Page 109 of The Woman with the Wallet

“You know, I won’t work any faster with you breathing down my neck,” Lil said as she answered the door.

That was fair. This was the fourth time in as many days that I’d ‘dropped by’ to ‘check on the progress.’

Lil had healed up pretty well thanks to a rotating number of Family members and their wives checking in on her, doting on her, and helping her recover. Still, there was a scar near her eye that would always serve as a reminder of what she’d been through.

“But it’s kind of sweet, so I’m not annoyed by it,” Lil told me, stepping back from the door to invite me in.

“I actually just finished this morning,” she told me as she moved behind her desk. “Are you ready for it?”

You’d think I would be nervous as fuck about this step. But all I felt was a sort of calm. Like every cell in my body knew this was the right step.

“Fuck yeah.”

To that, Lil beamed at me as she handed me the little navy blue velvet ring box.

Inside of it was the physical ring I’d seen the drawings of several weeks before. At the center was the one single diamond we had left from the heist. It was the one Max had left with Lil for safekeeping. Then had forgotten all about almost immediately after.

“Fuck, Lil. It’s perfect.”

She’d somehow managed to make something beautiful without making it too feminine and fussy, things we both knew Max would hate.

“I know, right? It’s almost like I’m good at what I do.”

“The best,” I agreed.

“So, when are you going to propose?”

“This weekend. Unless a better moment presents itself before then. Make sure you keep a spot in your calendar open for being a bridesmaid.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Lil said as I reached for an envelope in my pocket to pass to her, the rest of the money I owed her for the ring. “I can’t believe Max is about to get engaged. But then again, I couldn’t believe that she’d fallen for you. Or moved in with you. Or—“

“Really building up my confidence here, Lil,” I said with a little chuckle.

“Come on. You know what I mean.”

“I do. But this is one of those pot/kettle situations, don’t you think?”

“Hey, I love love!” Lil said, shrugging. “I just can’t fathom sharing my space with someone. Fighting over covers, nothaving any hot water, having someone constantly annoying me with questions about my day and feelings…”

“Oh, Lil. It’s gonna be a real treat to watch you fall one day. And word to the wise… just get separate covers,” I said as I made my way to the door. “Thanks again for this,” I told her, waving the ring box before I slipped it into my pocket.

It felt heavy.

With meaning. With plans. With our hopes for the future.

“Okay. Alright,” Max said, rushing toward me as soon as I opened the door, hands up. “Remember how much you love me?” she asked.

“What’d you do?” I asked. “Take my sister to a male strip club again?”

“In my defense, I didn’t know it was a strip club,” Max said. “And it’s really not my fault that she volunteered to go on stage. But, no. Well, you know how I had a job this morning?”

“The salt & pepper shaker collection, right?”

Max snorted. “That’s the one.”

“Did it go alright?” I asked, stiffening.

As much as she worried about my job, I worried about hers as well. Even if time had shown she was a fucking pro at what she did.

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