Page 12

Chapter 4

The Set Up

––––––––

THERE WAS A BOX OFcupcakes on my desk. Each of them was covered in a swirl of white and pink frosting, pure and untouched in their picturesque red box. This was a bad sign.

I flicked my attention to the pixie-cut brunette on the other side of my desk. “Aubrey, what's wrong?”

My assistant—and best friend, as complicated as that was—winced. “Nothing. Why do you think something is wrong?”

“Cupcakes.”

“Maybe I just wanted to be extra nice, start your Monday right, and—”

“Cupcakes.”

Aubrey rubbed her palms from her cheeks down to her shoulders with a groan. “Okay! Fine! I might have forgotten to reschedule a meeting you have with the Gibraldi Team.”

My mouth dropped open. “You forgot?”

“Look, I've had a lot on my plate this month! I'm sorry! Here, eat a cupcake, it'll make you feel better.”

“Aubrey!” Falling into my chair, I covered my eyes. “I don't have time for that meeting, I'm supposed to be having a video call with my mother at the same time.”

“I'm seriously sorry. I know how your mom can be, but can't you tell her something came up, push the call back half an hour?”

“I can't. But I'm going to have to, anyway.” I couldn't cancel the Gibraldi meeting, they were my newest potential client, and a big one.

Rubbing my temples, I stared at the cupcakes, because I didn't want my friend to see how... nervous I was. Not about the work meeting, but about my mother.

She'll spend our whole talk laying into me about how I never make time for family. Ugh. I really didn't need this today. I was exhausted from spending my weekend tossing and turning, unable to get Conner out of my head. I'd sat down multiple times at my computer, or logged into my phone, tempted to open the RingMe's chat-app and talk.

I was itching to tell him I needed to see him again.

I also knew it was insane.

My indecision had left me drained. Now, this fuck-up with the Gibraldi meeting was going to cost the last of my patience.

“Maya,” Aubrey said, nudging the cupcakes closer to me. I moved my hands so I could see her genuinely remorseful face. “I'm seriously sorry. I do have some good news, though.”

“Wonderful. I'll take anything.”

Perking up, she glanced at the tiny planner in her hands. “Someone called earlier. They said they found your driver's license and wanted to return it. I told them they could drop it off at the front desk, they should be by today.”

“That's great!” I said, sitting up with a blink. I'd tried to buy alcohol at two liquor stores and a bar, eager to remove Conner from my brain by inebriating force. But no one would sell anything to me. “Let me know when they get here.”

“Of course.” She offered a tiny smile. “Do you want me to be the one to message your mother?”

“No. I'll do it. She'll be angrier if I delegate.” With a big, deep breath, I pulled out my phone. “Don't beat yourself up, Aubrey. Things slip through the cracks all the time.”

“Thanks. I'm still really sorry.”

“These are vanilla-jubilee cupcakes from Sally's?”

“The very same.”

“Then we'll forget this mess-up happened.” Slipping a cupcake out, I licked the frosting. “I need the power of sugar before I text my mom.”