Page 91 of Manic

Aziza laughs a warm, rich sound. "Oh honey, trust me, it's not an age thing. It's a man thing."

"Great," I mutter, "so I have this to look forward to forever?"

Starla grins, pointing her knife at me. "Welcome to the club, sweetheart. Our men drive us wild, and not always in the good way."

I can't help but chuckle at that, "So what's your secret? How do you deal with it?"

"Patience," Aziza says, her voice gentle. "And remembering that they're not doing it to hurt us. They're just...processing things differently."

I nod, considering her words.

My phone buzzes again.

It has to be another message from Tor.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself.

"All right," I say, more to myself than the others. "I guess I better see what he has to say."

My phone buzzes again, but it's not Tor.

I glance down to see Dasha's name on the screen.

Frowning, I open the message.

Hey boss, you really coming in tomorrow?

I roll my eyes, thumbs flying over the keyboard.

Yes, I am. Why wouldn't I?

The response is almost immediate.

Just checking. You've been through a lot. Want more time off?

A surge of irritation courses through me.

I get that she means well, but I've had enough of being treated like I'm made of glass.

I've had more than enough time off, so, don't you dare!

I fire back, adding a winking emoji to soften the blow.

Aziza notices my expression. "Everything okay?"

I nod, pocketing my phone. "Yeah, just one of the girls at Beans & Babes. She thinks I need more time off."

"And you don't?" Starla asks, arching an eyebrow.

I shake my head. "God, no. I need to get back to normal. I need..." I trail off, searching for the right words.

"Distraction?" Aziza offers softly.

"Exactly," I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Working keeps me focused, gives me purpose. Tor doesn't get it, but it'slike... it's like his bike, you know? Taking that away from him would be unthinkable."

Starla nods, understanding in her eyes. "Men and their bikes, I swear. Sometimes I think Ivar loves that Harley more than me."

I laugh, but inside, my mind is racing.

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