Page 95 of Resting Grump Face

“Very well,” I say eventually and crumble the envelope some more. “Your punishment will be to continue to work for Grayson Holdings. And you will accept a check for $15.000 without complaints.”

Barbara’s eyes shoot up at mine. Her crying turns into bawling. Tears roll down her cheeks as she throws her arms around me.

We hug for a long moment.

“Just never lie to me again, alright?” I say, patting her back. “And don’t try to protect me. You suck at it. You don’t know what you were putting in danger. I’m a much better person with this one around,” I nod towards Sienna, “so I intend to keep it like this.”

My girlfriend laughs out loud once and then stares off into the distance.

My eyes zero in on the scheming woman with the adorable button nose. “What’s going on?” I ask carefully when Barb and I stop hugging.

“Nothing, Officer,” she replies.

“Hm, contemplating murder, are we?” At least that’s what it looks like.

“Only a little.”

“That might be a little too much murder,” Barb adds quietly.

“Just a teensy tiny amount of murder.”

I nod, still waiting for what’s about to happen. “Well, alright then. Carry on.”

“Thank you, Sergeant Handsome.”

“Did I just get promoted?”

“Not sure,” Sienna answers as she storms out of the room. “I have no idea how police ranks work.”

Then Barb and I are left alone for a minute before Sienna returns with her phone in her hand. Only it isn’t really her phone, it’s the one I gave her, or rather she stole from me when we first met.

“Like Barb, I might need to rethink some of my methods and approaches, but today is not that day.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Revenge, obviously,” she says and turns to Barb. “Do you know Ms. Fate’s address? Because I was thinking we should send her a giant bouquet of flowers and an invitation to a blind date with a very eligible billionaire. I happen to know one who was searching for an equally‘eligible broad’just the other day.” She looks back at me.

“Dicky Dome…”

“If those two don’t deserve each other, then I don’t know who does. It’ll be like the couple at Hangry’s but dialed up to 100.”

I nod and can’t help but be a little in awe of her.

Next, Barb looks up Celia’s contact info, I search for Richard’s, and one phone call to Dreams on Demand later the two are set up for a romantic getaway that includes a terribly burned dinner, a waiter with a spitting problem, and a plastic engagement ring in an over-salted desert.

“Right,” Sienna confirms, “the waiter should have combat experience. Just to make sure he can protect himself. Yes. Okay. Thank you.”

“Wow,” Barb lets out when Sienna hangs up the phone. “I wouldn’t wanna be the one to get on your bad side,” she jokes with a smile. “Seems dangerous.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” I confirm.

36

EPILOGUE

SIENNA

Istill don’t believe in heaven or hell, but I do believe in love.