Page 52 of My Billionaire Neighbor's Secret

Carter grinned as if he had a trick up his sleeve. That made me narrow my eyes. “What is it?” I demanded.

“It’s good, right?” he said in reply.

Since he was holding back the information, I wanted to shake it out of him even more. I began to tickle him, so he eventually gave up and told me.

“It’s civet coffee, also known as luwak coffee in Bali,” he said.

“So what’s special about it?” I asked.

“Google it.”

I did. And once I saw that this was made of coffee cherries that had to pass through the intestines of an animal called the civet, I sort of wanted to throw up. “You mean it came from poop?!” I asked incredulously.

Carter was already stifling his laughter. “Yum, right?”

I slapped him playfully. We talked a bit more and laughed a lot more.

I couldn’t believe that just a few months ago, this was the same next-door neighbor I had been so angry at. He’d been this uptight, geeky, and mysterious man everyone in the neighborhood was wondering about.

Now things seem to have taken a sharp turn in just a very short time.

When I checked the time, I was surprised to see that it was almost time to go. I could sense that he too was reluctant, and that made me feel good.

As he walked me to my car, I was waiting for him to ask when we could see each other again. To my disappointment, he didn’t. He simply thanked me for my time. Was this the end of it? Was I just the “flavor of the week”?

I tried to play it cool. But that’s just not me. When I like someone, it’s very obvious. Hence, I turned to hug him before I got into my car. He hugged me back and rubbed my arms, but it felt like a goodbye to me.

“Thank you so much again, Leigh,” he said.

“And thank you for an amazing time and for all this,” I said.

I drove away at once without looking back. I did not want to dwell too much on the thought that there could be something more for us.

When I got to my office, my mind was still wandering. My heart seemed to have been left at Bali Villas.

Rasha was waiting at her desk, grinning at me. Her smile broadened and her eyes twinkled when she eyed the makeshift dress I was wearing. She could probably tell that it wasn’t mine.

“There’s something for you inside your office,” she told me, trying to keep her face straight. I couldn’t tell what she was holding back, but I was too distracted to probe.

I nodded and opened the wooden door. As soon as I did, I caught a whiff of the fresh fragrance of flowers. It was like I’d been transported to a field of blooms.Literally.

I was awestruck. It wasn’t just the scent; I could hardly see my desk anymore. Or even the windows, for that matter! The entire office space had been filled up with dozens and dozens of fresh, colorful flowers of various kinds. They were in beautiful baskets and vases, some with ribbons and balloons. There was a human-sized bouquet sitting on my desk which came with a card.

I was speechless and frozen in place, my heart hammering against my chest. Suddenly, I was afraid that it could be Drake who had sent these. It was his style, after all--- to make a huge gesture of apology after hurting me.

But I was hoping it came from the person who had just opened up my heart again. There was only one way to find out.

Slowly, with my hand slightly shaking, I reached for the white card with my name embossed in gold on it. I opened it, feeling like my heart was about to burst.

I just wanted to say thank you for spending time with me and making me very happy. From your Friendly Neighborhood Pimp/Gangster Head/Porn Filmmaker.

I laughed at how he’d signed the card. But more than that humorous touch, the gesture had a huge effect on me. I could feel my head starting to spin, but in a good way. My hands felt warm and clammy at the same time. I leaned on my desk to support my weight because I felt like I would faint from the sudden explosion of emotions inside me.

Even if he’d only sent one single rose with the card, it would have had the same effect on me. But the effort he put into this--- ordering all these flowers and having them delivered here before I arrived--- it really said a lot.

“I heard they were handpicked,” I heard Rasha’s voice say behind me. I turned around and saw her looking so excited. “The delivery guy told me.”

“But how---?” I started to say, but then I stopped because I did not want to reveal that we had been together.

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