“You could do that?”
“I can do anything, Odessa.”
I stood up, placing two one hundred dollar bills on the table. Before taking off, I stopped beside the booth Odessa had slid into.
“The moment you start believing it, you can, too.”
My exit was as swift as my entry. However, my progress took a direct hit as I made it on the other side of the doors. The scent of the beautifully aging woman stopped me in my tracks. I paused, trying to grasp its origins.
Long gray hair flowed down her back. She was swimming in a powdery blue dress. The wrinkle lines near her eyes revealed a lengthy life of leisure. She was stunning. Her caramel skin was glowing.
“You ready?”
“Yes, honey.”
The diamonds that lined her husband’s wedding band were evidence of their privilege. They weren’t facing financial annihilation. Their money was old and long. So were his legs.
Just like Richie.
And Rhea.
I was punched in the heart. The blow forced me to place a hand on my chest, attempting to rub away the soreness. There was hardly any use. It didn’t subside.
Not when I started my engine.
Not when I made it to the expressway.
Not when I pulled into the garage of my home.
Not when I sent the text canceling the lunch date with Range.
Not when I pulled the curtains and pretended the sun wasn’t beaming out.
Not when I undressed and flung my body on the bed and wrapped my sadness in my comforter.
Bzzzt.
Bzzzt.
Bzzzt.
I patted the bed, feeling for my cell. It had been silenced. However, the vibrations meant that the person trying to reach me had repeated their calls enough times to get through to me. I pushed the eye mask up onto my forehead once it was located.
Mindlessly, I swiped the screen. Blurriness wouldn’t allow me to make out the name, so I didn’t bother trying.
“Yes?”
“Good evening, Royce.”
My curled lips matched the smile of my heart as I slid up in the bed. Rubbing my eyes, I cleared my line of vision. Nothing and everything made sense at once. The soreness in my chestsubsided finally. It bloomed with new breath and didn’t pain me as I exhaled.
“Mercer.”
“I woke you, huh?”
“Yes. What time is it?”
“Seven, baby.”
