“A single, solitary friend.”
“Just for that, I’m not sharing my wine.” Grenadine sniffed.
I wrote a quick note then dug into the Ikea bag that functioned as my closet.
“I’m taking these to Grayson,” I said, shimmying out of my skirt and pulling on some leggings.
It was raining again when I stepped outside. It wasn’t romantic and warm Florida rain. This was cold and depressing. I held the basket close to me. I had covered it with a tea towel with—get this—a dancing Chip and Mrs. Potts design on it, but it wasn’t doing a whole lot against the rain.
The basket bounced awkwardly against my thigh, and my arm ached as I headed toward Grayson’s penthouse. If my conversation with my parents hadn’t been a complete lie and I had actually had a real job, I would have just sprung for an Uber.
I was switching the heavy basket to my other arm when a white van pulled up.
There was a moment of apprehension—it’s just Grayson getting to you—then the passenger-side window rolled down.
“Hey,” a man called from the dark depths of the van, “it’s the pretty redhead who said she liked my shirt last week. You remember me? Alfie? Let me give you a ride. It’s nasty weather out there.”
Something prickled at me.
Maybe I shouldn’t get in this big white van …
“Where ya headed?” The man was loudly chewing gum.
“Probably out of your way,” I said with a smile.
“Not a problem. I can take youse wherever you need to get to.”
“It’s about five blocks back that way,” I said, shifting the basket.
“Door’s unlocked. Just hop in.”
For some reason, my heart was racing. But the basket was awkward, and the rain was falling more heavily.
It’s fine. You can text McKenna that you got a ride so someone knows where you are. It’s not a big deal. He’s just being friendly.
I reached for the door handle.
Alfie smiled.
“Don’t you fucking touch that door,” a deep voice growled right before a large hand grabbed me, jerking me back.
I screamed and dropped the basket of oranges. Then I was face-to-face with Grayson Richmond.
“Why are you out here in the middle of the night? Why don’t you have any sense of self-preservation?” he shouted at me. The tendons on his neck bulged. He was furious. He shook me roughly by the shoulders, making my teeth clack together.
“Do you have any idea what could happen to you?”
I had already been discombobulated the entire day, and this sent me over the edge.
“I don’t know, maybe I could have been accosted and manhandled by a large, angry male?”
“This isn’t funny, Lexi,” he said through bared teeth.
“I’m not joking; you’re out of control.”
“That’s it. You’re coming with me, right now.”
He grabbed my arm.
