A few seconds later, a notification lights up my phone.
Calendar Invite:
Late Nite Bytes with R&L
A late-night virtual soiree of Italian food in byte-size pieces hosted by the second siblings of Casa D’Medici and the Illinois Irish.
To confirm your reservation send “YES”
“Everything alright back there, Miss D’Medici?”The driver examines me in the rearview mirror.
Did I laugh out loud?I quickly cover it up. “Yes, everything’s fine, just a funny meme.”
He turns his eyes back to the road, no longer concerned.
“You could turn the radio up a bit if you’d like.” I leave off the sassy ‘I don’t mean to disturb you’ that I want to snark.
This guy is Dad’s driver, and he doesn’t work for me. He works for Dad and will probably report back everything that happens.
The volume goes up almost immediately.
I let my fingers hover over the keyboard. I should say no. But everyone will be asleep, and I know for a fact that you can’t hear anything blaring in the kitchen up in Mom and Dad’s room. In hisroom, Berto can’t hear anything coming from the kitchen either, especially not over the three fans and his television.
Leticia:
YES
Royal:
Tap the link when you’re home and ready. Can’t wait to hang out with you.
Another message comesin with a link for a well-known conference call software.
Heat brushes my face and neck. I wiggle my toes in my shoes, venting the schoolgirlish giggles that I have.Why does this feel like a date?It’s just a phone call.
My reaction is irrational and completely uncalled for. I’m not allowed to date, and if I was, it certainly wouldn’t be with Royal Cavanagh.
I don’t even know if he likes me. It could simply be him being nice.
It’s two acquaintances hanging out in the late hours of the night.
Logic can call it that all it wants, but the butterflies in my stomach say otherwise.
10
ROYAL
LATE NITE BYTES
She said yes.I can’t believe she said yes.
Obviously she was going to say yes.My wolf wags his tail in anticipatory excitement.
Some dumbass started his thirty-hour 3D print job in the morning rather than in the evening. Which means said dumbass has to be up late when the custom modifications on an order of high-caliber sniper rifles finish cooling to start another load.
It’s me. I’m the dumbass.
Out here in one of our warehouses, I have a temperature-controlled office specifically for these machines. The setup is similar to my main office, but it’s not as fancy and has the various 3D printers. Being away from home late at night isn’t great, but there’s only so much room in Mom and Dad’s basement.
