Page 99 of Heartfelt Pain
“Yeah, Zimin looked relieved when I mentioned that.”
Dmitri has one facial expression—a downtrodden frowny face. He’s not perpetually sad but the man could’ve used a good skincare regime years ago.
“Odd, if Dmitri doesn’t like what Boris is up to,” I mention.
“Not if he knows Boris is reaching,” Isolde replies.
Ben presses the tip of his finger against the grooves of a key. “Bruce heard you’d called meetings off. He wants to know if Saturday is still on?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“And the rest of the week?” he asks.
A dating show plays on the TV as I think. “I think I’ll bebetter by tomorrow. I’ll fix the schedule later. Make sure everything is rescheduled.”
“Abe already did it.”
“Abe?” He’s supposed to stay out of shit. His family owns the restaurant and that makes him a neutral party.
My cousin reads my thoughts. “No one had any problems.”
“Okay.” I pull my legs off the coffee table and hug them closer to my chest.
“You know if you’re not feeling well we can go ahead and cancel the rest of the meetings this week.”
I nibble on my bottom lip. Everything in me wants to say, no I’m fine. But I’m not. I don’t want to go to work the rest of the week. I’ve never felt so unattached in the five years of owning my own business.
“There’s a meeting with the Japanese. And Vince really needs a triggerman.” He’s one of my longest customers.
“I’ll do it,” Isolde volunteers, no questions.
“I’ll call him,” Ben says, but he looks to me for confirmation. “And I don’t mind taking the meeting with Bruce on Saturday.” He’s another client that needs a lot of attention, but he’s one of my best. It’s better to make an exception for him than kick his meeting down the road.
“Can I move around the rest?” Ben asks.
I nod, holding myself tighter. It needs to happen, but it still feels wrong.
“Okay.” Ben toys with his keys, turning to the door. “Call me if you need anything else.”
“Thanks,” I say quietly.
“Look at you,” Isolde says a second later. “You’ll have so much fucking free time to readThe Count’s Honey Pleasure.”
CHAPTER 23
Ren
Roma comes over again. I’m waking up from another nap when he asks what I need.
“I want to take a shower.” It’s been over a day and my skin is sweat-soaked and my hair matted. Without a word, he turns on the shower.
I’d like to say the effort is because I’m hurt and whatever weird relationship we’re in is new. But this is Roma.
If he spots something in the store he thinks you’ll like, he’ll buy it for you. If you gain a new hobby, he gains a new hobby. If you look tired while running errands he’ll make a pit stop and get coffee.
It’s why I struggled all those years ago when nice guy Roma turned out to only be interested in me because his dad ordered him to date me.
I tilt my head up to the showerhead. The tears I shed are different this time.
