Page 84 of Heart on Ice

Now you don’t have to be hungry.

PSP

When I open the foil lid, I see a home-cooked meal inside. Did Pierre make me dinner? Tonight, it was chicken and rice casserole. Pulling out the meal, I follow the instructions and heat it up in the microwave. This was so sweet that it gave me butterflies. I’m going to have to thank him because, honestly, I couldn’t look at another takeaway menu.

Issy: I got your parcel. Thank you so much.

Pierre: Not a problem. I made too much and thought you’d enjoy it. You said that you haven’t been eating much since I left.

Issy: That is true. Well, thank you. That was so kind of you.

Pierre: Anytime.

I pull out my meal from the microwave, take my glass of wine, sit down in front of the television, and turn on the sports channel. Something we would do most nights, and now it’s just me. Alone. Which sucks.

“Issy there was a delivery,it’s on your desk waiting for you,” Anna my assistant says as I walk into the office. I wasn’t expecting anything. Then I see the lunch bag on my desk.

Issy,

I know you have been skipping breakfast.

Don’t.

It’s important.

PSP

I reach in and find a yogurt with granola and a fruit cup.

Issy: You sent me breakfast. Thank you.

Pierre: Because I knew you hadn’t been eating it.

Issy: You don’t have to look after me.

Pierre: I know. Have a great day at work.

For the lastcouple of weeks, every single night after work there is a home-cooked meal waiting for me, and I look forward to coming home and grabbing them. It’s one of the sweetest things a man has done for me. And every morning, a lunch bag is waiting for me on my desk with breakfast. Of course, I text him when I get home and then again in the morning after I get my breakfast, it would be rude not to. Slowly over the course of the past couple of weeks, the text conversations have been getting longer until we are chatting until late most nights. We both sit down with a glass of wine and watch the sports channel, and text each other about what we are watching.

I think I’m falling for him.

Today the boys headed off to training camp for three weeks, and Pierre informed me he wouldn’t have time to cook me meals every night like he has been, so he batch-cooked three weeks of dinners and breakfasts and sent them over for me to pull from the freezer. I couldn’t believe he did that for me. He also said that he would try to text me while he is gone, but I know how hard the guys work during training camp. He is going to be exhausted, and I don’t want him to stay up talking to me. I told him I’ll speak to him again when he’s back, which seemed to settle him. He’s become part of my daily routine again. And I like it. I look forward to it. I need these three weeks to work out my feelings toward Pierre. I don’t want to lead him on. He’sdoing everything right, and he doesn’t have to. I hate the thought that I’m making this man jump through hoops for me, but my feelings are my feelings. But I need to sort them out soon.

It's girls’ night and we are all heading to Harper’s place to help cheer her up, and little do they know they are cheering me up, too.

I let myself in, we all have keys to each other’s homes. When I arrive, everyone is in the living room with glasses of champagne and nibbles. Harper, Kimberly, Meadow, and Camryn.

“Issy, you made it,” Harper slurs. Looks like someone has started the party early. I lean over and give her a kiss, but then she starts crying.

“Oh, babe, I’m sorry,” I say, hugging her tightly.

“We were so close to being sisters.” She sniffs. I don’t know about that.

“She’s been like this all afternoon,” Camryn whispers.

“I’m sick of talking about Felix and me, I want to know what’s going on with you and Pierre,” Harper asks.

I still. Every woman’s eyes are on me.

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