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“Of course, Miss Montgomery.”
I give him the address and then glance at Ava’s text again. It will be nice to see them. To catch up and be surrounded by friends. Trustworthy friends.
In all the time I’ve known King, I’ve also been close with his sisters. Mel with her upbeat personality. Sophie, who’s the oldest and most take charge. She’s fun, but she doesn’t cut loose like her sisters do. Not anymore anyway. Then there’s Mel’s twin, Ella. Studious. Careful. More reserved than her twin but kind and funny. Ava’s the baby, and she knows it. King’s the second oldest and protective of all of them.
Katherine: I’ll be there.
The replies are immediate.
Mel: yay!
Ava: excellent.
Soph: see you then. Miss you Ella!
Mel: Miss you, Belly-Button!
I snort, a full-on snort, in the back seat of the Rover. When will they let that silly nickname go? Poor Ella. But I giggle anyway because it’s never not funny to be reminded that there’s more to this world than zeroes in one’s bank account.
They grew up in the same circles but were so far removed from life in my mother’s house.
A few minutes later, we arrive at the curb in front of Simon’s tiny plant shop. The facade is painted a deep, neutral green. Sleek silver letters over the door and window spell out Leaf Me Alone. The combination is modern with a tip of the hat to the old building.
Roman opens my door and offers me a hand. Slipping my purse over my forearm, I step out. Blessedly, there aren’t any cameras pointed my way. I hustle across the well-worn sidewalk and push open the door just as I get another text. I glance down to see Gabe has finally joined the group text loop.
Gabe: It’s okay. We won’t need our walking muscles when you sit on my face later.winking face emoji
My cheeks heat, and my lips curve up as a thrill races through my veins.
Warm, humid air swirls around me, filling my lungs. It smells of earth and moisture, vibrant green life and sharp fertilizer.
My smile falters.
Behind the counter is a large worktable, and in the middle is Simon. He squats next to a massive pot with a large jade plant in it. Bonnie, his employee, tugs the plant toward her while Simon tugs the pot. She looks like she’s about to tumble ass over tits, tongue poked out as she gives it everything she’s got. Simon’s long, wavy hair cascades around his face, and a harsh breath blows it away.
“Stupid. Fucking. Roots. Saw in”—he grunts—“half. I swear to goddess.”
The whole scene is an episode in contortion. I try to hold in my snicker. Really, I do. But it bubbles out of me.
“Need a hand?”
12
GABE/KATHERINE
GABE
I don’t expect a reply from Katherine, seeing as it’s the middle of the morning on a weekday. But I keep my phone on my desk as I read through the latest projection report. Everything looks steady, which I appreciate after those first few years of rocket-ship-like growth. At the time, it felt exponential and exhausting, which explains why my body is trained to function on so little sleep.
My phone vibrates across the glass desktop and I reach for it, report forgotten. There’s a new group text. Me, Alex, and Kingston.
Kingston: good thinking!
I assume he’s referring to not needing to use our walking muscles when we see Katherine later. I smirk, imagining her riding my face. Crying out with pleasure as Alex and King watch.
Gabe: thought you’d like that.
Kingston named the conversation “Katherine’s Guys.”