My phone buzzed with a text from Yaslynn:
Yaslynn: Girl, you’ve been quiet. You good?
Instead of texting back, I called her because I needed to sort out these thoughts, and he wasn’t around to help me.
“Hey,” I said when she picked up.
“Uh oh. You sound like you need a glass of wine and a pep talk. What’s wrong?”
“I thought I meant something to him.” I paused. “Then he disappeared for two weeks. No call, nothing. I don’t know, it’s so weird because it was him who said this would be more.”
“Two weeks? Ahh, pooh, he needs some hot grits upside the head.” Her laugh took over, and mine followed. I was feeling a little lighter and was so glad I called her.
“I was thinking the same thing, and then the man sent prenup papers, and that just really turned me the fuck off.”
“Girl, he’s testing you. I’m sure he missed you.”
“And the crazy part is, I missed him, too. I really missed him. I want the right to ask where he is, to know if he’s safe. I wanted...” I trailed off.
“You wanted what?”
“I wanted him to choose me. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to. I want dibs on him, Yas. If his heart ever belongs to someone, I want it to be me.”
Yaslynn was quiet for a moment. “That’s not crazy, Colecion. That’s just human.”
“But he’s not some regular guy I can catch feelings for. He’s dangerous. And this was supposed to be business.”
“Was supposed to be. But feelings don’t follow contracts, babe.”
“When does the boss come back?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t know if I care. What’s it going to change?”
“Co, what aren’t you saying?”
“I opened up to him, and he just left. After I told him I didn't have family. That’s fucked up.”
“It is, but this is fixable. Girl, you need to talk to him when he gets back. Tell him how his disappearing act made you feel.”
“Yas, don’t be on his side.”
“I’m just saying the man sent gifts galore, he probably hadn’t been in the air an hour before he was trying to make it right. This is new for you both. Extend grace.”
But what I wanted didn’t matter, not with Lesley. He moved how he wanted, when he wanted, without apology or explanation. He was a boss.Theboss.
But he apologized to you.
My intrusive thoughts had appeared.
“I don’t need gifts though.”
“Well, give me the shit with your ungrateful ass.”
“Whatever, I gotta go. I need to get myself together. Lunch?”
“Yeah, Santori?”
“Okay, see you, babe.”
