Page 167 of Double Fault
With a growl, I smack the steering wheel. “I can’t believe you.”
“Do you like it, though?” His tone is far more vulnerable than I’m used to when it comes to him, like he truly wants me to love it and be okay with it.
“No, it’s fucking obnoxious.” It’s the truth, but luckily, I’ve infused enough levity in my tone to pull a laugh from him, a true, deep belly laugh.
I smile in victory and sit a little straighter.
“Liar. Give it a day or two.”
“This is so unnecessary.”
“What about the bag? I saw you eyeing one like it in a shop window in Paris.”
“Noah, you seriously don’t need to do all this. I’m…” I’m notfine, so it takes me a moment to reword my assurance. “I’m okay with simple things.”
“Doesn’t stop me from wanting to spoil you, though.”
I sigh and press my head against the seat back. “You make it so hard for me to stay mad at you.”
“It’s a talent.” His tone is light, but in the next moment, it’s low and filled with emotion. “I miss you, baby.”
The soft way he says those words makes my heart squeeze tight. “I miss you too. Thank you for the obnoxious and completely unnecessary gifts.”
“You’re welcome, Curls. Are you on the way to meet with Jessica?”
“Yeah.” My voice wavers on that single word. I’m nervous, but probably not for the reason he might think.
“Good luck. And call me when you’re done. I want to hear how it goes.”
“I will.”
“I love you.”
The lump in my throat triples in size, making it hard to speak, but I manage to get the words out anyway. “I love you too.”
The call ends and I’m left in silence.
I hate this. I hate being away from him, even if we agreed this was for the best. Never could I have imagined being the kind of girl who falls head over heels for some guy and can no longer function on her own. But Noah isn’t just some guy. He’stheguy.My heart knows that, and when it’s this far away from his, it aches nonstop.
In the parking lot of the restaurant, I have to try four times to maneuver the beast of a vehicle into a spot without being over the line on either side.
I’m a few minutes early, so I take several deep breaths and flip the visor down to check my makeup before heading inside.
I sit alone at our table for close to ten minutes before a woman in her thirties strides my way, looking a little frazzled.
“Sabrina? I’m Jessica. I apologize for my tardiness,” she says as she sits and extends her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“My son wasn’t feeling well this morning and threw my whole schedule off, but I’m really glad we could meet in person. The job is yours if you want it, but I thought it’d be nice to chat face to face.”
Our server appears with a basket of bread and takes our drink orders. When she’s gone again, Jessica pulls her shoulders back and smiles at me.
“You’ve been nannying for a professional tennis player, is that right? What’s that like?”
“It’s been a wonderful experience. Maddie’s an incredible kid and I’ve had the honor of homeschooling her too.”
“Oh, that’s great to hear. Does that mean you’ve been traveling a lot?”
