“That’s not true,” she said lowly.
Thankfully, the waitress was heading in our direction with my bag of food in hand. I was ready to be anywhere but near Mia’s ass. Once I had my food, I stood and turned toward the exit. Mia called my name repeatedly, but I paid her no attention. The shit with us was a wrap and I hoped she’d get that through her head sooner than later.
CHAPTER 10
Celeste
“I think this is the perfect location for the type of business you’re running. I know it’s not in the downtown shopping area, but trust me when I say, North Springs gets just as much traffic and tourists. It’s a well-known area in Gwendal, making it comparable to your location downtown,” Melanie stated.
When I was looking for realtors, she had come highly recommended. More than a few of my business associates said she’d found them a property that fit their every request. During one of our many phone conversations, I expressed how important it was that my store remain visible. I already felt like a failure, just for the simple fact that I couldn’t afford to rent a space downtown. Luxe Addiction made a pretty penny, but I’d be putting some of my profit toward rent every month and that defeated my whole purpose. I was familiar with the North Springs area, but not as much as downtown. I knew people came over here, but I felt like downtown Gwendal couldn’t be beat.
“I like it. It may actually be bigger than my downtown location.”
“Not by much but it is. I also like the placement of this building. It’s right off the main road and there’s a billboard above you can include as well. This entire strip is filled with high-end stores.”
That was another thing that made me hesitant to rent here. Shane’s family business was three stores down. Part of me didn’t want him to think I was renting the space to keep tabs on him, but the other part felt like I was overthinking it. As far as I knew, Shane didn’t think about me when I was out of his sight. I had to admit the space was perfect for Luxe Addiction and I couldn’t have asked for a better view.
“Can I have a few days to go over all of the properties and get back with you?”
“Of course. I want to let you know there is another potential buyer for the property. If I get any updates before you reach out, I’ll let you know,” Melanie said as she closed her briefcase.
She’d shown me three other properties, but this was the only one that stood out to me. I knew I’d be getting it, but I needed to get everything on the backend together before I signed a lease.
“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll be in touch.”
Leaving through the front door before her, I walked to my car parked in the owner’s spot on the street. That was another perk I appreciated since parking was so bad over here. I drove in the direction of the house I shared with Allen because he’d be getting ready to catch a flight in the next few hours. Things between him and I were still in that awkward space and rightfully so. I was starting to think he was truly sick in the head if he thought our relationship would go anywhere beyond this. The last few dates we had were involuntary on my behalf. He finally got the hint and let up. He was leaving town for a whole week and I couldn’t have been happier. When he was out of town, communication between us was few and far between.
Right before I pulled into my driveway, my phone rang with a call from Jade. She was still at the shop, so I didn’t get out of the car just in case I needed to head that way.
“Hello?”
“Hey, boo. Everything is cool at the store. I just called to see if you were going to the club with us tonight. Marshae wants to know if you’ll be there.”
Marshae was Jade’s cousin. She was our age, but since she went to a different university, I didn’t see her as often as I saw Jade. She was cool and just as much of a friend as Jade.
“I forgot that was tonight. I’ll be there though. I won’t lie and say I’ll stay the whole night, but I’ll come out and celebrate,” I countered.
Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to be out. Since Allen wouldn’t be around to bother me, I wanted to relax and finish getting business in order. I planned to spend a few days at my townhouse, just to soak up energy in my own space.
“That’s cool. I don’t think she planned on being out all night anyway. She said dinner at STK. So far, that’s the only thing on the agenda. Melo is taking her out of town and their flight leaves early tomorrow morning, so I doubt we’ll be going anywhere after.”
“That’s cool. You know I love STK. Hell, the vibe is club-like anyway, so we can turn up in there,” I admitted.
“That’s what Shae was saying. That’s all I wanted though, girl. I’ll see you tonight. The reservation is set for seven-thirty.”
“Okay, cool. I’ll text you when I’m on my way there. I may take a U-ride so I don’t have to drive.”
After a few minutes of discussing tonight’s plans, I ended the call and got out of my car. Music playing loudly inside the house let me know Allen was most likely packing and getting ready to leave. His routine was similar whenever he was leaving town or going to the club for work. He put on music he produced to get inhis zone. The thought of him leaving plastered a smile across my face when I walked inside.
“You look happy today. That smile for me?” Allen asked as he turned the music down.
His suitcase was wide open and laying in the middle of the spacious living room floor. On the couch were several outfits while a stack of neatly folded basketball shorts and T-shirts rested on the far end. Two different pairs of Nikes sat on the floor in front of the couch while a pile of hygiene products were spread across the end table. Naturally, upon seeing Allen’s face, my smile dropped and my expression went stale. Me being happy to see him was the last thing I wanted him to think. It was so far from the truth that his statement was comical.
“What time is your car coming?” I asked as I set my purse on the kitchen counter.
“Damn. Hello to you too. My day was fine. How ’bout yours?” he countered smartly.
“Hello.”
