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“Oh, come on, Clay.” Madeline’s voice rang in my ears. I looked up and locked eye contact. She definitely caught my eye roll. She didn’t say anything else. She just held my gaze. She was already holding a Hydro-Flask that Milo kept here for her, steam coming from the top, and she placed the lid on. Sighing, she turned and gave Milo a quick kiss. “See you tonight?”
“Mm-hmm.” Milo hummed, watching as she turned to leave the apartment. Once the door was closed, he tilted his head and glared at me. “Thanks.”
“What?”
“Clay—”
“Milo—” I snapped back. I had a feeling I was in for an intervention.
“What are you doing?”
I shrugged.That’s a good question.
I heaved a sigh, deciding the best form of action here would be to completely ignore his question. I had no idea what I was doing. I was spiraling. I should have been back on my feet by now, but the further into the future I went, the darker the days got. I knew my time was almost up, mooching off Milo, but I also had this feeling that I wasn’t going to be able to get another job, not with Jackson and Ryehanging over my head. Sadly, my plan of action was probably going to be moving in with my parents.
Joy.
I met Milo’s eyes once again. “I don’t know,” I finally mumbled.
Chapter Four
-Ophelia-
Carter was persistent. The man who sat across from me seemed to be in his late thirties, had dark bushy hair and a black rubber wedding band on his finger, and he did not seem happy to have been assigned to this project. Not only did he want my personal Instagram login on his phone, but he wanted to create one for the new store front, which didn’t even have a name yet. He was a tiny bit controlling, and dare I say, overwhelming? He micromanaged at best, and I could see him getting more and more frustrated with me as the meeting went on. Not only did I refuse to give him access to my Instagram account, but I made sure my rules and guidelines were set.
By the end of the day, he knew who was boss. At least, I think he did.
He left the meeting grumpier than when he arrived. I sat in my chair, arms folded, staring at the door where Carter exited.
“So, this is going to be fun having him follow me around.” I looked at JoAnn, who had her nose buried in the paperwork. “He understands the importance of keeping the dress top secret, doesn't he?”
I still hadn't told Madeline about this little adventure. We had a standing FaceTime date tonight. All the details would be shared with her then, and I didn’t know if I was going to get excitement or fear from her. She had already texted me several times trying to get information out of me, but I told her she needed to wait, reiterating that Milo couldn’t be around.
JoAnn looked up at me through her eyelashes. “He’s very good at his job, Ophelia. He’ll stay in the background, take photos and post to Instagram. That's all.”
I nodded, feeling my hoop earrings hitting my cheeks.
“Now, the paperwork is pretty straight forward.” She began to seep into legal terms and issues, so many terms flashing through my mind. It was hard to believe that just yesterday I had agreed to, this; and now, here I was signing the paperwork already.
Every single time she pointed to a page, mentioning me and my accountant, my mind couldn’t help but flip to a memory—one I tried to ignore as best I could.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Clay said, looking at the budget I wrote up on our move to New York. “We won’t be able to live in Manhattan for a while, so we should look in Brooklyn. . .”
“Brooklyn is just as expensive, babe. Trust me, living in Manhattan is right where we need to be.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing just below his ear. “Plus, I’ll have you to help me with all my finances.” We had lived together for two years since graduating college, two blissful years of being with Clay, day in and day out, and I knew this feeling would stick, no matter what city we lived in.
Clay scoffed. “Yeah, it’s a good thing I like numbers.” He laughed and turned to kiss my lips.
“Ophelia?” JoAnn’s voice snapped me back to the paperwork in front of me.
I narrowed my eyes and tried to focus. I hadn’t thought about that particular moment in a long time. My arms around Clay’s shoulders, a sweet kiss on the lips. I pursed my lips and tried to remember what he felt like, but alas, after so many years, the feeling had faded.
And that fact didn't bother me. Or I told myself it didn't bother me.
“Yes, sorry, I just got distracted by the numbers. They aren’t my strong suit.” I leaned forward, drawing my attention back to the paperwork.
JoAnn laughed. “Well, that's why we have accountants. All I need you to focus on is the fashion.”
I sat up a little straighter. “Now that, I can do.”
