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“What for?” Febe asked, confirming what Cherish had seen in her eyes and the scrunch of her features.

“For what I said in your office.”

At that moment, their coffee arrived, and Cherish wanted to both kill and kiss the short pixie-haired waitress who delivered them.

“Thank you,” Febe looked up, reading her name tag, “Geena.”

Cherish’s heart rattled a little in her chest. It had been so long since she had seen this Febe. The one who always thanked the staff no matter where they were. She hoped Febe hadn’t lost that beautiful way of hers, but she hadn’t seen it because their monthly lunches had ended with that two-in-the-morning phone call. Two words that broke everything.

She’s gone.

“Cherry.” Febe reached over the table and placed her hand over Cherish’s. The touch stilled Cherish into silence, the feeling of Febe’s smooth fingers on hers so tender. It felt misplaced after all this time. “I didn’t bring you to lunch for an apology.”

“Then why did you?”

“Because your brother told me if I wanted our friendship back, I would have to be the one to mend it.”

Cherish’s body sank in the chair. Confusion and hurt washed over her. Fuck Stuart for meddling. Again. That hadn’t been why she’d called him.

“Don’t.” Febe shook her head, pity in those crystal blue eyes. “Stop whatever bad thing you’re thinking right now.”

“You didn’t want to mend it until you spoke to him?”

“Of course I did,” Febe said. “I just never realized I had made it so hard for you to reach out to me.”

“You needed to work through it in your own way.” Cherish looked down at her coffee, wishing Febe would let go of her hand. Steam still swirled from the surface as if nothing had changed. As if tears didn’t sting Cherish’s eyes.

“Yes, I did.” Febe pulled her hand away and picked up her drink. Cherish trembled as she sipped her own coffee and closed her eyes, pretending to indulge in the rich smooth blend. But she couldn’t stop her mind from spinning.

“So what changed?” Cherish didn’t want to ask it, not really. She had no doubts what the answer would be, but she had to hear it.

“Our heated conversation in my office.” Febe’s smile let Cherish know her own thoughts were written all over her face. “I called Stuart and complained about the entire thing, and in true Stuart fashion, he listened like a saint. Then after a few calming words to make me think I wasn’t entirely unjustified in my anger, poured a bucket of cold water on me. So to speak.”

Despite the rotten twisted fear in her stomach, Cherish couldn’t hold back the laugh. “Oh yeah, that’s Stuart to a T.”

Febe nodded and chuckled along for a moment.

“So did he suggest lunch? Did he tell you to wait long enough for the tension in the office to dissipate a little?” It seemed to be the truth already, but the coffee turned to ash on her tongue, and she wanted to escape this conversation at the first opportunity.

“No. The idea was entirely my own.”

Cherish wanted to say something, but she truly didn’t know how to react to Febe’s openness. She fumbled with her cup on the table, cursing herself silently that she didn’t have better control. This woman always tore that from her in seconds flat. How did she manage it?

“So, how is Haylee?”

Cherish played with the dainty handle of the coffee cup, her stomach demanding she cut off her hand if she tried to force another sip of coffee at this moment. “She’s been a little distant for the last week or so.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Cherish narrowed her eyes.

Febe tilted her head, eyebrows raising as though Cherish shouldn’t have asked that question, but she had to. Was this Febe’s way of letting Cherish know it was time to hire yet another new assistant?

“Are you firing her?” Was that a tremble in Cherish’s voice?

“No.” Febe pushed her shoulders back in her chair. Cherish only barely managed to hold back the smirk. This had always been one of Febe’s tells. It was the waving of a flag, saying, all right, let’s get serious.

“Why are you apologizing then? I thought this wasn’t an apology lunch.”