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“Whatever. Seriously, I need to go.”

“Fine, but consider it, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Bye.” I ended the call, not wanting to deal with him any longer. My instincts about Warren being the better man had been spot-on, although I had to accept that it didn’t necessarily mean we were meant for each other. After all, he still hadn’t called me.

Had he found someone else already?

Self-doubt and worry tried to show their ugly faces in my thoughts, so I went outside for a walk to soak up the last rays of the day’s sunlight.

Life would either work itself out or it wouldn’t. In the meantime, I would just have to keep working hard and stop sweating the small details of my love life, or lack thereof. Nevertheless, as I walked around the neighborhood, Warren kept popping into my head.

Why couldn’t I get him out of my mind?

CHAPTER 23

Warren

I looked across the bare office to Melvin, still not sure what to think about his proposal.

“Huh? What did I tell you? It’s fucking perfect, right?” he said, grinning ear-to-ear.

“It’s nice,” I said, surprised. “And the location is good, but…”

“But what?”

“I’m not looking for a business partner right now.”

“Bullshit, man. That money we made isn’t going to last forever.”

“Have you heard from anyone in Afghanistan recently, by any chance?”

“No. Why?”

“No reason,” I lied, wondering why Jahmir had only called me. Was it all a setup? Whatever the reason, something told me I shouldn’t trust Melvin.

“I’m telling you man, the time to strike is now. I got a few high-end clients lined up already,” he said smugly.

“Like who?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“See, what kind of partnership can we have when you don’t tell me shit?”

He took a deep breath, staring into my eyes for a moment. “You know what, man? You’re right. I have to tell you something.”

Uh oh. Here we go, I thought, feeling less than thrilled.

“You remember that chick from Afghanistan I liked?” he asked.

“Which one?”

“Ha. Fair enough. The journalist chick.”

I swallowed and carefully arranged my expression. “Rose?”