Page 77 of Ice Block

“Well, I kinda love how you are going to therapy. In fact, I’mkinda really damn proud of you for it. I kinda love that you apologized, and I guess I can kinda, sorta, forgive you.”

“What is with this word?Kinda.You’ve been spending too much time with Bougie; I don’t like it.”

She lets out a loud laugh as she leans in to press her lips to mine. As she pulls back, she replies, “Listen, Wolfie, I can’t let you off the hook that easy. You did leave me over here in utter agony for, what, four weeks now? I gotta make you work for it.”

“Work for it? What do you think I’m doing here?” I say, pulling her closer to me.

“You’ve really brought your A-game today, so I guess I can let you have this one. You know I fucking love you, Vladi. Every minute of every day, and I always will. Always. Forever.”

I pull her in to kiss her once more, our tongues colliding in an explosion of passion. That tightness I always feel in my heart is there, but this time it’s more of a gentle hug than a tight squeeze. I feel electricity running through my veins, the taste of her lips like sugar on my tongue. There’s nothing in the world like kissing this woman.My lisichka. My Magdalina. Mine.

As we pull back, she looks at me with a puzzled expression. “I’m still confused about one thing.”

I tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “What’s that,lisichka?”

“What the hell are we doing here? What is this place?”

A wicked grin fills my face. “Oh, this? This is me ‘working for it’ as you put it so eloquently earlier.” I gesture with my arm toward the office space. “This is yours.”

Her eyes widen, her mouth dropping open in shock. “What do you mean it’s mine?”

“This is your new business space, if you want it.”

“The door…that’s why my initials were on the door? Bougie lured me here acting like he had a new client for me to work with. Wait…” she pushes me back holding my shoulders at arm’s length, “does that mean you’re my client now?”

“I mean, I’m sure I could find some things for you to work on, but they aren’t advertising campaigns.”

“Well, that’s a relief, because I don’t sleep with my clients. Hard and fast rule.”

“Hard and fast, you say? Maybe I do have some projects for you.”

“Vladi, this is too much. I don’t even know if I have the clients to do this full-time. I really appreciate this, but…am I really ready to take this step?”

“This office space is not all that’s included. Bougie said you’re already set up with the brewery campaign, and he has several projects he’s going to hire you for. Plus, Kara reached out to Shelly with Harbor Glow, and she’s signed on too.”

“Wait…what?! Are you fucking for real?”

“Yes. I am fucking for real. And you have no idea what this cost me.”

“Vladi, you did not need to spend all this money on th?—”

“I don’t care about the money,” he interrupts. “The price was far higher.” I shiver, my body begging for the silence and stillness of my apartment. “Hanging out with Bougie while working out all these details.”

She lets out a loud, boisterous laugh, one I haven’t heard in so long and that I’ve missed so much. “Thatisa high price to pay. You know you love him though.”

I roll my eyes in defeat. “I do. But that does not leave this room.”

Maggie quickly presses her lips against mine. “Your secret’s safe with me. But…what if I can’t cut it? What if this whole business thing tanks?”

“One thing I’m learning is not to be afraid of tomorrow. Wecan’t control it. But whatever tomorrow brings, I’d like to figure it out together. Also, I make a decent salary. I think we could probably figure something out.”

“Are you trying to win me over with your money, Wolfie?”

“Depends,” I smirk, leaning closer, “Is it working?”

She climbs onto my lap, straddling me on the couch. “Kinda,” she murmurs, running her nose along mine. “Is me sitting on your lap getting you worked up?”

“Perhaps,” I say back, placing my hands on the ass I’ve been dying to get my hands on for weeks.

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