Leave the past in the past.
Bryson blew out an agonized breath.
“Good fucking luck with that.”
How was one to prepare themselves for weeks of the sweetest torture imaginable? He had a feeling he was about to find out.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ridley, girl, what is this?”
Evie burst out laughing at the tall, furry hat Ashanti placed atop her head.
“It’s not for you; it’s for the dog,” Ridley said. “It’s a hat like the guardsmen at Buckingham Palace wear. I figured Barkingham Palace’s mascot should have one.” She looked over at Evie. “Sorry, I didn’t bring one for your mutt. Granted, I didn’t know youhada mutt.”
“No worries.” Evie waved her off. “It’s sweet that you would have bought Waffles a gift if you had known he existed.”
“That’s a silly name, by the way,” Ridley told her. She glanced over to where Evie sat with her legs tucked underneath her on the sofa, Waffles snuggled in her lap. “But he does look like he has a blob of syrup on his head.”
“Thus the name,” Evie said, running her fingers along Waffles’s fur.
She had been fully prepared to keep her dog secured in his travel crate while she and Ashanti helped Ridley settle in from her two-month stint across the pond, but Ridley told her not to bother locking him up. Six months ago, she balked at the idea of a dog in her downtown high-rise condo; now she was bringing home doggy souvenirs. As far as Evie could tell, London had been good for her friend.
“Thank you for thinking of Duchess,” Ashanti said. “I’m sure she’ll love it.”
“I’m surprised she isn’t here. You and that damn dog are usually joined at the hip.”
“She’s at The PX with Thad and Puddin’. They’re putting the finishing touches on the Cigar Room. It looks amazing. They went with the deep raspberry-colored accents.” She kissed the tips of her fingers. “Perfection.”
“When is the grand opening?” Evie asked. “Well, the re–grand opening?”
“Thad is shooting for the end of next month, but Von thinks they’ll be ready within the next four weeks.”
“Have you started searching for a new job, Ev?” Ridley asked as she lifted a designer blazer from a designer garment bag.
Evie sent Ashanti a look. That obvious subject change had not gone unnoticed, but she and Ashanti had decided before coming to Ridley’s that they wouldn’t push her to talk about Von. Although Evie really,reallywanted to push. She wanted the whole story when it came to what went down between her and Thad’s best friend.
The fact that Von refused to talk was also telling, at least according to Thad, via Ashanti.
Evie would get a full account out of Ridley eventually.Right now, there were other things she needed to discuss with her friends, and Rid had given her the segue she needed.
“I’ve put off the job search for the moment,” Evie said. “I have another project I want to handle first, and I’m hoping you and Shanti can help brainstorm a few ideas. You remember The Sanctuary near Audubon Zoo, Rid?”
“The pet rescue where you interned that one summer?” Ridley asked.
She nodded. “I used to help out often before things got so busy with working at the clinic and at Barkingham Palace, but I hadn’t been there in well over a year.”
“Sorry,” Ashanti said.
“No need to apologize,” Evie said. “It’s not as if you forced me to work for you. I do feel bad about abandoning the rescue, though. And I discovered a few days ago that things have gotten really bad there. As in, it may shut down. The mentorship program has already been disbanded.”
“No way,” Ashanti said. “I always regretted that I never got the chance to take part in that program.”
“Well, no one will if The Sanctuary closes,” Evie said. She lifted Waffles from her lap and moved her feet from underneath her, setting them flat on the floor, along with her dog. “I’ve decided to put off the job search for now so that I can focus on trying to save The Sanctuary.”
“Exactly how much will it take to save it?” Ridley asked.
Good question.
