I pulled out my computer and got to work. Lena had a good day, and I finally managed to work through my to-do list. The last thing I wanted was to lose the job I actually liked.
Late afternoon, my phone pinged with a message from Malena.
Malena: When are you going to invite me over for that dinner you promised me?
Me: How about this Saturday?
I was in desperate need of my friend.
Malena: It’s a date. Will hunkalicious be there? That would make the night even better.
Me: Hunkalicious? Really? How old are you?
Malena: Shut up.
Malena: What would you call him? Wet dream? Walking, talking porn?
Me: How about Sebastian?
Malena: Boring.
Me: Come over any time. We’ll be home most of the day. Gotta go.
Malena: K. XX
Me: Is that code for something?
Malena: HOW OLD ARE YOU? I said okay and then sent you kisses.
Me: K. XX
I received no response to my last message and put my phone back down. I hadn’t seen Sebastian all day, but my latest guard was sitting in front of my house like the well-trained lapdog he was.
I finished up with work, and there was still no sign of Sebastian by the time I had to pick up Luca, so I got Lena ready and left.
The guy jumped up when he saw me walk down the sidewalk.
“Hey,” he called out and sprinted after us. “You’re not supposed to leave the house.”
I continued walking. “I have to pick up my son.”
“You can’t go anywhere without an escort.”
I huffed and still didn’t stop. “Good thing you’re here, then. You get to escort us to preschool.”
He caught up and put his hand on my arm. “Ace said you need to stay inside.”
I pulled my arm free and kept walking. “He knows I have to pick up my son. If he’s so worried about me going anywhere without him, he should have been here.”
“Something came up that he had to take care of,” the guy explained but didn’t try to stop me again.
“I don’t know how you think Jim is just going to show up here with you guys around. He might be a loser, but he’s not stupid.”
“Ace has a plan.”
“Of course he does,” I muttered and picked up Lena, who’d decided it was a great idea to rip flowers out of someone else’s front yard.
“Can you at least wait outside while I get my son?” I asked when we made it to the preschool.
