Page 112 of Own Me

March

“Busy afternoon, ladies?”Sullivan holds the elevator door for us, our arms laden with shopping bags.

“Spring is coming soon, right?” Because we bought a wardrobe of clothes we can’t wear until it does.

“A few more weeks.”

“Lies,” I moan, falling back against the elevator wall. He might be right, but with that early March blustering cold wind that churns through the streets, burning our cheeks, warmer weather feels an eternity away.

“At least you’re going somewhere hot for your honeymoon, right?” Violet says.

“I have no idea. Henry won’t tell me anything.” It’s the only part of the wedding that he’s taken control of, and he’s already said he won’t even tell me what to pack.

“Miles would know. He knows all.”

“Miles wants to keep his balls intact.”

“Understandable.” Violet met Henry’s assistant the last time she was in the city and wanted to see her father’s office. They took to each other in an instant.

“Margo knows because she’s in charge of packing for me.” Which means my daytime attire will be respectable enough, while my nights will likely be filled with public indecency and sex toys. “But she won’t tell me either.”

“Sounds like you’re SOL, then.”

The elevator feels like it’s moving especially slow today, either because my arms are about to fall off under the weight of all these bags or because I’m dying for time to hurry up and for Henry to come home tomorrow night. He’s been in Tokyo all week, and I’m regretting not going, but it was a last-minute trip and I’m elbow-deep in all things Farm Girl Soap Co.

“Okay, so if you were stranded alone on a deserted island and you could choose to have one of the following, which would you pick: a knife, a ball, or a book?”

Violet’s question comes out of left field, but in the months since we met and the time we’ve spent together, I’ve grown to expect—and love—that about her. “What kind of ball? Like a Wilson, that I could turn into a friend to talk to?”

She shrugs. “Sure.”

I consider the other options. “Are there animals on this island that I could use the knife on?”

She pauses for a beat. “Puppies and kittens.”

“Aww. An island of puppies and kittens?” But then I wince. “So I’m going to starve, is what you’re saying. Not even a chicken?”

“No chickens.” Her face lights up. “But therearecoconut trees.”

“Ugh. I hate coconut, but fine, I can work with this.” The elevator doors open into the penthouse lobby. “What’s the book?”

“Does it matter?”

I unceremoniously drop my bags to free my hands, and punch in the code. “Well, yeah. If it’sLord of the Rings, that’s over a thousand pages I could first read for entertainment and then burn for—”

“Surprise!”

I shriek as I take in the small crowd of familiar faces and the enormous “Happy Birthday” balloon archway that stretches across the living room.

Henry steps forward wearing a satisfied grin.

I burst into tears as I dive into his arms.

* * *

“You seriously had no idea?”Connor towers over me, his cornflower-blue eyes sparkling, his Miami-tanned skin making mine look especially pasty. “Because I totally fucked up last week and said ‘See you on Saturday’ in my text.”

“I didn’t even notice,” I admit sheepishly.

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