“I can stop by your place early tomorrow, and we can talk for a while.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. That way everything you tell me will be fresh in my mind.”
“I look forward to seeing you, Phoebe.”
“I do have a question,” I said. “What kind of outfit will Ineed?” Most of my stuff was still packed. I’d have to find something.
“Just a dress, something you’d wear to a restaurant.”
I wondered if it was a fancy restaurant. Then I realized that Griffin Sterling would never go to a cheap one, and his business partner wouldn’t either.
“All right, I’ll dig something up and knock their socks off.”
“I know you will.”
After hanging up, I stood from the porch, smiling for no reason as I went into the house. I was going to a fancy-ass dinner with the hottest guy on the planet tomorrow. I took it as a sign that my life was slowly turning around.
After changing into some comfy clothes, I cooked a paella, humming along to my favorite Spotify list. I was a bit on edge, waiting for Griffin to send me the details. I checked the phone a few times while I was eating, but he didn’t message me until later that evening.
Griffin: It’s all set. We’re meeting tomorrow at seven o’clock. Should I come by your place at five?
Phoebe: Make it four. I have LOTS of questions.
Griffin: You can start firing away now.
Phoebe: Nah. If I start, we’ll be up all night.
Griffin: I don’t mind.
Goose bumps erupted across my skin for some reason. I imagined him saying it in that low, seductive voice of his.
Phoebe: I’ll see you tomorrow, Griffin.
The next day, I was on pins and needles. I’d woken up to a few more job rejections in my inbox and also an email from Marshall.
I’ve thought more about the price. Let’s lower it by 10K.
I broke out in a sweat at the words. That would still leave us a margin of a few thousand bucks as profit. I couldn’t believe that I’d once looked at this house with dreamy eyes, thinking itwas where we’d spend the early days of our marriage. I envisioned myself cooking a few times a week, maybe even having a small vegetable garden in the back. We’d save as much as possible. Then in a few years?—
I shook my head. Why was I playing that scenario in my mind over and over again?
Because I still couldn’t pinpoint the moment when our visions of the future started diverging. When did he start dreaming about a future without me? And why didn’t I see it?
Since I had to find a dress for the evening, I bit the bullet and unpacked all of my bags. I was starting to accept that my situation was semipermanent. Even if we did manage by some miracle to get an offer right away, it would take time before the bank cleared it.
Another wave of sadness overtook me. That big red suitcase was the one I’d prepped for our trip. I’d bought special outfits for the occasion, including a few sexy beach dresses.
My eyes watered.Damn it.I wanted to close that suitcase and donate everything to Goodwill. But I couldn’t afford to.
I knew the dress I needed for tonight was in there. I’d bought it especially for the trip, figuring I could wear it the evening Marshall proposed. In my mind, I’d been certain that I could guess when it would happen. It was a gold Stella McCartney dress that was high around my neck and reached the floor.
I’d hesitated when buying it. Even with the slashed price, it was an extravagance. Even though Marshall made bank from the practice, I rarely splurged or even asked for gifts. I’d been determined that we save for our next home. To find out that he’d spent all those savings with someone else was excruciatingly painful to say the least.
I held the dress in front of the ancient mirror in the living room. It looked like something out of a scary movie—like a ghost may walk out of it any second. But I didn’t have another one, so I couldn’t get rid of it. The dress was truly exquisite, and I had some beautiful heels to pair it with.
I set it on the couch and got to work. I didn’t have to go into the office every day, which was a relief. The commute was grueling, and my assigned seat once I got to the office was far from any windows. I preferred the comfort of my own home.
The day passed by insanely quickly. Good thing, as I was getting more nervous with every hour.
