Bernadette may only be thirty-seven, but she’s been married and divorced three times—one of those marriages lasting justa year. She doesn’t have any children, focusing mostly on her career and travelling overseas. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already on the lookout for husband number four.
She’s the closest thing I have to a real friend, well, at least before Kaden came into the picture. But her wholeliving life on the edge, you only live onceoutlook doesn’t exactly mesh with my more responsible, single-parent lifestyle. So, it’s rare for us to hang out outside of work, and, honestly, I think she’s more interested in collecting men than she is in making friends.
“What’s this one like?” I indulge her, knowing full well how much she loves to gush about her dates.
“He’s thirty-two, so younger than me, works in finance, has never been married or have kids, and looks like a jacked-up version of Adam Brody.”
A loud snort leaves me, and I quickly slap a hand over my mouth to stifle it. One thing Bernadette is known for, it’s that, she always had a thing for big, bulky men, or ‘beefcakes,’ as she likes to call them.
“He sounds like a catch already,” I tease, and the wide grin tugging at her lips looks almost mischievous. She’ll eat this poor guy alive.
“Wanna see him?” she asks, already pulling her phone from her pocket. I don’t get a chance to respond—she already has the screen shoved in my face. When my eyes flick to it, they immediately go wide.
“Oh my God!”
“I know, right! He’s so fucking hot!”
“Um....Bernie...am I supposed to be staring at his dick?”
“What?” she gasps, realising she’s just shown me the wrong photo. “Oh, fuck.” She quickly shuffles to fix it, pulling up another picture, this time of a dark, curly-haired man in a business suit sitting on the hood of a black Ferrari.
“Sorry about that, love,” she apologises, a flush of embarrassment crossing her face. “He’s sent me so many dick pics, it’s hard to keep track of them all.”
“No apology needed. With a dick that size, I’d be proud to show it off too.”
She bursts out laughing. “You know, I’d be happy to hook you up with one of his friends. They’re just as hot as Mark.”
“Oh, no. It’s fine. Between work, the renovations, and taking care of a kid on my own, I just don’t have the time to date.”
And if any of Mark’s friends happen to have a dick even half as monstrous as his, I’m not sure my poor vagina could handle it. It’s been over a year and a half since I last had sex, and that was with Adrian, who was just a little above average. I’m tight as a seal, it’s almost as if I’ve transformed into a born-again virgin.
“Well, if you ever change your mind, just let me know. We can even do that whole double date thing that people do these days.”
I nod, even though I know I’d never take her up on the offer. “Of course,” is all I say to that.
“Well, I better go. I’ve gotta rummage through my wardrobe tonight, and find the sluttiest outfit I own.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Goodluck with that,” I humour her.
We exit through the automatic sliding doors, heading towards our cars, pausing only to wish each other a great weekend.
The moment I slide into the driver’s seat, I reach for my phone and see there are no missed calls or texts—not even from Kaden. A flutter of disappointment twists in my stomach. He’s tried to contact me every single day, even if only to offer a simple apology. But today… there’s been nothing.
The drive home is long and exhausting, thanks to Sydney’s peak-hour traffic and everyone racing to start their weekend. I’d usually be thrilled to be heading home at this hour, but now… I’d give anything to avoid returning to a quiet, empty house, with no one to talk to or keep me company.
It’s sad to think it was almost a week ago that I was at Chris and Gemma’s housewarming, having such a great time—the first in a while, and feeling like things were finally starting to look up. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
And now, it seems, Kaden has finally given up the fight. He probably figured it wasn’t worth the effort, especially since I’ve been ignoring him all week. The knots in my stomach tighten as I get closer to home, and when I pull into the driveway, something on the porch catches my eye.
I’m out of the car within seconds, curiosity propelling me towards the strange box sitting just outside my front door. As I crouch to inspect it, I notice there’s only a label with my name and address, no indication of where it came from.
I unlock the door and carry the box inside, caught off guard by its weight, and even more intrigued by what it could possibly hold. Setting it down on the floor, I use my key to slice through the tape.
When the flaps fall open, I’m surprised to find a plant inside. Not just any plant—an orchid, blooming in the most stunning shade of red. I carefully lift it out of the box, and the instant I do, a small white envelope flutters to the floor.
Placing the orchid on the hallway table, I bend down and snatch up the envelope, tearing it open like it holds a winning lottery ticket.
Hope,
