Page 2 of Just a Little Promise

“So you didn’t have to deal with, or run into, that asshole you were married to in Boston,” he grumbled.

“It’s been five months since he signed the divorce papers,” she said. Although he’d dragged his feet for over a year and a half, despite her wanting nothing from him except to cut all ties. “He’s finally moving on, and I need to do the same.”

The tense set of Spencer’s shoulders relaxed a bit at her words. “Fine,” he huffed. “We’ll look at places together. I want final approval on your apartment building. There needs to be top notch security and a guard at the front desk.”

She rolled her eyes, smiling at him. “If that makes you feel better.”

He nodded his head decisively. “It will.”

Giving him that peace of mind was the least she could do.

***

Skye sat outon the tiny balcony of her new apartment, drinking her morning cup of coffee and enjoying the peaceful Saturday solitude. Well, the place wasn’t so recent now that she’d been there for the past six months. But it still felt exciting and fresh to her, since it was the first place where she’d lived alone since leaving her ex-husband. She’d gone from staying with her parents, to being roommates with her brother, and she couldn’t deny that the freedom of truly being on her own was liberating.

The Brooklyn apartment was a small two bedroom, but it had all the amenities she needed, and most importantly, it had received Spencer’s seal of approval. It was in a nice neighborhood, and the security in the lobby was vigilant about letting in strangers and visitors. The location was top notch, with nearby markets and restaurants, and Prospect Park was within walking distance.

It was quiet here, unlike the hustle and bustle of New York City where she worked at the Meridian Hotel as an assistant event coordinator.

It was also the perfect place to raise a child.

The thought brought a smile to her lips as she took another drink of her coffee. Now that her marriage was officially over and far behind her, having a baby on her own had been on her mind. A lot. When she’d married Jack, it had been with the intention of starting a family, something she’d dreamed of since she was a little girl. She’d always imagined having an adoring husband, a house in the suburbs with the proverbial white picket fence, and at least three kids by the time she was thirty.

Jack had destroyed those hopes and dreams right along with her self-esteem, though a part of her was grateful that they hadn’t had any kids which would have tied her to her ex for the rest of the children’s lives. She shuddered at the thought.

She’d managed to rebuild her confidence, had a place of her own, and was finally in a good mental space to look toward the future. She might not trust her heart and emotions when it came to men—hell, she wasn’t even interested in casually dating—but these days, women didn’t need a man to have or raise a child. That’s what sperm banks were for.

It was Saturday, and while she needed to do laundry and go to the market to pick up a few things for the following week, she had nothing planned for the afternoon and evening. So, she texted Lauren—her co-worker, who’d also become a good friend—to see if she wanted to meet for drinks and appetizers at The Back Door, a bar they’d been to a few times for happy hour after work. It meant taking an Uber into the city because no way was she stepping foot on the subway after dark.

Lauren responded with a quick and enthusiastic,let’s do it.They agreed on six pm, before the place became too crowded on a Saturday night.

Opting for black skinny jeans, a loose fitting, short sleeved blouse, and her favorite pair of red heels, Skye walked into the establishment right on time and saw Lauren already sitting at the bar, chatting with Raven, the female bartender serving drinks. She made her way over to her friend and slid into the vacant seat beside her.

“Hey,” Lauren said by way of greeting, a smile on her pink, glossy lips. Normally, she wore her shoulder length bob straight, but today she’d added soft waves to the dark brown strands, giving her a sultrier look than her normal work appearance. “Sorry I didn’t wait out front for you. I thought I’d grab us a few chairs before there weren’t any left.”

“Good idea.” Skye placed her purse on a hook beneath the bar and settled in. They perused the happy hour menu for a few minutes, then placed their order when the bartender, Raven, came back around.

“What can I get for you ladies?” she asked, placing cocktail napkins on the bar top in front of them.

“I’ll take your grilled chicken skewers with sweet potato fries and one of your Ruby Red Cosmos,” Skye said, handing the menu back to Raven.

Lauren nodded. “That sounds good. I’ll have the same. Make that two.”

“Be right back with your drinks,” Raven promised, then left them to place their appetizer orders.

Once they were alone, Lauren glanced at Skye with a mischievous look in her eyes. “So, did you happen to see the men in the bachelor auction brochure that will be up for bid at the Future Fast Track charity event next weekend?” She reached into her purse and withdrew a glossy booklet. “Billie dropped them off yesterday and I grabbed one on the way out the door,” she said of the young woman who worked with the non-profit organization, dedicated to helping foster kids as they aged out of the system.

Skye and Lauren worked together at the Meridian NYC hotel as event coordinators—Lauren as lead, and Skye as her assistant. With their boss, Jade Dare, out on maternity leave, the two of them were now in charge of handling the upcoming gala. It was Skye’s first big event, and she was both excited and nervous about how it was all going to come together. She’d only been with the Meridian for nine months, and more than anything, she wanted to make a good impression on both Lauren and Jade.

She’d seen the brochures when she’d left work the previous afternoon, but hadn’t been at all tempted to grab one, not even to idly browse through.

“No, I didn’t look,” she replied to Lauren’s question as Raven placed a pale pink drink in front of each of them. “After my divorce, the last thing I’m in the market for is a man. Well, except for maybe his swimmers,” she added humorously.

Lauren had just taken a drink of her cocktail and choked on the liquid. She coughed, her eyes wide as she stared at Skye. “Care to explainthatcomment?”

Skye merely grinned and more carefully took a sip of her own Cosmo.

Lauren made an exasperated sound. “You can’t leave me dangling on such an intriguing comment. Are you insinuating that you’re thinking about getting artificially inseminated?”

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