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I clapped my hands, blowing her a kiss. “You’re the best.”
She handed me my coffee and put the tray on the counter. “How is it going? Everything ready for tomorrow?”
The first sip of coffee was always the best, and I sighed after taking it, then cradled the cup in my hand. “Almost.”
Halle joined us, and Freya handed her a paper cup that she accepted as eagerly as I’d done. We hadn’t had a chance to break for lunch, and coffee kept us going.
She cradled the cup to her chest. “You’re an angel. Thank you.”
Freya laughed and lifted her own cup. “To a successful show tomorrow.”
We all clinked our cups and took a drink.
“Do you need help with anything?” Freya offered. “Gunner is on a mission, so I suddenly find myself with lots of spare time.”
I shot her a sympathetic look. Archer had been gone once since we moved in together, and I hated the worry that gnawed at me every second he was away. “How long is he away for?”
“Only two nights.” Freya sighed. “He’s barely been going away, so I can’t really complain. But when he has to go, I hate it.”
“We should have a guestroom in our apartments, and every time one of the guys is away, we stay with someone else.”
Freya arched her brow. “Don’t give me ideas.”
I laughed, liking the idea more and more.
The phone rang, and Halle leaned over the desk, her lean body twisting in unnatural angles to get to it. She used to be a ballerina and still danced a few times a week. She was the most elegant woman I’d ever met, her clothes clinging to her every curve, her silky, midnight black hair always perfectly made up.
“You want to come over for dinner tonight?” When Freya hesitated, I laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere near the stove. Archer is cooking.”
“Then yes, I’d love to come over. But only if it’s okay with Archer.”
“He’ll be happy to have you there.”
Freya put her empty cup in the bin that sat next to the door. “Now please tell me there’s something I can do to help.”
Halle came back, holding a stack of flat folders. “I do have something. These need to be folded.”
It was cheaper to buy the folders flat and then put them together ourselves. We used them for brochures and flyers. They also had a cutout to fit a business card. They were popular, but it took forever to fold them.
Freya took them and settled down behind the reception desk. “How many do you need?”
Halle grinned. “However many you’re willing to put together.”
Freya was already folding and nodded without looking up. “Gotcha.”
Since the exhibition space was all ready to go, I went to our storeroom, making sure the last delivery we’d received was correct.
Freya stayed for nearly two hours, chatting and laughing with us. My life was so different now than it had been in San Diego. I barely recognized myself. I loved having friends. Having Archer. The only people missing were William, Ciel, and Everleigh.
But I talked to them every day, and Everleigh had come to Chicago a few times to visit. Her relationship with Archer had also started to mend. They still had a long way to go to get back to the tight bond they once shared, but they’d get there.
I glanced at the clock, and my eyes went wide. “Halle, you good here? I’m late for an appointment.”
I put the clipboard on the desk in the storeroom. She’d been looking for one more painting to hang up, and her attention stayed on the canvas she was studying. “Yes, of course.” She shooed me away. “You’ve already stayed way past your working hours. I’ll see you tomorrow. Come in late.”
Waving at her back, I rushed out the door and down the street to where I’d parked my car. As soon as I was inside, I called Archer over my Bluetooth. Merging into traffic, I drove the familiar roads that would take me home.
Our apartment was barely recognizable. I’d transformed it from the sad state it had been in into a home. There were now numerous candles, pictures, and shelves filled with books all around the apartment.
