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“He asked to take me out on Friday.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped. She scrambled to her knees and tackled me on the bed.
“You have a date!”
“It’s not a date! Just two friends hanging out and enjoying each other’s company.”
“Bullshit. Y’all can call it what you want. Friend date. Date date. That’s a date, pooh. Please let me help you get ready. The girls can come over, and we can get you all glammed up.”
“Pump your brakes. It’s not that kind of party. He said to wear something comfortable.”
“Comfortable can still be cute, and cute you will be. I’m so excited for you, Pash. I like Callum for you. Whether this stays a friendship or branches into something more, I’m happy that somebody is making you smile these days.”
She threw her arms around me and hugged me. It wasn’t until I felt the tears seeping through my shirt that I realized she was crying. I held back and looked at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“To see you living a little after being down for so long... It’s beautiful to watch. When Raymond isolated you from us, I worried about you so much, Pasha. I cried for you. I prayed for you. I wanted so bad just to come and snatch you up out of that house. You could have stayed with me forever, and I wouldn’t have cared. That’s how much I love you and want you to be happy.”
“I love you too, Avyn. I’m grateful every day that I ended up at your hotel. I’m not sure where I would be right now without you.”
We embraced each other in a loving hug. I could feel the emotions running through her. Avyn wasn’t the most emotionally expressive person with everybody. Even Blake and Tia didn’t get to see her the way I did. For her to express full-out emotion, she had to be feeling it heavily. At this moment, I realized just how much my traumas impacted her too. I never wanted to cause her distress, and I didn’t want that for myself ever again.
Chapter Twenty
Callum
“What do we have on the upcoming books?” I asked, surveying my small meeting room.
Angela, my booking manager, scrolled through her tablet. “Friday, the fifth, is a dinner at the mayor’s mansion. Saturday is the charity gala. Then, for two weeks after that, we have four weddings.”
I nodded. “That’s solid income for the month.”
Chris cleared his throat. “I’ve made a few changes to the app to help it run a little smoother and faster. They should take effect by tonight.”
Palmer, my lead supervisor, spoke up. “We may need to task a few more drivers for the weddings. I was looking for the forms, and two of them are on the same day.”
I nodded. “Whatever you need to do to make it work. Anything else?”
Angela shook her head. “Not on my end.”
Chris shook his head. “Nah, but let me rap to you right quick.”
“See you later, gentlemen.” Angela excused herself, leaving Chris and I alone.
“You seem like you’re in a good mood,” he stated.
“I’m in a great mood.”
“Would this have anything to do with Pasha?”
I smirked. “Maybe.”
“I take it things are going well?”
“They are moving along. She had dinner with the fam a few nights ago.”
“Oh really? How was that?”
