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She smiles and nods. “Awesome. You can pick me up too. Being my ride and all. I’m done at three.”
I smile so big my cheeks hurt. “I’ll be there.”
* * *
After dropping Macy off at the doctor’s office, I set about the arduous task of cleaning up my accounts. Gio, my dear uncle, doesn’t know I’m out, so I still have access to the books. Sitting at my island, I spend the morning on my laptop, filling in any missing reports or amounts, signing off on some people who barely owed anything at this point, and calling to let them know they’re in the clear.
Most of them are shocked but take the win. With the outstanding debts accounted for, I see what I’m still owed. My cut is pretty sizable this month, and while I should feel bad about where I’m getting the money, I soothe my conscience by reminding myself that it would just go to someone else in the family. And they’d be far less nice about how they’re spending it.
A few of the grunts working for my uncle right now are more loyal to me, and I do more rounds of calls letting them know the score. I also pull the strings on any remaining favors that might keep Gio off my back for a while. Quitting isn’t really done in this line of work, and I know for a fact he’s going to be pissed.
John and Marco, two of my most trusted associates, swing by in the early afternoon to take the boxes of paperwork I’ve been keeping for Gio. I’ve cleaned most of the candles and roses at this point, but Marco is well aware they were here. He set them up, after all.
“So, how’d it go last night?” he asks.
“No.” I eye him.
“Come on, can’t you just—”
“No.”
Marco shrugs, waving me off as John laughs.
Carrying the last box, John stops in front of me. “So, you really like her, huh?”
I sigh. “Yes, all right. Now, go. I’ll be meeting with Gio this afternoon. If I hear any chatter about this or this apartment, like ever, I’ll know exactly who to come for. Understood?”
“Yes, boss,” they answer in unison.
“Good.”
Clapping them each on the back as I grip their arms, I let both of them out and make a mental note to change the locks. I trust them but not that much.
The apartment is tidy enough, and with the closet cleaned out of all the boxes, Macy will have somewhere to keep her stuff. If she ends up wanting to crash here at some point. I’m not saying she will, or anything.
“Who are you kidding? You’re practically praying for her to come live with you.”
I shake my head at myself and start uninstalling and blocking the software and apps I won’t be using anymore. Cleaning up the laptop of all my nefarious contacts and purging my phone, it’s like performing an involved surgery to cut out an invasive tumor.
The entire process takes much longer than I thought it would, and before I know it, it’s time to pick up Macy. I lock up, head down to the garage, and pull out of the complex, officially unemployed.
* * *
When I pull up to the door of the plastic surgery offices, Macy steps out from the tinted doors and walks straight to the passenger door. The smile on her face is wide and beaming. I can see an actual bounce in her step, and I can’t help but swirl with my own blooming joy.God, she’s incredible.
Sliding into the passenger seat, Macy leans over to plant a kiss on my cheek and then buckles up. “Hi! How was your day? Mine was normal, and pretty boring, actually.”
We both chuckle, and I throw the car into drive to head further downtown. Gio’s office is in a seedy area, and I want this over with quickly.
“Well, that actually makes for a good segue. I’m quitting.”
I look over at her, and Macy’s jaw drops. A strong poker face is clearly not in her skill set, and I laugh quietly.
“Are you going to say anything or just keep staring at me like I might explode?”
She blinks and shakes her head, coming back to the moment with another huge smile on her face.
“Really? That’s amazing. I mean, I hope that’s amazing. Are you okay? Is this what you want?”
