Zoey Campos: You’d obviously have to pay them enough to make it worth their time.
Ava Herald: I’m working on it.
Zoey Campos: Are you though?
I squint at her message.
Ava Herald: Obviously. I’ve been thinking about it for sixty-plus freaking days at this point.
Zoey Campos: IDK, Ava, I’m thinking you quarantine dating him is clouding your judgement.
I scoff under my breath.
Ava Herald: I’m not quarantine dating him.
Zoey Campos: Oh you’re not? ;)
Zoey Campos: LOL how many times have you done the nasty with him at this point?
Ava Herald: OMG shut up.
Zoey Campos: Just saying. ;)
Zoey Campos: You can’t stay there forever. You’re going to have to come home at some point.
Ava Herald: I’m going to.
Zoey Campos: suuuure you are
Zoey Campos: but also, if you decided to stay, I don’t think anyone would blame you.
Iwould blame me. I can’t do that. I can’t just stay here indefinitely when I don’t have to anymore. That would be insanity.
I set the phone face down next to the laptop and redirect my attention to the chat box. Three more tips have come in, and I ring the bell.
Lucky glances up from the keys and looks at his laptop screen, then at me. “Thank you, Kevin, David, and Dawn. And Dawn says she wants a mash-up of Queen’s greatest hits done in ragtime style.” Another of those delicious, heartwarming laughs rumbles from deep in his chest as he continues to smile at me. “That sounds like a plan to me, sweetie. Let’s do it.”
He trills the keys at both ends of the scale, still looking at me, and then he winks. It simultaneously warms my heart and makes it ache, causing me to sigh listlessly.
“You’ll be all right, Ava,” Meyer says.
I glance at him, but he’s not looking at me, as though attempting to hide his reference to the obvious while explicitly calling it out. He keeps his eyes trained on Lucky for a few seconds, and then he turns his head to meet my now-unsmiling face.
“He will be, too,” he adds.
I force a small smile that belies the pang in my chest. “I know.” I look at Lucky again, watching him while he’s blissfully in his element. “Life has to go back to normal at some point. Sooner is probably better than later.”
Meyer and I don’t say anything else for the rest of the livestream, and eventually, Lucky draws the last request to a close and turns to the camera again.
“Well, that’s all for tonight, guys and dolls. I’ll see you again next week, same time, same place, so don’t miss it.” He pauses and looks me directly in the eyes. “And as always, Lucky loves ya.”
I’ve heard him say it thousands of times, but right now, it just feels different, and not in a good way.
Right now, it feels like a warning that my heart is playing with fire.
* * *
After wrappingeverything up and putting away the camera, microphones, and other necessities for the livestream, Lucky grabs my hand and starts dragging me up the stairs. I assume we’re going straight to our—I mean,hisroom, but he heads straight for the stairwell that leads to the terrace.
