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“Holy shit.” Maxine hopped up and walked to my desk, picking up the containers I had already unloaded to read the labels. “How did you get takeout from Belagrio’s? Did you have a gift certificate or something?”
“Uh, no, my...” I hesitated. I didn’t love the idea of lying, but I hated the idea of telling the truth even more. I would confess eventually, I decided — I just needed time to figure out how I felt about this extremely generous gesture. “My mom ordered it. To surprise us. As a thank-you for helping with my dad.”
Jin looked thrilled, but it was clear that Maxine did not buy a single word that had just come out of my mouth. I could only hope the lure of Belagrio’s would be stronger than her desire to ferret out the truth.
“There’s plenty for everyone,” I offered, popping open a lid on a container of Wagyu beef skewers that had been marinated in something I couldn’t even pronounce. “Oh man, these look amazing.”
“I might actually die if I can’t eat one of those right now,” Jin declared, reaching into the container. “I think I’m in love with your mom. Any chance she’s into younger men?”
“Don’t make me regret sharing.” I took a bite out of my own skewer and almost collapsed in ecstasy.
Maxine ran — and I do meanran — to the break room to grab some plates and utensils while Jin and I finished opening everything. Holden had ordered a full meal — complete with an appetizer, salad, and desserts. We all filled multiple plates, and silence descended on our pod as we dug in.
“This is an adult Happy Meal,” Maxine announced, gleefully doing a little dance from her chair that involved a lot of hand movements. Jin and I both nodded our agreement, too busy eating to respond with words.
Once I’d sampled a little bit of everything, I bent down to retrieve my phone from the trash can. Still no messages from Holden. I ignored the slew of new messages from Sissy and tapped on his name.
Me: Holden, thank you so much for lunch. It was incredibly kind and generous of you.
I didn’t have to wait long, agonizing over a response, because three little dots appeared almost immediately after I hit send.
Holden: You’re welcome. I thought it would be better than whatever you found in the vending machine. I hope you all enjoyed it.
Me: Enjoyed isn’t a strong enough word. You’ve managed to silence Maxine and that’s almost impossible.
Holden: Just promise me you’ll make time for lunch from now on.
Me: I will do my best to remember lunch.
Holden: Good.
Bossy and arrogant even in his text messages.
My brain had a much easier time focusing on work now that my stomach was full of something of actual substance and not just caffeine and sugar. I saved a few of the miniature desserts for a reward later on, and every time I glanced at the decadent array of confections, I thought about Holden looking over a menu thinking about what to order.
Why this one detail was what my mind chose to focus on, I didn’t have a clue. His administrative assistant had probably chosen everything, from the restaurant to the small slices ofdulce de lechecheesecake. Surely that was the most likely scenario, but my mind kept circling back to an image of him carefully choosing items he thought I would like. The problem was that it was actually easier to imagine Holden doing it himself than to imagine him asking an assistant to do it. And thatwasa problem, because it meant that Holden St. James had somehow managed to break through my very strong determination not to like him. And I wanted — needed — to keep him in the safe box I had placed him in.
I knew what it meant to have a crush on a St. James, and I absolutely could not travel down that road again. It would only lead to disaster and more heartache. And I wouldn’t have the luxury of avoiding him for the better part of a decade either. It would be so much easier to keep thinking of Holden as the dragon in this story, and Macon as the knight in shining armor, regardless of whether that was true or fair.
But a little voice in the back of my head kept reminding me that I’d never been one to take the easy road.
19
Ablack town car with darkly tinted windows rolled to a stop outside my apartment building. Max had texted me that she was close, so I’d come down to wait in the lobby. When I’d told her I planned on getting an Uber, she had waved me away and said she’d already taken care of the transportation. She refused to elaborate and told me to trust her. I loved Maxine, but her ideas were either amazing or complete disasters. There was no in-between. Like the time she decided to start a side hustle and transition into her “girl boss” era, but instead, we ended up selling a box of stolen dildos to a room full of undercover cops.
My phone buzzed in my hand.
Maxine: I’m here!
Me: Where? I don’t see you
Maxine: I see you.
I glanced up from my screen just as one of the back windows of the town car rolled down and a familiar head popped out, wide smile stretching dark red lips. She laughed — presumably at the look on my face — as I pushed through the door into the swampy evening. Summer had officially arrived in Savannah.
“Surprise!”
“You hired a driver?” I walked to the other side of the car where said driver was waiting with the door open. I looked around at the sleek interior of the town car, running my hands down the cool, smooth leather of the seats.
