After he left, Sarah sat in her office for a long moment. She hadn't realised how long she'd been holding herself rigid until she wasn't anymore.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Lizzie:
Thinking of you.
Instantly, Sarah smiled.And I of you. Can’t wait to see you tonight.
Tonight?
Unless you have other plans.
She leaned back in her chair. She did not, in fact, have other plans. And suddenly, she had something to look forward to.
Meet me at my place at six.
The rest of the day was a blur. The resort had sustained minimal damage. The damage on the island was less than expected. As promised, Stavros had calls from concerned parents forwarded to him. He dealt with them one by one and kept her in the loop on everything.
Derek finally showed his face to give his report, but it was clear he had been told not to try and place blame on Sarah. Their conversation had been brief.
Thankfully.
By five PM, Sarah was exhausted. She’d been up for nearly twenty-four hours. Her clothes still smelled faintly of generator fuel and stress sweat. But the day was over.
***
Lizzie
Lizzie sat on the steps outside Sarah’s apartment building, scrolling through her phone. It was quarter till six. Sarah had said six, but Lizzie had gotten here early because she couldn’t stand waiting at home anymore.
Her phone buzzed. Maya again.
GIRL. I saw your Instagram story. A TROPICAL STORM?!
I know. It was insane.
Are you okay??? That looked terrifying.
I’m fine. We all stayed in this mansion on the island. It was actually kind of amazing.
A MANSION? Okay I need details. Full details.
Lizzie glanced down the street. No sign of Sarah yet.
Remember that boss I told you about? The ice queen?
The one who’s been driving you crazy? Yeah, what about her?
She’s not actually an ice queen. She’s kind of amazing. And we might be dating.
WHATLIZZIE WAKEFIELDYOU BURIED THE LEAD
Lizzie grinned. Maya. Direct as always.It just happened. Like two days ago.
I need a FULL debrief when you get back. With details. ALL the details.Is she hot?
Lizzie heard footsteps and looked up. Sarah was walking toward her, still in her work clothes but looking exhausted. Beautiful and exhausted.
Extremely.
