Page 15

Me:The Tavern? In thirty?
Heart:See you then.
I slid my phone in my purse and stood from my desk. It was nearing 6 o’clock. It seemed like the rest of the office had emptied out, too. Knowing I would be back here tomorrow was a strange feeling. I hadn’t worked a 9-5 in so long and was used to a more fluid schedule where I could work where and when I wanted. It would just be something I had to get used to again.
Among other things.
Like seeing those green eyes again.
The cab ride to Queens took longer than expected because of the evening traffic, but I was relieved when I got to the restaurant to see I was the first one there. The hostess led me to a corner booth and I immediately ordered a glass of white wine. I took a sip and let the cool crispness run through me as I unwound from the day.
“You started without me?” asked Heart, standing with her hands on her hips.
I laughed and scooched over so she could sit down.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “Bridgette was practically clinging to my leg, but then Daniel put puppets on his hands and it was like I was invisible. I swear, she loves those puppets.”
I laughed at the thought of Daniel with puppets on his hands. He really was a good dad. He had completely stepped up and given my best friend and their baby a good life. I was so happy for her.
So was the rest of America when they read my book.
“I would pay to see that,” I said, taking another sip of wine.
Heart held her hand up and politely waved the server over.
“I’ll have one of those,” she said, pointing to my wine.
“And I’ll have another.”
I wasn’t even finished with my first.
When the server walked away, Heart eyed me curiously.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “First the SOS text and now the drowning in wine. Are we back in our twenties or did something happen?”
I groaned as I fiddled with the stem of my wine glass.
“Oh, my gosh, Monica. Is it the stalker?” she asked, sitting straighter and reaching for my hand.
“No, no.” I shook my head profusely. “Nothing to do with him.”
Heart breathed a sigh of relief. I knew she worried about me.
I honestly hadn’t heard from him or seen him in months, not since he got out of jail. I had asked the police for an update, but they said they couldn’t reveal any information due to confidentiality. It was frustrating, but I was able to put a restraining order in place. I had also moved since the break-in and had been trying to keep a low profile.
Queens wasn’t my first choice to live, but with the current market it was the only place I could find that fit my small budget. Heart and I used to live together in Brooklyn. I took over the remainder of her lease when Daniel asked her to move in together. I loved that little loft. There were so many memories there, especially with my goddaughter in her early days. It was a shame someone could come in and tear all those memories apart, tainting them with shades of fear.
I was just so thankful that she and Bridgette had moved out by the time everything had gotten so ugly. I would never forgive myself for being the cause of their personal safe space being invaded like that.
Since moving, I had kept a low profile. I hadn’t done any book signings or appearances. Not that anyone would really want to come after my last book.
“Then what is it?” she asked.
“Well, I started my new job today…”
Heart smacked her hand against her forehead. “Oh, my gosh. I’m the worst friend ever. How could I have forgotten? Bridgette has been teething and I swear she’s a gremlin. I don’t know up from down with the lack of sleep.”
“It’s okay. Seriously.” I gave her a reassuring smile before it was eaten up by a nervous one.