Expect a call from a man named Arnold at 10. He’ll take you to a day spa and then wherever you want after that.
—J
Blinking hard,I slowly lowered the note and glanced back at the pile of money. Cash he apparently wanted me to use. For… anything.
“I wonder if this what drug dealers feel like,” I murmured idly into the empty kitchen, reaching for the stack and shaking my head as I picked it up.
I honestly couldn’t believe that all this was supposed to be for me. That it hadn’t been earmarked for something more important than simply whatever I wanted. To add to that, a very fancy-looking black credit card sat next to where the money had been.
It was glossy and heavy enough to double as a throwing weapon. Scrawled across the front were the wordsWestwood & Sons. I turned it over in my hand, struggling to believe that he’d left it in addition to all the cash.
It seemed entirely excessive.What on earth is he expecting me to buy, a developing country?
As I placed the card back on the counter, I caught sight of the clock above the door and stiffened.9:59.
Right as the numbers flicked over to ten, my phone rang in the pocket of my dressing gown. I practically jumped out of my skin, but quickly remembered that he’d told me to expect this call. It looked like Arnold was unsettlingly punctual.
“Hello?” I said as I picked up. “Arnold?”
“Yes, Miss Roderick,” a polite male voice said. “Good morning. Mr. Westwood asked that I drive you today.”
Wow. Right on time.“Of course,” I said. “Where are you?”
“Outside, Miss.”
Naturally, he’d be waiting on theone dayI hadn’t dressed and made myself presentable as soon as I’d climbed out of bed. “Very well. Would you mind waiting just a few minutes?”
“No problem, Miss. Take your time. I’ll be here whenever you’re ready.”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “I won’t keep you waiting long.”
With that, I hung up, and twenty minutes later, I was sliding into the backseat of a sleek black car while Arnold gave me a warm smile in the rearview mirror. He looked to be in his sixties,with kind eyes and the calm confidence of someone who’d spent decades driving important people to important places.
“Good morning, Miss Roderick,” he said warmly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“And you, Arnold.”
He held my gaze in the mirror for a beat. “Mr. Westwood said you’d like to visit the spa at the Royal Hotel?”
“I think he decided that for me,” I said quietly. “I’m sure it will be lovely, however.”
Arnold chuckled softly as he pulled into traffic. “That sounds like Will. He likes that place. Whenever Charlotte sets foot in town, he checks her in there for a day of being spoiled.”
I frowned slightly. “Willlikes the place?”
“Yeah, he even goes there himself sometimes after a long week,” Arnold said fondly. “He says they give the best massages in the city. Even I’ve gone at his insistence. He’s treated me and my wife a few times.”
“Oh.”
I looked out the window, but Arnold kept making polite conversation. “Will prefers the eucalyptus steam room. If you ask me, he’s wrong about that. I like the head massages, but my wife enjoyed the hot stones. He doesn’t like those at all, though. If he didn’t book one for you, add it to your treatment plan. You’ll love it.”
Suddenly, I sat up a little straighter. “IfWilldidn’t book one?”
“Yes, Miss.”
I leaned forward slightly between the seats. “You mean Jesse. I’m engaged toJesse, Arnold. Not Will.”
His eyes flicked to the mirror and he paused for a beat. “Oh. Yes. Of course.”
