Page 67 of Cruel Romeo

“Nope. Definitely not looking to see Bob.” I promised Petyr this would be quick. If Bob starts yelling in my face about the lack of notice, I won’t be out before dark. Or worse, Petyr might decide to wander in and handle Bob himself. “I came to hand in this. My resignation.”

“Oh,” Marc says, sounding a little surprised.

“Yeah.” Sadness fills me. I may not be a fan of weddings—or Bob—but I really liked this job. “Can you give it to him, like, five minutes after I’m gone? Just so I know he won’t chase me into the streets.”

He picks up the sheet. I spy a faint tremor in his fingers. “No two weeks, I see.”

“Nope. Sorry about that.”

I genuinely am sorry. I don’t like leaving my job short-staffed like this. God knows there aren’t enough of us to go around. But Petyr agreed to a compromise, and this felt like the least I could do. Between my classes and the job I was going to leave anyway, classes take precedence.

Marc, however, doesn’t look as sorry as I expected him to be. “Got it. I’ll process it right away. As soon as you’re gone, I mean.” His gaze darts shiftily around the hall. “Will you be staying long, or…?”

“Geez.” I cross my arms. “I wasn’t expecting a cake, but that’s pretty damn cold, M-Dog.”

“It’s not like that!” He fumbles with words for a minute, then exhales loudly. “It’s just… I’m glad you’re okay. And that you’ll continue to be okay for the foreseeable future.”

Call me crazy, but that’s the weirdest goodbye I’ve ever gotten. “Are you sureyou’reokay, Marc?” When he doesn’t reply, I press. “You can talk to me. If anything’s wrong?—”

“Jesus jumping Christ on a pogo stick!”

I don’t have to turn to know who that colorful exclamation belongs to. “Hi, Jem.”

“‘Hi’?” Her eyes look ready to fall out. “You drop off the face of the Earth for two days, and all you’ve got is ‘Hi’?!”

“I mean…” I awkwardly flash my wedding band. “I also have this?”

Jemma closes the distance between us. Marc takes the opportunity to quietly slip into the back.So much for getting answers.

“I was about to report youmissing,girl. I thought something horrible had happened! Like, kidnapped-by-a-mafia-warlord horrible!”

I try to laugh, but it comes out strained. Jemma always had a knack for coming way too close to the truth. “Right,” I say. “Definitely not that.”

“What happened?!”

I sigh. “Long story.”

“I’ve got time.”

I’ve got a ticking time bomb of a mafia warlord waiting outside.“Can’t stay,” I tell her. “But we’ll catch up soon, I promise.”

Jemma crosses her arms. Whatever I’m selling, she’s not buying without a better ad. “I still have the cops on speed dial, dude. Either you start spilling, or they’re my first call after you leave.”

“No!” I say, a little too forcefully. “Ahem. I mean. No cops, Jem. Please. Everything’s… fine. More than fine, actually.”

Her foot starts tapping.

“Really! I…” Not knowing what to do, I twirl in my new dress, letting Jemma see the label. “I have a husband now. And I know it was really sudden, but he wants to take care of me. Financially, that is.”

Realization dawns on Jemma’s face. “You came to quit.”

“Just for now, I promise.” I take both her hands in mine. If the gold-digger act is what I need to switch off my bloodhound of a friend, then no low is too low. “He’s really well off, Jem. We’re leaving for our honeymoon, but once we’ve settled into our new life, he… he wants to finance my business.Ourbusiness.”

Jemma’s eyes go wide. “Oh!”

“Yes.Oh.”

“Well, why the hell didn’t you say that sooner?” She hugs me so tight, I’m afraid my spine will snap. “Good on you, girl. I had no idea you even knew the groom. I swear, sometimes, I feel like you’re living a double life right under my nose.”