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“Good morning, Miss Joy,” the doorman greets me. “There’s a car waiting for you.” Glancing outside, I notice a man standing next to a black town car.
“Thank you…” I don’t see a name tag.
“Shawn.”
“Thank you, Shawn, and please call me Valentine.” His smile is genuine as he opens the door for me.
“Miss Joy,” the driver greets, and I smile.
“Valentine, please. What’s your name?” I don’t know how often I’ll see these men, but I’d like to be able to identify them when I do.
“Chance Andrews. I’ll be your driver.” He’s serious but friendly. His eyes dart around the street as if he’s searching for danger. Roman wouldn’t hire me a bodyguard, would he?
“Nice to meet you, Chance. I have to be at the restaurant in an hour. Could we stop at home first?” He glances back at the building, brows furrowed. “My old apartment, I guess.” He agrees and closes the door after I climb in.
He doesn’t talk as we pull away and into traffic, and I don’t bother him because I’d hate to be a distraction. As soon as we pull up to my apartment building, he escorts me to the door, and my sisters both pounce on me as soon as I enter.
“Oh my god! Look at that dress. Is that Burberry?” Bunny squeals. She’s got an eye for fashion.
“She’s glowing.” Summer nudges Bunny with an elbow.
“No, I’m not.” The denial falls flat on my tongue. I know what she’s talking about. It’s like I’m floating on air. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and I feel like I have the world at my fingertips.
“Oh, you are, and it looks good on you.” Summer smiles, dragging me in for a hug. “If he makes you this happy, then I love him already.”
“Thank you.” I kiss her cheek as she pulls back, and I eye Bunny up and down. “What are you thinking, Bun?” She’s the quiet one of all of us, but right now, she looks close to tears.
Her head shakes back and forth as she speaks. “Nothing. I’m simply happy for you, Valley. You deserve him.” There’s more I can tell.
A sister can always tell.
Wrapping my arms around her slight frame, I whisper in her ear, “I will always be here for you. Just because I found Roman, doesn’t mean it’ll take me away from you.” She was stiff at first, but now her arms are wrapped around me, too, and her head is nodding as she buries it in my neck like she did when we were younger. “I love you, Bunny. That’s never going to change.” I sometimes forget how young she was when our parents died and that Summer and I basically raised her in foster care.
Holding out an arm for Summer, I drag her into our embrace as well. “Things are changing, but I’ll always be here for you both.”
Drawing back, we wipe our tears and make plans to have dinner with each other on Sunday to catch up and maybe do some shopping if I make enough in tips for the week.
After gathering my things, I say goodbye and stop short when I see Chance still lingering in the hall. If I’d known he was sticking around, I would have introduced him.
“You could have left,” I say as he walks with me back out to the car, opening my door without replying.
Once we’re in traffic, he finally speaks. “My job is to stick to you like silly putty. Just a stretch of distance away.”
“Why?” Surely, he has other clients or better things to do.
“Because Roman hired me to.” He looks at me like I’ve got a screw loose.
“To be my driver,” I try to clarify.
“Driver, bodyguard, bag carrier, whatever you need.” He doesn’t sound bothered by it.
As we stop in front of my work, he gets out, opens my door, and I stare up at him. He’s quite handsome. As tall as Roman, a little more muscular, and he’s got this intriguing scar that runs along his jaw and down his neck.
“What do you do while I’m working?” I can work anywhere from a four-hour shift to twelve hours. I always try to take as many hours as I can.
“Wait for you to finish.”
My eyes narrow on him. “That’s silly. You could be taking on other clients, making more money.” I have no idea what kind of compensation he gets for this, but it’s silly to stay with just me.
