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Royce had been her best friend for almost half of her life, and now he’d turned into the love of her life.
***
Royce sighed with relief when he found that Kasem wasn’t home. He changed into his night shorts and warmed up a piece of pizza, while checking his emails. Damn it, a new client, company from Indianapolis wanted a face-to face meeting in ten days. He read the requirements and pondered their conditions, evaluating the pros and cons of the trip. If Susan could free herself during the week, he would take her with him.
He’d just started eating when he heard the door open.
“Hello, Royce, back already? I just drove Tracy home.”
“Ah, you had a good time?”
“Fabulous. I hope you have another business trip next week.” He burst out laughing and settled across from Royce.
“As a matter of fact, I do, on Tuesday, next week.”
Kasem’s eyes glittered with excitement. “Great.”
“Should I assume things are going well?” He asked cautiously.
“Better than well.” A smug satisfaction stretched his lips. “I’ve never met a woman so candid about her desires, so honest about who she wants. Imagine! She wants me, a man from a foreign country, who just started a job three weeks ago, a man who has nothing to offer but himself.”
“Don’t put yourself down.”
“She said she likes the way I make her laugh, the way I kiss her and make love—”
“No need for details. I get the picture.”
“And she’s incredibly beautiful.” Kasem switched on his phone and gazed at it with a besotted smile that spoke volumes. “Oh man, I’m falling in love.”
“Seriously? What about your commitment to someone else?”
“Huh…” His smile faded, replaced by a frustrated frown. “I don’t know, Royce. Tracy doesn’t know about…about the other. That engagement is becoming a noose around my neck.”
“Be careful. If Tracy finds out, she’ll make mincemeat of you.” Royce couldn’t help laughing. “When Tracy loses her temper, oh boy…”
“That’s not funny.”
“Well, you’ll have to choose. Your fiancée and her money or Tracy with her beauty and her love.”
“Of course, I’ll choose Tracy. I’ve never met a woman like her. But the money… Well, I can make a lot of money at my job. I’m good at it and appreciated. Anyhow, I have until December first.”
Royce narrowed his eyes at the way Kasem exposed his problem, a choice between Tracy, the woman he loved, and money. No mention of his anguished fiancée who’d been torturing herself to get out of the same dilemma.
“December first?” The magical date Susan had mentioned.
“Well, I hope that by then I’ll have already cleared up the situation. The only problem is that Tracy wants to get married soon. She’s met with two bad situations, a boyfriend who let her wait forever, and you who acted like a skunk.”
“Excuse me?”
“Face it. You didn’t treat her like a gentleman.”
Royce took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and swallowed his anger. No need to argue about the past when he cared only about the present and Susan.
“So now, she’s warned me that if I really love her, I’ll make up my mind soon.”
“Make up your mind as in proposing?”
“Yes, I’m ready to propose now, but I have to get out of the contract imposed on me by my brother and Susan’s brothers. On the other hand, Tracy wants me to buy a house. Even though she’s ready to buy it with me, I don’t see how I’d get the necessary funds now.”
