Page 96 of The Guy Who Became My Grumpy Boss

“I don’t. It’s for a friend.” I paused. “For nostalgia.”

Anna went to the shelf, pulled the animal down from its perch, and handed it to me. “On the house.”

“I’d rather pay for it,” I said.

“Nope.” She patted me on the back, then steered me toward the door. “That thing belongs to whomever you’re about to give it to.”

“But—”

“Go on.” Before I knew it, Anna had shoved me out of the shop and back onto the street.

With the pangolin in my hands and the knowledge of the nearest Hawaiian restaurant, I decided to visit Marissa.

I owed her something. I wasn’t sure what, but I felt like I should speak with her before Jessica and I went out the following night.

Once I’d procured what I hoped was a meal Marissa actually enjoyed, I grabbed a ride share and arrived at her place.

I wondered how I should approach Marissa. Since I was once again out of my depth, I could only speculate so far before I lost the train of the conversation that might happen. After several tries at a text, I went with something simple.

Peter:Marissa, I’m outside your building. May I come up? I have treats.

I bit my lip, a habit I’d noticed I’d adopted from Jessica, andwaited.

Part of me wondered if she would ignore me. Or perhaps tell me to get lost—only in much more colorful terms.

A few minutes passed. I’d sat on a bench to enjoy the last few minutes of dusk before the city was plunged into darkness.

The moment felt like my life. I was about to end one chapter of myself and start another. Not a total rewrite, but an addition. Hopefully a good one.

An alert came up on my phone.

I took a breath before swiping it to life.

Marissa:I’ll buzz you in.

Knowing how I felt when I was going into something unfamiliar helped me understand how Marissa might be feeling. We’d both be uncomfortable, and that was fine.

As promised, the door to the building unlatched as soon as I arrived.

A memory swam to the surface of my mind as my fingers touched the handle.

I’d opened the door to our office building for Jessica, just over a week ago. Life had changed so much since then that I knew I would never be the same, no matter what happened here with Marissa or tomorrow with Jessica.

The elevator ride up to Marissa’s apartment was uneventful, and I found her door open when I reached it.

A shot of alarm ran through me, and I knocked. “Marissa?”

“Come in.” Her voice floated from the sitting room.

Marissa had done well for herself. This was a large apartment that likely cost her a small fortune each month, but I doubted it was a financial burden for her.

Had she really wanted to be a park ranger? She was exceptionally good at investments and excellent with customers.

“In here.” Her normally upbeat voice was flat.

I left the stuffed animal on a table, just in case this went badly and she threw me out, then steeled myself and walked into the immaculately decorated sitting space. The furniture was simple, the lines crisp and the colors perfectly contrasting. I could easily make a bouquet with this same pallet, and it would be gorgeous.

Marissa sat on a couch with her casted leg up and a cream-colored Afghan thrown over her lap and other leg.

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