I need to leave soon to go to my mum’s. How the hell am I going to sort this all out?
“Because we’ve only just finalized the details. I only committed you to a long weekend, so you can relax.”
She doesn’t get it. Even one day is longer than I want to be away. “I didn’t even get to pick the location. They said I could stay at any of their properties.”
“I picked Tuscany for you since it’s near Florence. Plus, staying there allows you to learn more about the DeLuca wine. Again, consider it a work trip.”
“I guess when you put it that way…”
She points to my desk. “Stop fussing with all that. I’ve taken care of everything. I even laid out clothes for you at home. I know how much you hate packing.”
“What? You’re the COO of the company, not my assistant anymore. You didn’t need to do that, though I truly appreciate it.”
Her phone dings as she replies, “Your assistant sucks, and I didn’t trust her not to screw this up, so it was easier if I handled it. I actually sent you resumes to fill her position. You can look over them while you’re in Italy.” She looks down, staring at the phone intently. “Check your texts.”
I grab my phone, pull up my group chat with the girls, and see an attachment from Sadie. It’s a family painting of them at Wills’s parents’ house in the Cotswolds.
Sadie and Wills are gazing at each other as they often do, with pure happiness radiating from their faces. Charlie is lying on her back in the meadow surrounded by wildflowers beside Buddy, his paw resting on her arm. Chloe is sitting next to them, giggling and throwing the flowers in the air.
“Nora did this?” I ask, even though I can tell straight away that she did. No one I know is as talented as her.
“Yes, isn’t it impressive? It was their wedding gift.”
It’s more than that. “Her ability to paint a picture and capture the feeling in them has always left me speechless. But wait… I thought they said no gifts? Only donations to one or both of their foundations?”
She lifts an accusing brow. “You’re telling me you didn’t buy anything for Sadie?”
“That’s different. She’s like my sister.”
She leans back against the door jam, smirking. “Did you get Wills a gift?”
“That’s also different. I was thanking him for taking care of my sister,” I mutter, then realize the time. “Ahh, I need to leave. Call me if you need me for anything. I’m heading to Mum’s to check on her, then going to Jack’s to change before tonight’s gallery opening.”
She walks over and helps me pack up the rest of the stuff. “I asked Callie, our new senior director, to go in your place tonight. She’ll email if she can make it. I’ve also emailed you all the details of your trip. Everything you need for work is in your inbox or the special folder I made on your laptop labeledItaly Trip. The hard copies you’ll need are printed and are at Jack’s place waiting for you.”
Lola is a remarkable human. “I love you, thank you for helping.” Then I add, “But wait, should I really be thanking you since you got me into this mess?”
She hugs me tight. “You know it’s the right thing to do, and I promise to hold down the fort until you get home.”
God… I’m going to miss her when she leaves.
* * *
“Hey, B, wait up,” Jack calls from across the street.
He jogs to catch up to me, and as usual, I’m too stunned by his good looks to move.
I barely have a second to say hello before he barrels into me, grabs my face, and kisses me with reverence. Feeling just as starved as him, I press into his body, needing to feel all of him.
Has it only been one day since I last saw him?
We were spoiled in Paris, and now I crave this all the time.
Luckily we get to spend the night together once my work event is over. It will be my first night sleeping at Jack’s asourhouse.
Some of my things were moved over while I was at work, and even though I still think it’s fast, I’m more ecstatic than I thought I would be. If it were up to Jack, I would have moved in the second we arrived back in London.
Instead, I spent last night and this morning with Sadie and the girls, as she and Wills leave for their honeymoon tomorrow.
