Page 110 of The Heiress's First Date

Kingston: guys...we have a problem.

Alex: What is it?

Gabe: why aren’t you asleep?

Kingston: because I can’t sleep when Stan is stuck in your penthouse by himself.

Gabe: he’s a he now?

Alex: who?

Kingston: Stan

Alex: who the hell is Stan?

Gabe: his plant

Kingston: do you know many women named Stan?

Alex: Can’t say I do. Isn’t Stan a succulent? Katherine said they can go a few weeks without water right?

Kingston: you think it’ll be weeks before we can get back into the apartment?astonished face emoji

Kingston: what about her other plants?

Kingston: they’re not like Stan. She babies some of them. A lot of them.

Kingston: they’re moody and temperamental and Simon comes by to care for them b/c they’re a bunch of prima donnas.

Gabe: breathe, dude

Gabe: We’ll know more tomorrow...later today.

Gabe: I’m sure Stan is fine. Probably enjoying the view.

Alex: I’ll contact her plant guy and have him on standby for when we learn more.

Kingston: Simon! Good idea. We might need a rescue mission.

Gabe: Gonna climb up the elevator shaft like you’re in Mission Impossible?

Kingston: if I need to.

Kingston: I’ve actually never done that before.

Kingston: could be fun.

???

Katherine

The SUV slows to a stop on a tree-lined street. Alex and I came straight here from the airport.

I’m eager to see Kingston and Gabe. And there might be a mixture of dread and curiosity because King and I never did get to talk about whatever it was he wanted to talk about.

Knowing him, it could be surfing off the coast of Portugal or skydiving over a glacier. But I have a feeling it’s a lot more personal than that. Which is why my stomach is in knots.

“Wait for me,” Alex says, his voice deliciously dark.