Shane:You’re lucky I love you. Otherwise, I’d break up with you.
Me:Damn, I didn’t even know we were dating.
Shane:Probably explains why you missed our seven-year anniversary last weekend.
I roll my eyes, laugh, and type out a response.
Me:I’m sorry, honey. I’ll make it up to you.
Shane:You better.
I slide my phone into my jacket pocket and pour a cup of coffee into a to-go mug. When I turn around, I find Hannah walking into the kitchen, fully dressed and ready to start her day.
“Let me guess,” she says with a knowing grin. “Shane is already texting you about being late.”
“Yeah.” I chuckle. “Now I have to stop and pick him up some fucking coffee and sweet treats on my way in.”
“Whoops.” She comes over to press a kiss to my lips. “Sorry for making you late.”
When she tries to pull away, I grab her by the hips and pull her in for another kiss. “Have a good day at work today, honey.”
“Oh yeah, I’m sure I’ll have a blast.” She pulls back on a snort. “At least I have Monica and Lana, I guess. You know, just chatting it up in our sex cubicles.” Her smile is brittle at best.
“You don’t want to work at Call Me Anytime anymore?” I question and squeeze her hip.
“Dom, I think you and I both know I’veneverwanted to work at Call Me Anytime. The only reason I’m even there is because the money was too good to pass up, and all of the debt I’ve accumulated on the house was too big to avoid.”
I hate that this is Hannah’s situation. This woman has done nothing but live her life with the kind of moral compass and compassion that should be rewarding her rather than punishing her. It’s not fair.It’s not fair at fucking all.
Hannah tilts her head to the side, her gaze searching mine. “It doesn’t make you mad that your girlfriend does phone sex?”
“Baby,” I say and lift my hand to brush a few strands of hair out of her face. “I’m man enough, trust you enough, and am definitely secure in myself enough to handle the unconventional truths of your job.” I lean forward to press a kiss to her forehead. “Plus, no offense, you’re not very good at phone sex.”
She bursts into laughter and slaps a hand to my chest. “You jerk!”
I laugh and dodge a few more of her playful slaps before pulling her tight to my chest and pressing a smacking kiss to her lips. “Though I can’t deny, the little role-playing you instigated this morning was entertaining—and hot—as fuck.”
“I figured you’d enjoy that.” She winks and makes a show of spinning on her heels, her head held high in the air as she snags her purse from the marble island. “Have a good day at work, Detective. I’ll try not to be too bad.”
I laugh again. But I also can’t stop smiling as I watch her sashay her cute little ass out of my apartment.
As I’m grabbing my coffee and wallet and keys and turning off the lights before I head out the door, I can’t stop myself from thinking about how miserable she looked when she was talking about Call Me Anytime.
She hates that job, but she doesn’t feel like she has any choice.
But maybe,Ican give her a choice ...
37
Hannah
Wednesday, June 12
10:45 p.m.
I peer over my mom’s shoulder to make sure she’s sound asleep before removing the brush from her hair, and then I gently climb out of her bed. I turn on her favorite rain sounds machine, click on the small night-light near her door, just in case she wakes up in the middle of the night, and tiptoe out of her room, closing the door behind me.
Tonight is one of Lovie’s weeknights off; the house always feels crazy quiet when I don’t hear the familiar soft sounds of her favorite late-night talk shows coming from her room downstairs.
