Page 39 of Sack

P.S. This one has all its keys.

The message made her smile. It wasn’t signed but she’d have to be an idiot to not know who it was from.

Taking a steak knife from the utensil drawer, she sliced through the packing tape and opened the flaps. Nestled between two foam protectors, sat a shiny, silver laptop.

Holy Sith.

She reached out and stopped, her fingers hovering. She didn’t want to leave fingerprints. Then she laughed at her own foolishness. How else would she take it out of the box?

Reaching for it, again she hesitated. Could she accept it?

She really wanted to.

She could always tell Colt to take the price for it off what he owed for her services. That would make a huge dent in her bottom line, and she would have never bought such an expensive computer for herself, but it would make accepting it easier.

Decision made, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and called him.

He answered.

She panicked.

She assumed she’d get his voicemail since he was at practice. But when his deep voice came over the line, the carefully thought-out message she planned to leave flew from her head.

As well as her ability to demonstrate concise and intelligent speech.

“Oh. Um, hi. This is Ivy. But you probably already know that from caller ID.” Then she stupidly nervously giggled. Giggled! Gah. “Anyway, I hope I’m not disturbing you. Honestly, I thought I would get your voicemail. Why aren’t you out on some football field somewhere? No, don’t answer that. It’s none of my business. Anyway, again—because I’ve already said that onc—”

“Ivy.”

She stopped talking, and bowed her head, closing her eyes through his chuckle. “Yeah?”

“I answered because we’re on lunch break.”

She glanced at the kitchen wall clock. It read twelve fifteen.

He was still talking. “Did you get the package?”

“That’s why I’m calling. First, let me say thank you. That was very thoughtful.”

“Why do I hear a but coming?”

She smiled. “But. Unless I deduct its cost from my fee, I can’t accept it.” He was silent so long, she thought they lost connection. “Hello?”

“New rule. I’m allowed to give you gifts.”

“Wait. What? No. You can’t just make that a rule.”

“Per our agreement, I can.”

“Don’t we have to agree on new rules?”

“Not per our agreement. Rule number three stated, we have the right to add rules at any time we see fit. And I see fit.”

“Wehave the right. As in you and me together.”

“No.We,as in youorI.”

“You’re twisting things to suit your purpose.”

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