Page 30 of The Boss on the Brain

Her eyes misted over as she looked at them. “John used to bring them to me,” she said in a softer voice, remembering her ex-boyfriend. He’d been a constant in her life for the last year until he moved to Melbourne to help his son raise twins. She never forgot him though.

I turned to go when I paused with my foot midair.

“Friends, did you say?” I asked, looking around.

She nodded. “Yes. Three of them. Barged in here a while ago and insisted that you’d be here in no time. Noisy bunch,all of them. If you could please ask the white-sweatered woman for the name of her perfume, that’d be really awesome.”

I wanted to laugh with joy. “I will,” I announced and ran up the stairs, my energy rising with each step I took.

I walked up to the landing and found Gabriela, Lily, and Freya at the door.

“We brought wine,” Lily announced, holding the bottle out. “But you have a package waiting that we had nothing to do with,” she added, pointing to the large rectangular box at my doorstep.

I picked it up, and it felt light. Frowning, I turned it around. I hadn’t ordered anything in the longest while.

“Open the door, please,” Freya said while I fumbled with my keys.

In a few seconds, we were in, and I set the package aside while I retrieved the beanbags from under my bed. The women sat down, but everyone stared expectantly at the package.

“You have no idea what that is?” Gabriela asked.

I shook my head.

“Open it then,” Lily said, and I was already reaching for it.

In a few seconds, I opened the package to reveal a beautiful Burberry peacoat and a blue Moncler down jacket. It looked delightfully warm. My face burned when I put two and two together. Desmond.

“Who sent these to you?” Freya asked with a gasp, looking at the labels. “You never shop for clothes like these.”

“Ava never shops for herself, period,” Gabriela added from behind.

I closed my eyes for a second, drawing on all my strength. I’d need it for when I said the next word.

“Desmond,” I said finally, and just like that, the three of them shrieked in unison.

A half an hour passed while Lily, Freya, and Gabriela demanded more details.

Glasses of heady wine were consumed, and I let them know that Desmond had brought up the state of my clothes recently.

“He’d better,” Gabriela said. “Ever since your mom died, you’ve stopped taking care of yourself.”

“I was in a hurry that morning,” I told her. “I’d had a late night and overslept. When I woke up, I put on the first clothes I found and ran to get my train.”

“Why did you have a late night?” Lily asked.

I looked at them. “I was halfway across town, picking up a prescription for Mrs. Wilson from a late-night pharmacy.”

Gabriela gave me a knowing look, which had me sighing.

I looked back at the box, now on the counter. “Still, sending me the coats was way out of line, even for Desmond. I’m going to return it to him tomorrow when I meet him.”

Freya looked unhappy, and even Lily pressed her lips together.

“Why won’t you let anyone take care of you?” Gabriela asked from the beanbag across from us.

“It’s not taking care of me,” I pointed out. “He’s abusing his position and power over me by giving me a gift he has no business giving. He promised me that when I worked there, we’d go on as if we never knew each other. This isn’t keeping his promise.”

“And he’s taking you out on a date tomorrow,” Lily said, adding fuel to the fire as she raised her glass and took a sip. “What a jerkhole.”