Page 206 of King of Pain
I sit up straighter. “Wait, where are you?”
“Layover,” he says. “Detroit. Last-minute flight. Couldn’t get a non-stop.”
“Hm. A non-stop towhere?” I press.
“Uh,not Boston, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Fine, fine. How was the flight?”
“Good,” he says. “I got upgraded to first class by Janet, the lovely woman at the counter.”
I narrow my eyes, even though he can’t see me. “Uh-huh. You flirted, didn’t you?”
He doesn’t miss a beat. “I might have. And I’m not ashamed. I never fit in those damn seats in coach.”
“Well—”
“Zip it, Pacini. Youlovemy big ass.”
I snicker. “Truer words have never been spoken.”
He laughs softly.
“Speaking of—” I start, and he groans preemptively.
“I’m picking up your tux after work for the exhibit,” I continue sweetly. “I think the tailor had to order five extra reams of fabric just for the pants.”
“I’m hanging up now,” he grumbles.
I laugh and I canfeelthe grin in his silence.
“Listen, babe, I gotta catch my connection,” he says. “Just wanted to check in. Hear your voice.”
Something in my chest flips and flops like a caught fish on the bottom of a boat. “Yeah. Okay.”
“I love you, Beautiful.”
“Ditto,” I say, soft and certain.
I hang up, stare at the screen for a beat, and lean back in my chair.
Fuck, I miss him already.
TRACK SIXTY•THREE
King of Pain
Anthony
I’m finishing the last couple entries on the client summary when I hear the familiarclackof heels in the hall outside my office.
Meg breezes in a second later, dropping her leather tote onto the chair across from my desk. “I’m out,” she says, pulling her phone from her pocket and grabbing for her lip gloss. “Heading to the airport now.”
I glance up from my screen and say, “I’m right behind you. Just wrapping up the summary of our clients’ contract renewal dates. I’ll email it over before I head out.”
Meg uses the camera on her phone as a mirror, swiping the gloss across her lips like it’s a race. “Excellent. Thank you.” She presses her lips together, examining her reflection, then says, “Actually, can you just text me the file instead of emailing it?”
I blink at her, surprised. “Uh… sure. I think the file’s small enough.”
