Sweet Nothings – Sweet Enough to Eat

I let out a sigh and call Michelle, my secretary. Not really wanting to make this phone call, but knowing I have to, “Michelle, can you get Nathaniel on the phone?” I ask.

“Sure thing, give me one minute and I’ll send it through,” she replies.

In under a minute, Michelle has Nathaniel on the phone.

“Luke,” Nathaniel grunts into the phone.

I muster up all the professionalism I can, “Hello Nathaniel, I had a chance to go through the contract. There’s a lot of minor things we need to fix, but I have my notes ready to send back. I can have Michelle email you to see if you like them, and if everything looks okay, we’ll get them sent back.”

“That’ll do,” he responds.

“I’ll have her do it today. Have a good day, Nathaniel,” this is the shit I don’t like dealing with. One of my junior associates could have taken on this bullshit along with this client.

“Okay,” Nathaniel says and then clicks off the phone.

“That little shit is a piece of work,” I mumble out loud.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Michelle says, walking into my office.

“Hopefully we get this out of the way and won’t hear from him again. If my father calls and asks for a favor, tell him I moved to Saturn. This has been a clusterfuck in itself,” I grumble.

“Will do, do you have the contract? I’ll get it all typed out and sent to “Nathaniel”” she air quotes. Michelle and my mother are around the same age, but where my mom is docile, Michelle takes no shit. Not even from me.

“Yeah, it’s right here. It’s all small stuff. Thank you for taking care of this. I know you have other responsibilities.”

“No problem, just remember this when I request vacation time,” she laughs.

“Don’t get too excited, I may say no.”

“Yeah right, don’t make me call Bea. You know she’ll help me team up against you,” she threatens.

“Pulling out the big guns with my mom, huh? I’ll remember that,” I reply, knowing Michelle she’ll be calling my mother next.

That does have me thinking, maybe if I ask Kate for help, she’ll watch over the shop for a couple of days. I think a vacation away for a while will be just the surprise to knock Kinsley off her feet.

23

Kinsley

“Go on, get out of here,” Kate pushes me out of the door. It’s the day before Valentine’s Day and I have no idea what’s going on, well besides Luke telling me to pack an overnight bag.

“Call me if you have any issues. I really hate to leave you on a holiday,” I tell her.

“We’ll all be fine. Mike and Josiah will be here all afternoon. You’ve done this on your own all the time. One day won’t kill me,” she promises.

“You have Luke’s and Sloane’s number just in case, right?”

“Yes, now go!” she tells me.

I do so with hesitancy, wishing that Luke would have let us celebrate this weekend, but I also am kind of excited too.

Going upstairs, I get everything out I’ll need for the two nights we’ll be away. I throw everything in my bag, because Luke will be here soon.

Plus, I probably spent longer than I should have downstairs, not wanting to leave Kate until the last possible minute.

“Kinsley,” Luke says coming from the front of my apartment.

“In here,” I’m just throwing my toiletries in my bag before zipping it up.

“Kinsley, damn it woman. I told you not to leave that door unlocked,” he grumbles, but takes me in his arms, kissing me silly.

“I only left it unlocked a few minutes,” I say before I dive back into his kiss. My hands go under Luke’s shirt, wanting to feel his warm skin.

“Don’t care, lock the door. We’ll make each other a set of spare keys,” he counters.

“You don’t have to. I have a spare key in the kitchen.”

“Glad we could come to a compromise, are you ready?” he asks.

“Yes, but it would be really nice if you told me where we were going though,” I try to squeeze the information from Luke.

“Nice try, but you’ll know soon enough,” a small smile plays on his face.

He grabs my bag, I take my purse, and follow him out the door. He takes my keys, making sure my door is locked.

“I’m already tired of this back and forth, you should just move in with me already,” he states.

“Wait, what? Are you asking me to move in with you?” I question.

His hand on my lower back as we walk down the stairs, “Not asking, more like stating you should.”

“Hmm…maybe I will, but Luke, my color comes with me,” I tell him.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I guess I’m moving in with Luke, my heart beats even faster. Making a home with him, there would be nothing better.

24

Luke

Part of me wanted to blindfold Kinsley before we boarded on the private jet I secured for us, but she’d figure it out as soon as the engines started.