Page 52 of Wicked Games We Play

UNKNOWN: Physically, yes. Mentally, no. I hate being away from you. I’ll be back as soon as I can, Flower.

Me: I’ll be here. Don’t worry about anything on this end, everything is okay.

For several minutes the phone stayed silent, to my dismay, so I set it back down on the counter and went to tend to my stir-fry that was beginning to burn from my lack of stirring. I couldn’t keep up with the conflicting emotions that plagued me, so I refocused on the task at hand. Dinner. Then after dinner, research and brainstorming for my new boutique.

Plans had been all-consuming, and I couldn’t wait to actually work on things. Once the building was officially mine, my ex-husband agreed to help with some renovations to upgrade the space, as long as I agreed to help with the manual labor. Not really my thing, but it was the least I could do since he wasn’t charging me anything except materials. While renovations happened, I would need to think about everything else: a name for the boutique, inventory, shelving for inventory, website, point of sale system, social media and other marketing, and literally everything else that goes into owning a business. I knew there was still so much to figure out and learn.

Blowing out a deep breath, I reminded myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day. I had plenty of time to chase my dream and the more time I spent hammering out the details, the better things will come together.

Activate boss babe status because Operation Ho Phase has officially shifted to Operation Lily Becomes a Bad Ass Boss.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE

TWO MONTHS WITHOUT HIM

Every day, I obsessively checked my phone, and every day passed without another message from Noah. He had warned me of this, but part of me had thought he had been exaggerating.

I’d lost count of how many times I’d read the two messages he sent, and I was tempted to reach out to the officer who gave me his card, but I forced myself not to.

No news was good news.

Deciding I needed a break from reality, I called my best friend, knowing she’d be a perfect distraction.

“Hey,” she sing-songed, answering my call on the second ring.

“Hey. Are you free tonight? Let’s go to dinner.”

“Yep,” Alana exclaimed. Her cheerfulness immediately boosted my mood. “Can we get Italian? Gemelli’s? I’m craving some carbs.”

At the suggestion of Gemelli’s, my mind drifted back to a text exchange months ago with Noah, and I felt the docile butterflies stir in my stomach.

Me: Where were you thinking of ordering from?

Noah: Gemelli’s

Me: Actually, I heard they have really good sausage, and I’ve been dying to taste it.

Noah: If it’s sausage you want, I can assure you that I have one that is much bigger and much tastier than anything you could ever order off the menu.

Me: I have a really big appetite, Noah. I’m not sure you could satiate it.

Noah: Trust me, Flower. You’ll be stuffed.

“Hello? Earth to Lily.” Alana’s voice pulled me out my daydream. “Lily! Are you still there?”

“I’m here, sorry!” I exclaimed, embarrassed that I had zoned out so deeply. Thankfully, we weren’t on video call, so she couldn’t see me standing here with my mouth open and a warm blush of arousal coating my skin. “Gemelli’s is perfect. What time works for you?”

“How’s seven?”

“Perfect. I’ll pick you up and we can drive together.” I preferred to drive her. Whenever Alana drove, she expected me to get belligerently drunk and “enjoy myself,” and that was the furthest thing from my mind tonight.

“Oh, I love it. Thanks, chick. See you tonight.” She hung up, and instead of setting my phone down, I pulled up my text messages and sent a message to the realtor who was helping organize the sale of Mrs. Landry’s building to me.

We were just days away from the close of the sale, and I was so excited—eager to get the keys in my hand. In a quick text, I asked if there were any progress updates before slipping my phone into my back pocket. My thoughts wandered back to my dreams for my boutique and the detective I was impatient to see.

* * *

“A table for two please,”I told the maître d’ of Gemelli’s when Alana and I approached the tall stand he stood behind.

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