I have plans with my brother tonight, but I’ll see you Saturday morning?

Vic

Send me a picture, so I know you’re okay.

Laughing at his demands, I take a drink, savoring the rich flavor of the whiskey. “She’s not going to send you—” Ding. “Well, shit,” I murmur, smiling at the picture of Daria that suddenly appeared.

She’s lying on a bed, facing a mirror and making a kissy face at her reflection the camera captures. Her nose is scrunched, and it’s cute as hell, especially with her curls framing her face.

Stop teasing me, or I might ask Vic to tell me where you live.

Daria

Did he tell you he’s been stalking me?

My friend is a bit unhinged, but it comes in handy from time to time.

“Screw you,” Vic says to me with a chuckle.

Daria

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