“Pizza,” I said finally.“I could go for some pizza.”
He let out a long, slow breath, nodded, and started the car.
We went to a nearby place where no one was likely to recognize either of us and had a nice meal.We talked about my time at college and about what Wrenly and I had done together for fun.He laughed at my stories even though a few of them were about hilariously failed hookups.Then he asked questions, wanting to know more about me, but he only offered little bits about himself, which I appreciated.I didn’t want to know him better.I didn’t want to fall any deeper than I already had.
When we finished, the server packed up the rest for Mom, and Konni brought me home.
At the door, he caught my wrist and turned me toward him.His fingers delved into my hair, and his lips were brushing against mine a second later in a gentle, sweet kiss.
He withdrew before I could turn it into anything publicly questionable.
“Thank you for tonight,” he said.
“Thank you for dinner.”
He kissed my forehead, then reached around me to open the door.
“I’ll see you Monday.”
I nodded dumbly as I stepped inside with the bag of leftover pizza in my loose grip.The door closed softly behind me.
Standing there, heart racing, I resisted the urge to turn around and chase him down.I wanted to have my way with him badly.But would I be able to keep it just sex?I wasn’t so sure anymore.
A slow, shaky breath escaped me, and I absently rubbed my shoulder.
“It’s beenages since I’ve been in here,” Mom said, looking around the boutique.
I was looking around too, but for different reasons.This was the fifth store we’d stopped at, and I was mentally noting the aesthetics for inspiration on the Southside build.Focusing on decor and layout wasn’t easy with the pretty clothes I wanted to pet, whispering to me from the racks.
“You should try this on,” Mom said, picking up the skirt I’d been eyeing.
I was tempted.She saw it and pushed it into my hand.
“My treat if you want it.”
Her treat.We both knew it was actually going on the card that Konni had given her, but that was the point.We needed to spend some money while we were out shopping.We needed to be seen with designer bags.We needed to look like everything was fine to poke at the hypothetical person targeting us, so we could prove whether it was just a hypothesis or a fact.
So I took the skirt into a room, made love to it with my eyes, and claimed it for my own.Mom happily paid for it.Out on the sidewalk, she hugged me.
“I’d better stop now,” Mom said.“The car will be here in a bit.I’ll see you at home.”
“Okay.Call if you need anything.”
She grinned and waved me off, looking graceful in her loose-fitting dress and updo I’d given her.The cast didn’t distract from her beauty at all.
Turning away from her, I started down the sidewalk to the next store I wanted to look at.It was one of the higher-end jewelry stores in the area—not Zellon, which Miranda was obsessed with for good reason, but still a good one.
The saleswoman greeted me politely when I entered and let me browse the glass displays without interruption for a few minutes.
My phone buzzed.
I pulled it from my purse, thinking it was Mom letting me know she’d made it all right.Instead, it was two pictures—one of me straddling Konni in the back of his car and another of us eating pizza at the restaurant last night—and a text from a number I didn’t know.
(unknown):You have two options.Accept the generous proposal you’ve been given, and rise in influence and wealth.Or reject the proposal and lose everything when these photos are released.Choose wisely.
My temper flared as I forwarded both pictures and the text to Konni.
Me:This is the message I just received from an unknown number.This is why I wanted to keep things professional.
