AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She considers lying to me or just walking out. I see it in the way her gaze darts toward the door, in the way her grip tightens on the bag. “I don’t know that I’ll be moving back to New York, Noah. It’s good to have an alternate plan in case Fernwood won’t take me back.”
“This isn’t like you, Daisy.”
“You just said you barely know me anymore,” she snaps. But then her shoulders slump and she chews on her lower lip. “I played by the rules for years and look where it got me. I’m so close to my dream, Noah. If this is what it takes to get it, how can I walk away without at least trying?”
“Why do you even want to work for Fernwood anymore? He’s an asshole. Why not go somewhere else?”
“Tenth Avenue is the best and I want to work for the best.” She steps toward the door. “Don’t talk to Sadie about me behind my back again.”
She walks away, and I hate for her to leave like this. I’m frustrated, and she’s angry.
I follow her out of the office and into the waiting area.
“Everything okay?” Gentry asks. “I thought I heard shouting.”
Daisy transforms, a smile overtaking her face. “That was just me shouting about how great my sandwich was.” She turns to look at me. “Bye, sweetie.”
She leans in and I turn my head to kiss her cheek and somehow, our lips meet. She loses her balance and I catch her, pulling her tight against me. She gasps and my body takes over. Her mouth is soft and warm and I’ve wanted to kiss her for so fucking long.
She hesitates only a moment before she’s kissing me back. I can taste her anger and fear and frustration, and I gentle the kiss, trying to reassure her.
Then she moans and threads her fingers through my hair and I pull her tighter against me. She feels so fucking good and she tastes even better.
Gentry clears her throat, but Daisy doesn’t jump away from me. She pulls away slow. “I’m still mad at you,” she whispers.
“I’m still worried about you,” I whisper back.
She lets me go and steps out of my arms. I watch her walk away, fighting the urge to go after her and finish the argument because I don’t know how to solve this. And I’m more certain than ever that Daisy’s not in a great place.
Chapter Eleven
Daisy
The screened porch at Lovemore Publishing is warm today, with a sweet-scented breeze blowing in. It’s only been a week, but I stepped onto the porch this morning and my brain clicked into work mode.
A mode that was paused an hour ago when a delivery of flowers landed on my desk. Beautiful lilies with a note from Noah to let me know he’s thinking about me.
No request for me to stop working and pay attention to him, no expectation. Just flowers to let me know I’m on his mind.
I can tell myself he sent them for my co-workers to see and to keep up our ruse for everyone else, but the gesture has lodged in my heart.
And of course I had to text him to thank him, which has led to a text conversation that has definitely slowed my production for the day. Oddly, I can’t seem to make myself care that he’s interrupted my work.
Things have been tense between us since our argument, and this feels like we’re getting back to the friendship we’ve always had.
My phone buzzes and I grab it immediately. Noah:Would you rather live a life with no books or with no coffee?
I smile, even though it’s silly and a waste of good working time. Noah is always coming up with these ‘would yourather’ questions or ridiculous philosophical questions like, does everyone really see the same color? I love it.
Me:A life with no coffee. I can get my caffeine from tea or soda, but nothing can replace books.
“I got thirty.” Lulu rushes into the office, waving a galley copy of a book. I get up from the armchair where I’ve been working on my laptop, since my desk and official Lovemore computer haven’t arrived yet. I cross to the whiteboard tacked to the brick wall of the building and write thirty under Lulu’s name with a dry erase marker.
“Yes!” Lulu shakes her hips and throws her arms in the air. “I’m in the lead.”
She leaves the galley on Gloria’s desk and hurries back out.
“I still don’t understand what they get if they win,” I say.
