Page 1 of Honey Sunshine

1

ZACH

FRIDAY—DAY ONE

“Hello?”

When I hear his voice, I don’t even think, I just answer like an idiot. “Alex?”

“Gotcha! Hey, you’ve reached Alex the Great’s honorable voicemail!”

I sigh, feeling foolish for piping up so quickly when I first heard him speak on the recording. I thought I’d actually get him, but... nope.

Of course it fucking wouldn’t be. Why would he ever pick up the phone on the first ring, much less the fourth or the sixth?

“Fucking hell,” I growl, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I hate you so fucking much right now, dude.”

“After the beep, please leave a message or text me, whatever’s good for you. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can—or not—whatever’s good for me, I guess. Unless it’s important, obviously. Anyhow... yeah, wow, you’re still here? I guess you can leave a message then! Here, the beep is coming. Watch this!”

There’s a pause, followed by the mechanized beep.

I suck in a breath, trying to edit my response into something that’s not incoherent screaming.

“Alex, where the hell are you? Actually, no, screw that. Remember that time your high-and-mighty royal ass tried to bribe a cop when you were caught drunk driving, and you called me to save that ass even though I had averyimportant dinner conference to attend? Do you remember? Because I do. Remember that‘I owe you’you fucking gave me? You don’t? I do and?—”

The men’s restroom door swings open without warning and I still, my body tensing like a mouse caught by a cat.

For a few seconds, I don’t dare turn from the corner I’m facing, which keeps me from seeing whoever just came in.

If it’s Judas, I’m going to absolutely lose it.

Or I’m going to run.

The uncertainty is what’s keeping me here.

After mustering enough courage, I slowly turn around. A sigh escapes me—louder than I intended, which betrays my nerves—as I spot the back of someone’s head at the urinal. My eyes are instantly drawn to the rich golden curls crowning his head, leading me to take in the sight of his broad back and expensive-looking suit.

Okay.

Okay, so long as it’s not the snake in human form that caused me to end up in this embarrassing situation where I’m desperately calling my best friend from the bathroom.

Crisis averted, I turn my attention back to my call. “Alex. I need to cash it in on that‘I owe you,’now. Like, fucking now,” I hiss into the phone, albeit much, much softer now. “Get here ASAP and play the part of myfuckingknight in shining armor—hell, even my boyfriend if you have to—because guess who I bumped into? JudasmotherfuckingSilva! You should have warned me he frequents this place, goddammit! So call me back before your voicemail changes to Alex theFuckingDead. Call me back,now.”

I push the button aggressively to end the call, and the sound of my finger smacking against the screen is loud.

Ugh!I huff a sigh. He won’t get back to me for another few hours, and that’sifI’m lucky. Alex is that one friend who disappears on you when you need him the most. Like I do now. I need him to repel that serpent before my very crucial lunch appointment with an investor that could either make or break my business.

If there’s one person that snake cannot stand, it’s Alex. Just his presence alone seems to annoy the fuck out of Judas. Probably because he outdoes Judas in terms of most things. Charisma. Looks. Wealth.

He just can’t stand coming in second, and that makes him play dirty. Disgustingly dirty.

Hanging up, I keep my head down while tucking my phone away. I’ve already made a scene, so I don’t want to see the weird look I know the stranger is probably giving me. I head over to wash my hands, tension filling the bathroom as I stare down at the running water.

Is he looking at me? Did he overhear my insane voicemail message?

My heart beats rapidly as I finish up, keeping my eyes down the entire time. I dry my hands quickly, before steeling myself to head back into the pit of pain, cringe, and a whole lot of frustration that comes in the form of my ex-boyfriend.

Why, oh why, did Judas have to choose this restaurant for lunch, when there are practically a hundred in downtown alone? And why, ohfuckingwhy, did I end up taking Alex’s advice and suggest this location to my potential investor for a meet up?

---