She just blinks, slow and steady, like she has all the time in the world.
And that’s how she gets you. Always has.
So I sigh, flop dramatically onto my couch, and let it all out in one breathless rush.
“I married a man I barely know in a different state this morning after hijacking his engagement to my sister, flew home on his private jet, kissed him outside a courthouse, and then took off in his town car before he could shove me into a penthouse and tell me I wasn’t allowed to have a job anymore.”
Mrs. Delaney blinks again.
Then bursts out laughing.
“My life is over,” I groan, burying my face in a throw pillow.
“Oh, honey. Your life isn’t over,” she says through chuckles. “It’s just beginning.”
I peek at her over the pillow. “You’re taking this surprisingly well.”
She shrugs. “Men like that don’t come around every day.”
I lift a brow. “He’s bossy. Controlling. Thinks ‘wife’ is just a synonym for ‘property.’”
Mrs. Delaney’s eyes twinkle. “Yes, but is he handsome?”
“I—” I stop. Huff. “Maybe.”
She laughs again and reaches over to pat my arm. “Things happen for a reason, Sabrina. Sometimes the universe throws uscurveballs wrapped in six-foot-tall men with too much money and emotional constipation.”
I choke on a laugh.
She grins. “And who knows? Maybe you’ll learn to love him.”
I roll my eyes.
“Fine,” she says. “Maybe just like him enough to sleep with him.”
“Mrs. D!” I gasp, mock-horrified.
She just smirks. “What? I may be old, but I’m not dead.”
We both burst out laughing.
And for the first time all day, I feel… okay.
Not fixed. Not safe. But a little more me.
We make grilled cheese and tomato soup like it’s a ritual, then sit together on the couch, sharing dinner while Olga snores on my lap.
I’ll go to work tonight. I’ll deal with Langston tomorrow.
But for now?
This is enough.
The dining floor at Lakeshore Reserve gleams like something out of a dream. Polished hardwood. White linen napkins. Ambient lighting that makes every guest look like they belong on a magazine cover. This place doesn't scream money—it hums it, low and classy.
And somehow, I belong here now.
I adjust the silver tray on my hip and smooth a hand over the side of my black dress. I’ve only been working here a couple of months, but I’ve already figured out the rhythm. The regulars. The wine pairings. The exact temperature to keep the water glasses.
