Page 386 of Dark Love

Why does he want to know that? Um…

Dahlia: Yes

My phone rings almost immediately.

“Morning,”

His rough voice sends a shiver down my spine. Did he just wake up? Is he still in bed? Don’t think about him like that! “Good morning. How are you?” Smooth. So smooth. You sound like a prim grandmother.

“Dahl, I should have called you yesterday, but something came up.”

Oh. Oh. See. He was busy, not ignoring you. “That’s okay. I had a long day at work and then my neighbor’s daughter showed up.” There’s no need to mention their intervention or falling asleep in the backyard with Max. As it is, I overshared. Vex doesn’t need to know all of that.

“When can I see you?”

Now! But that isn’t possible. “I work all week.”

“Quit.”

He is joking, but it’s still sweet. “You work weekends, and I work weekdays.” This isn’t going to work.

“But I’m the boss. I can take you to dinner on Friday.”

“You shouldn’t miss work…”

“Are you trying to let me down easy, Dahlia?”

“No. No. Nothing like that. I just…” My eyes go to the table.

“Then what is it?”

How do I even explain it? “Last weekend wasn’t real. And I’m afraid… I don’t know. I’ve never met a man like you. And what if on Friday you’re different? Or I’m different? And you realize we can’t be friends.”

“Dahl, last weekend was very real.”

But I’m working hard to pretend it wasn’t.

“You don’t need to worry. It’s just a meal.”

But I am worried. I like a man that I shouldn’t like way more than I should. “Just a meal?”

“And a movie afterwards.”

“Will you try not to be too perfect? It’s intimidating.” No. No. No. “Ignore that. I didn’t say that.”

He chuckles.

The joy spreads through me, pushing out the stress of the morning.

His phone rings in the background.

“Do you need to get that?”

“Probably.” Vex doesn’t hang up.

It’s my turn to laugh, but I do it silently.

The caller doesn’t hang up. “Where do you want to go for dinner?” Vex ignores it.

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