Page 24

“Have you read the reports I sent you last night?” Parvati asked.
I cleared my throat. “Yes, I saw them. Keep this up and you’re officially hired for all my future projects.”
Not only had Parvati kept things on track, but she was also able to work some of her connections to help speed up the delivery of the materials we needed. The woman was like a patron saint of construction.
“I gladly accept,” Parvati said with a rare smile. The woman was formidable, making me look as sweet as a bunny rabbit. “I do want to make sure we get those security cameras set up soon though. With the increase in tools and supplies, the potential for loss grows. We know how tempting it can be for folks to steal from worksites.”
This hadn’t been much of a problem during previous renovations I’d overseen. With my hands on my hips, I surveyed the site. She was right. The fence that ran the perimeter would only deter people so much. Cameras were necessary.
Luckily I had a guy. “I’ll call my friend and get them set up ASAP.”
Parvati tapped her pen against her clipboard. “Very good.”
We continued our walkthrough until we'd covered all the updates, then I hopped in my car and Darnell took me over to Club Deux.
It became a habit to walk the floor every night. Stopping to greet the city’s elite as they drank and partied in my place of business. I arranged VIP lounges for them, personally greeting billionaires, politicians, actors, musicians, and everyone in between.
This was part of the gig. I loved it—loved saying hi and mingling. Except it usually depleted me of my remaining energy.
It was usually why I had to binge watch period pieces when I got home in the middle of the night. I longed for the slower pace, the clenching of hands, and solitude for those living in privilege during the time of Austen.
As I entered my office, shucking off my heels, I mentally planned a rewatch of the original BBC version ofPride and Prejudicefor later in the evening. That would be the perfect way to unwind.
Then, with a few clicks, my laptop woke up, and I video called Sebastian.
“It’s late,” Sebastian grumbled.
“Oh, poor baby,” I crooned.
“It better be an emergency,” Faith yelled, sounding far away.
“It totally is,” I shouted right back.
“What is it, Luna? Are you okay?” Sebastian asked, sounding more awake this time.
I propped my legs up on my desk, leaning back in my chair. “I need you to install your fancy security system at my construction site in Atlantic City.”
Sebastian sighed. “That’s not an emergency, Luna.”
“It will be if someone goes and steals a bunch of tiles,Sebastian. I ordered top of the line tiles. That means they areveryexpensive.”
“Jesus.”
I suppressed a smirk. I loved giving him shit.
“I’ll call you in the morning for details, Luna. Until then, fuck off.”
I overheard my friend gasping at Sebastian’s audacity before the line went dead. I didn’t take it personally. By the sound of it, I’d probably interrupted them mid-session and nobody likes a cock block.
I was just about to return to my actual work when Monroe knocked on the open office door. “Hey, there's someone here to see you.”
“Who is it?” I’d reviewed the VIP list and made the rounds already. As far as I knew, nobody else was on the roster.
A frown tugged the corner of her mouth, and I watched as she tried to rearrange it back into her usual smile. “Carter.”
The blood drained from my face. Carter was the most recent in my attempts at having a normal personal life. We’d dated for a few months and yet we hadn't gone further than kissing and a little heavy petting.
The man never pressured me and was basically the nicest human being I’d ever met.