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Those plans all came to a screeching halt when the contractor called to remind me that I had agreed to meet him at my bar at precisely nine a.m. so he could tackle a few details that still need to be done in one of the bar’s two public washrooms.

On my way here, I stopped at the café around the corner to grab a large coffee. To my surprise, Aunt Hildy was there indulging in a decadent caffeine-laced beverage she insisted I try. She ordered me one, and after it was made, we set off toward Turquoise Crown together.

“I told you that my shoes are too tight,” I remind her. “I mentioned that on the walk here.”

“Right.” She grins. “That’s all it is.”

I spin to face her. “Yes. That’s all it is.”

“Take off the shoes and prove it.”

I bark out a laugh. “What? No.”

“I know you keep a pair of sneakers in the back office.” She gestures in that direction by pointing a finger over her head. “Put those on, and let’s see if you’re still walking like you had big fun last night.”

“Big fun?” I ask, hoping the question makes me sound naïve.

She holds up both hands in the air and slides them apart until there’s at least a foot between them. “Big fun.”

My cheeks instantly blush pink. “Aunt Hildy!”

“What?” she asks, shaking her head. “There’s no shame in having good sex, Opal. The kind that makes it hard to walk is the best kind. I know. I had that years ago. I’ve never forgotten it.”

I bow my head to try and compose myself. “I’m happy for you.”

“Not as happy as I was for me,” she quips.

I finally glance at her again. “Now feels like a good time for a change of subject. Let’s talk about the weather.”

She winks. “I get it. You don’t want that contractor you hired to overhear us.”

Since he’s currently on the phone in the back office, that’s not a fear of mine, but I go with it. “I don’t want that.”

“I’ll stop talking about it if you admit you’re happy.”

Even though I know it’s her roundabout way of asking if I’m getting any, I nod to hopefully end this discussion now.

“Good.” She claps her hands together. “A woman like you deserves all good things in life.”

“Thank you.” I move to kiss her cheek.

“Big things, too,” she whispers into my ear. “You deserve only big things.”

38

William

I movemy left arm slightly and instantly feel a bite of pain when the fabric of my button-down shirt brushes against my shoulder. I smile because it’s a good kind of pain. I consider it the very best kind since it’s the result of Opal’s teeth latching onto my skin when she came last night.

I want more of that, and I want it soon. That’s the reason I’m headed in the direction of Turquoise Crown. She left my apartment in Brooklyn just after midnight, but I need to see her again.

If a client told me they were rushing to see the woman they were crazy about hours after taking her to bed, I’d tell them to take a breath and slow down.

Typically, I recommend a phone call to touch base and firm up plans for later in the week.

Opal is far from typical, so I’m heading to where I hope she is for some face-to-face time. I’ll cook her dinner again tonight and tomorrow night, too, if she’s on board. Hell, I’ll clear my evening schedule for the next month if it means I get thirty nights with her.

I know that won’t happen because she’s got her hands full with getting her bar ready for the official launch. I plan on being by her side to cheer her on and, more importantly, to help her celebrate when that day comes.