Page 24 of Wrong Number. Right Don.
“Does that really jibe with the interactions you’ve had with him so far?” she asks.
Her gaze sharpens, and I know she’s right. Of course she is. Sergei hasn’t given me any reason to doubt him. Sure, he never called after our date, but there was never any expectation that he would.
“The chemistry when we first met was insane,” I say softly. “I’ve never felt anything like it, and I doubt I ever will again. It was intense, to say the least. But now I’ll be living in his home as his employee, caring for his mom. The dynamic has completely changed. It almost feels… tainted.”
“Yeah, that’s a hell of a shift,” Mia agrees, sitting up a little straighter. “You don’t really know him, despite how hot the sex was. And it’s not like you trust him enough to open up about all the shit swirling inside you. He isn’t me, for Christ’s sake.”
I can’t help but laugh. I can always count on Mia for that.
“Exactly,” I agree. “And he’s clearly got so much going on with his mom. Would there ever be a good time to tell him?”
“Maybe not right away.” Mia shrugs thoughtfully. “You’re not doing anything wrong by keeping it to yourself for now. You need time. Space. And maybe once you settle in, once you get a feel for who he really is, you’ll know when the right moment is.”
“I just wish I knew what to expect,” I murmur.
Mia snorts. “You’re moving in with a hot, enigmatic stranger who’s offered you enough money to buy a small island.” She laughs. “There’s no telling what to expect, but I think that’s half the thrill.”
I collapse beside her on the bed and stare up at the ceiling. “I don’t know that I need any more thrill in my life right now.”
She grins and tosses a pillow at me. “Well, you could always let me take the job while you run away from Dr.Grabass all day,” she suggests wistfully.
“Yeah, yeah,” I say, catching the pillow and hugging it to my chest. “I get it. I should feel lucky to get a break from the hospital, however long it lasts.”
Mia’s smile softens. “I think you’re really brave, Nic. It might not feel like it right now, but you are. And no matter what happens, I’ll be here. Always.”
Tears prick at my eyes, and I cough to mask them. She already knows I’m a softie.
“Thank you,” I say, grabbing her hand and squeezing tightly. “That means everything to me.”
She flops back on the bed so we’re lying head to head. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t forget me when you’re living in your mansion, eating caviar and getting foot massages from your sexy Russian boss.”
We both descend into a fit of giggles.
“Foot massages? Really?” I say between peals of laughter.
“I’m just saying, if he offers, take it. You’re carrying his child. He owes you at least that.”
Eventually I haul myself up and keep stuffing my suitcase until I’m not even sure it will close. As I’m about to zip it shut, Mia tosses a small, sleek object inside. I fish it out and examine the unexpected addition.
“What is this?”
“It’s a taser,” she says nonchalantly, as if she hasn’t just thrown a literal weapon into my bag.
“And this…” she says as she reaches into her oversized tote bag and pulls out a little canister, handing it to me, “is mace. Just in case you’re ever in a sticky situation.”
I laugh uneasily, realizing it hasn’t even occurred to me that I could be in danger. Of all my anxieties, that possibility never crossed my mind, and now I question that oversight.
“Do you really think I’ll need these?”
Mia drops down onto the edge of my bed, elbows braced on her knees, watching me closely.
“I think you’re stepping into an unfamiliar situation with no idea what to expect. Of course I hope you won’t need them. But I’d rather you have something and not need it than need it and not have it.”
I zip the bag closed, pressing down as though I can pack away the nerves knotting in my stomach along with my clothes.
