Page 27 of Empowered
“Then what’s wrong?”
“You know how it is for me at the office. Things are weird.”
“So quit.”
“You know I can’t.”
Nigel was silent. They depended on Sarah’s income now that Nigel’s had been slashed. Working for Mr. Monroe together had built them a nice buffer should either or both get fired. Well, Nigel was forced to resign, and his new wage at the gourmet pizza shop wasn’t enough to cover his own bills, let alone the apartment’s. Sarah didn’t mind, but it did put more pressure on her to perform at work.
And then there was Alice Monroe, walking around with her baby belly and reminding Sarah of what she could have had, if she had so chosen.
And Russell Monroe, whom she avoided, but sometimes could not get away from seeing.
No wonder Sarah had shut down most of her everyday emotions. There were triggers everywhere.
“You need company tonight?”
“No.”
“All right.” Nigel lightly gripped his sister’s arm before crawling out of her bed. “You know where to find me.”
“With your girlfriend.”
“Like I said,” Nigel stopped halfway across the room, “she doesn’t hold it against us.”
“Better hang on to that one. Who knows when you’ll find another girl who isn’t jealous of her boyfriend’s twin sister.”
Nigel said nothing as he left. Sarah turned over and sighed. She did not dream of Lucas for the rest of the night.
***
“Do I make you whole again?”
That’s what she woke up thinking about. Not about the hot sex they were having in her dream, but that one line that was going to fuck her up for the rest of the weekend.
Sarah glanced at the clock and hopped out of bed.Stop thinking about that dream.No shit she thought Lucas was hot. Noshitshe wanted to keep banging him until her poor pussy gave up the ghost. Noooo shit.
That didn’t mean she wanted to actually think about it. God, no.
Sarah pulled on her thickest bathrobe even though the apartment was always a tepid seventy-five degrees. The smell of bacon and eggs hit her as she went to the bathroom and splashed water onto her face. Sounds of Carly and Nigel’s voices drifted down through the open bathroom door. Sarah gave her hair a once-over with a brush before heading out to see what everyone was up to on a late Sunday morning.
That wasn’t just bacon and eggs perfuming the air.
Flowers.
Bouquets of them.
Sarah’s eyes widened as she stepped out from the hallway and stared at the three bouquets of roses lining the island counter.
She looked for her brother, walking away from the front door with a fourth bouquet and a scowl on his face.
“Somebody’s popular!” Carly exclaimed from the stove. She tossed a fried egg with a spatula before flashing Sarah a wide, pearly-white smile.
“Somebody, huh?”
“Yeah.” Nigel put the fourth bouquet on the counter. Four dozen red roses, freshly bloomed, cut, and spritzed, drank up the late winter sunlight coming through the windows. Each one sported a cream-colored notecard in the same spot. “Very popular.”
Both he and Carly looked at Sarah. Nigel with trepidation, and Carly with excitement.
