With This Ring

“Bye,” he said, just before I slammed his front door.

Outside, I took deep breaths. Idiot, I scolded myself. I’d completely ruined my exit.

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Freya

“When will you have the funds for the tourmaline piece?” Britney asked. “My sample request has been finalized so they’re just waiting on us now. Next week?”

“Uh,” I thought to the $750,000 still parked in my account and experienced a barrage of emotions ranging from nausea to guilt.

“I have it already. I’ll send it to you right now. How much is it?”

“About $950.”

“Done,” I said a few minutes later.

“Wow, do you earn more at this new job? I thought this expense would be a bit difficult since you’ve already covered so many expenses this month.”

“Some nights I get lucky with tips.”

“Nice,” she said.

And my spirits sank even lower. I didn’t want to lie to my best friend and business partner. But ever since she left there was now a sort of unspoken strain in our relationship. Even though I understood her decision and where it came from, it had reduced my faith in her just a tiny bit. I stared down at my phone and wanted so badly to tell her the truth. I raised my head.

“Britney, I need to tell you something.”

“What?” she whispered immediately.

“While you were away I slept with Maxim.”

“What?” she screamed and covered her mouth with her palm. “Oh my God, tell me everything. Right now!”

I laughed and just like that we were best friends again. We sat on the couch together and I told her everything. About the money too.

She sat back. “Wow! So you guys are just going to hook up for sex.”

I nodded. “That’s the plan.”

“Quite frankly, I think that’s a bad idea.”

“Why?”

“Because, trust me, you’ll just end up falling in love with him.”

I opened my mouth to deny her statement, but she held up her hand. “Wait, hear me out. I have more experience than you in this department. The thing is. Men seem to be able to compartmentalize their sex life really easily, but it’s really hard for women to do. Forget about Hollywood fantasy movies where the woman is all macho and wanting only sex and the man is the one who falls in love with her and desperate for commitment. From what I’ve observed, eventually, someone ends up falling in love and getting hurt, and it’s almost always the woman. I mean, you almost stand no chance with a guy who looks like Maxim.”

I chewed my bottom lip. She did have a point. If I was truly honest I was already kind of in love with Maxim. He was just so perfect …

At that moment my phone dinged with a message. I quickly snatched up my phone and looked at it. For the first few seconds I just stared at it, then a smile slowly spread across my face. I felt my toes curl with pleasure.

“I’ll be back from Belarus in three days,” he’d written. “Will you have the time to meet?”

Fuck yes my mind screamed, but I took the more respectable route in real life.

“Sure.” I texted back.

I looked up and Britney was looking at me with an incredulous expression. “It’s already happened, hasn’t it? You’ve already fallen for him.”

“No, of course not,” I denied automatically.

“Don’t kid yourself, Freya. I know that look. It’s unmistakable.”

“Okay, maybe a little, but I have it under control.”

She burst out in laughter. “Famous last words, if you ask me.”

“Anyway, I need to return the rest of his money.”

She put her chin on her fists. “I know you have to return the money, but how about we keep some back. It can be a loan. About $10,000 would solve all our problems and we can pay it back in about six months with interest. It’ll be like he invested in us. He’d make money and you wouldn’t have to kill yourself to fund our first order.”

I grinned at her. “You know what, Brit. That is a damn good idea.”

She grinned right back. “Right. I’ve got to get back to work.” She walked to the door and turned back to look at me. “You know what, Freya. I’m really happy for you. You deserve someone special and I’ll be praying it works out with Maxim.” She grinned. “Men with dicks anything over seven inches are rare so you make sure you have fun.”

“Get lost you,” I said throwing a pillow at her.

She ducked and was gone.

I began to type a message to him.

I’m going to return all the money you sent except for $10,000. I will consider that as a loan from you. For six months. You’ll get interest, of course. Thanks.

I read it through. Perhaps that was too cold.

I’m going to return all the money you sent, but I was wondering if I could hold back $10,000 as a loan from you. For six months. You’ll get interest, of course. Thanks.