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Her mom nodded, though clearly reluctant to share that. “But Marion bought a cheap throwaway phone. A burnt one.”
“What?”
“No. Wait.” Her mom’s brow furrowed. “Aburnerphone. You know Marion loves those detective shows. When I told her what was going on, she decided that getting us each one of those phones would make it possible to keep in contact.”
It was rather humorous to think that a fifty-something-year-old woman had the leg up on a thirty-five-year-old man when it came to electronics and clandestine communication. That definitely worked in their favor, and hopefully, it stayed that way.
Misha gave her mom a small smile. “It’ll be okay, Mom. Just let me know right away if anything changes or something comes up that I need to know about. Don’t take a chance that something seemingly insignificant won’t amount to anything.”
“I’ll be careful, sweetie,” she said. “I promise.”
Though her joy over the upcoming date with Jay had dimmed slightly, she knew she couldn’t let the past continue to rob them of their joy in the present. So, until something resulted from Davontae’s interaction with Marion, she wouldn’t waste time worrying about it.
There were too many positive things she wanted to focus on instead.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jay got out of his car, then ran his hands down his torso to smooth out any wrinkles in his clothes. It had taken him longer than usual to pick out his outfit for the evening. His first date with Misha.
He’d gotten a bit frustrated with himself over his delay. After all, Misha had seen him in everything from his workout clothes to business casual at the clinic and had still agreed to go on a date with him. She probably wouldn’t judge him harshly on what he wore.
In the end, it was their destination for the evening that had dictated what he chose. Kayleigh had heard him talking about not knowing where to go for their date, and she’d offered to make a reservation for them at one of the restaurants at the resort.
He’d jumped at the offer, and they’d decided they wanted to go to the steakhouse. He was prepared for this meal to put a dent in his wallet, but it was definitely worth it. Plus, it had been a good while since he’d last spent money on a date. He could afford it.
After much debate, he’d ended up choosing a pair of black slacks and a light green button-down shirt. He’d even taken the time to polish his dress shoes until they shone. Sometimes he liked to wear a chain, but since his favorite one had been a gift from Casey, he no longer had it, and he hadn’t bothered to buy one to replace it.
He’d gone to the barber earlier that day and made sure that his fade and trim were both fresh and looked fine. More than anything, he wanted Misha to see that she was worth him putting the effort into looking his best.
Satisfied that everything was okay, Jay grabbed the things he’d brought with him and made his way to the door of the townhouse. Denise answered when he rang the doorbell and beamed at him as she moved back, gesturing for him to step inside.
“Oh, flowers,” Denise said, her eyes twinkling. “Lovely.”
Jay held them out. “Actually, they’re for you.”
Her eyes widened as she reached out to take the bouquet. “They are beautiful, Jay. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He offered her the small gift bag he held. “I also brought something for Ciara.”
“You are too generous.”
“Well, it’s a thank you for letting me take Misha away for a few hours.”
“We wouldn’t have dreamed of keeping her here. She needs this,” Denise said. “It’s been far too long since she’s done something for herself, which is why I’m happy she’s been working out and that she agreed to go out with you.”
Before Jay could respond, Misha came down the stairs. She wore a long, flowy white floral skirt with a light purple blouse that matched the flowers on the skirt. The color looked lovely against her skin. The jewelry she wore consisted of a dainty silver chain and silver hoops in her ears.
“You look beautiful,” he said as she neared him.
She smiled, then said, “You look very handsome yourself.”
“Let me take a picture,” Denise said as she put the flowers and gift bag down on a nearby end table, then pulled out her phone.
“Mom…” Misha sighed. “We’re not going to the prom.”
“I know, but this is a special occasion, too.”
Jay happened to agree, so he willingly slipped his arm around Misha and bent down a little to bring their heads closer together. Even though she wore heels, he still had a few inches on her.
