Page 10 of Ruthless Desires, Vol. One (Ruthless Desires Series Extended Editions #1)

Wren

“Doesn’t this look like so much fun?” I tilt my phone toward Ava so she can see the picture I took of a promotional flyer yesterday.

“Valentine’s Day masquerade ball,” she mutters as she reads it. “Hell yeah. You should go with Adam.”

I chew on my bottom lip. “Do you think he’d want to? I’m worried he’ll hate it.”

The tension between Adam and I has eased over the past few months. We’ve even had sex a couple times, although that was mostly because I felt guilty for not giving him anything for so long. But it’s all right. This isn’t how I wanted things to go, but Adam has been a little nicer to me lately. Maybe this is just how it has to be for now. I think we’ll get to a better place sooner than later.

“Isn’t that friend he’s always competing with proposing to his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day? There’s no way he’ll say no to this. He’d look like a fucking ass.”

“That’s… a good point, I guess.” I stare at my screen. The problem is, I want Adam to want to go. But I guess I just have to take what I can get.

“How much are tickets?” Ava asks.

“Haven’t checked yet.” I do a quick search and find the website selling tickets. “Oh, god.”

She winces. “That bad?”

“A hundred each.”

Fuck. There’s no way we can swing that. If Adam had accepted that new job, sure. But we make just enough to cover our expenses and have the tiniest bit left over for nights out. But not two hundred dollars, especially considering I’d have to get a dress, too.

“I don’t think we can do that,” I say, my voice heavy. “Why is it so damn expensive?”

“Sometimes I wish this job paid more,” Ava grumbles.

“Only sometimes?” I shake my head. “There’s not a time when I’m not wishing that.”

She snorts. “Fair point.”

We finish up our mid-afternoon tasks. Things have slowed down, partially because there’s always a lull in the mid-afternoon and also because it’s snowing pretty hard outside. It gives us enough time to take a breather and restock and clean before the closers come in.

As I’m wiping down the counter, my gaze snags on the tip jar. Usually by this point in the day, there’s a decent amount of change in it, but the thing is stuffed.

“Ava.”

At the shock in my voice, she turns quickly. “What’s wrong?”

I reach for the tip jar carefully, as if the money will disappear if I move too fast. “Look at this.”

She makes a strangled noise when she sees the wad of bills stuck inside. There are still one or two customers in here, so she hisses, “That’s a lot of money.”

Palms sweaty and mouth dry, I pull it all out, letting the loose change and ones fall to the counter. Then, with shaky hands, I count the rest.

Ten.

Ten one hundred dollar bills.

“Ava,” I breathe.

“Oh my god,” she whispers.

I recount them again just to make sure, and then I let it all drop to the counter. “Is this a dream? There’s—there’s no way this is happening.”

“Do you think it was them?” Ava asks.

“Who?”

She elbows me. “Your regulars.”

Rolling my eyes, I turn from the counter. “They’re not my anything. And… I don’t know. We’ve had so many people in here over the day. It could’ve been anyone.”

“I bet it was them. They can never stop looking at you.”

“Does it matter?” I divide the bills. “This is five hundred each, Ava. It’s… oh my god, it’s so much money.”

“Enough to go to the masquerade ball?” She raises a brow.

A delighted giggle bursts out of me. “Definitely enough.”