Page 67 of Saved By the CEO

“I mean it,” she says, softer now. “Josh is trash. That part is easy. But Optimus Prime?” She gestures vaguely. “That’s complicated. I’m not telling you what to do.”

I look down at my glass.

She nudges my knee with hers, smiling. “But for the record, I’m glad you finally got to polish C-3PO’s knob. Even if it was just a one-off.”

I roll my eyes and laugh, sinking lower into the couch.

Tomorrow, I’ll have to go back to whatever hell my life has become recently. But tonight, at least, I have Annie.

And Annie, thankfully, has wine.

EIGHTEEN

The next morning, I’m getting ready for work when Mom calls.

Which is weird. Mom doesn’t usually call in the morning.

I answer on speaker while pulling a blouse from the back of my chair. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, sweetie. I won’t keep you,” she says. “I just saw a woman outside the grocery store balancing a coffee, a phone, and about six different bags, and it made me think of you. So I thought I’d check in.”

I smile despite myself. “That is both sweet and insulting.”

“It was meant lovingly.”

“Sure.”

She laughs softly. “How are you? How was New York?”

I glance at myself in the mirror. Hair done. Makeup done. A perfectly acceptable work version of myself, considering my life is currently on fire.

“It was good,” I say brightly. “Busy, but good. Work is great.”

I should add a clown nose to complete the look.

“That’s wonderful, honey. I’m so glad.”

There’s a small pause after that. I know that pause.

I lower the blouse a little. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened.”

“Mom.”

She sighs. “The car broke down this morning. I had it towed, and the mechanic is going to call later, but I don’t think it’s worth fixing this time.”

My hand stills on the hanger.

That fucking car. The weakest machine ever created. You just have to look at it, and a bolt comes loose. If it were a person, I would bully itsohard. I would beat it up behind a gas station.

“Send me the estimate when you get it,” I say.

“I’m not calling so you can pay for it,” she says, gently but firmly. “I only mentioned it because you asked.”

“I can help.”

“I know you can, sweetheart. But you have your own bills, and I don’t want you throwing money at every problem I mention. I know you. You’ll say it’s just a little, and then you’ll rearrange your whole month around it.”