Miracle On 5th Avenue (From Manhattan with Love 3)

“I’m in love with him.” She didn’t see any point in lying about it, or prevaricating. Her insides were churned up and she was never any good at hiding her feelings.

Paige picked up her glass. “And?”

“And nothing. That’s it.”

“He doesn’t feel the same way?”

Eva stared into the ruby-red liquid in her glass, remembering the night she’d opened one of his most valuable bottles of wine. “I don’t know. I think it’s possible he does, but he just doesn’t want to feel that way so he is never going to admit it. I love him. I think he loves me. It should be simple.”

“I am going to kill him.” Frankie thumped her glass on the table and reached for the bottle. “I don’t have your sweet nature, so I will have no problem finding him and removing his bones one by one.”

Eva shuddered. “The two of you would have gotten along so well. Why are you so angry?”

“I’m not angry.”

“I haven’t seen you this dangerous since Roxy’s ex showed up here and you almost broke his arm. What have I done to upset you?”

“Nothing. You haven’t done anything. It’s him.” Frankie simmered for a moment and then stuck her hand out. “Give me your phone.”

“Why?”

“Just give it to me.”

“Not until you tell me why you want it.”

“Someone needs to tell him he’s an asshole and given that you’re too nice, it’s going to have to be me.” Frankie snapped her fingers. “Give.”

“No way. What is wrong with you? This is my pain, not yours.”

“Wrong. When you hurt, I hurt, and I hate hurting. Crap.” Frankie sank onto the chair next to her. “Of all of us, you’re the one whose relationship should have run smoothly. You should have danced into the sunset with your dream man on matching unicorns.”

Eva smiled through her tears. “I’ve never seen a unicorn dance.”

Frankie spread her hands. “And I’ve never seen a unicorn at all, so that proves my point.”

“Can we get back to reality?” Paige tactfully took charge. “Frankie, Eva is right, this is her problem.”

“You’re saying I can’t break his neck? Jake and I could fillet him.”

“That isn’t how we do things.” Paige topped off Eva’s glass.

“You can’t force someone to love you,” Eva said. “That isn’t how it works.”

“Which proves what I’ve always known, that falling in love is a pile of crap.” Frankie drained her glass. “Fill it up, Paige. I want to make a toast.”

“Are you sure you haven’t had enough?

”

“I haven’t even started.” She pushed her glass across the table and waited while Paige filled it. “Okay, lift your glasses. First we’re drinking to our business success. What a ride. To Urban Genie.” She lifted her glass high, and Paige and Eva did the same.

“Urban Genie.”

They all drank and then Frankie lifted her hand. “I’m just getting started. To us, for managing not to kill each other despite having different styles.”

Eva looked doubtful. “You wanted to kill me?”

“Raise your glass, damn it.”