I move everything to the bed and turn on the main lights. If she’s here for company, I’m going to be the best freaking company in the world.
20
VIENNA
“Where are you so lost to today?” Ivy asks as she places the lunch sandwiches on the display.
“Nowhere.” I shake my head and try to push away the images of last night.
“What is it, Vi? Did you two have a fight?”
“Who?”
“You and Zane.” She gives me a duh look as if I’m stupid to even ask.
“No. We didn’t have a fight. We’re in fact doing too well.”
“You slept with him again?” Ivy whispers, her eyes wide as saucers.
“Not exactly. I slept in his bed next to him, but that’s it.” I don’t tell her that sometime during the night I plastered myself to Zane’s hot and bare chest. His arms tightened around me, and I felt the safest I’ve felt in a long time.
“But I thought you liked him. So why did you just sleep?” Ivy continues to stare at me in genuine confusion, and her focused attention makes me squirm.
“As much as I like him, I can’t forget the reality of our wedding.”
But she waves her hand. “The reality of your wedding is that you’re two people falling for each other after getting married.”
My heart twists at her words.
How badly I want them to be true.
“Hi, Rick.” Ivy waves when the front door jingles.
I turn around to find Zane’s assistant, Rick, sauntering inside the café. He greets us both before placing a shopping bag on the counter.
“This is for you, Mrs. Teager.” Looking at his carefree grin, my mood cheers a little.
“Call me Vienna, please.”
He nods and then motions toward the bag. “Boss asked me to give you this.”
“What is it?” My hands shake as I notice the label on the bag. It’s from one of the fancy electronic stores in town.
Rick shrugs, and instead of replying to me, he turns to Ivy and places an order of lattes and pies.
With trembling hands, I peek inside to find a camera box and a tripod stand. My throat chokes with overwhelming emotions, and words get lodged inside me. It takes me a second to get a hold of my feelings before I turn toward Ivy. “I need to make a quick call. I’ll be back in a sec.”
She carefully looks between me and the bag and then nods.
With shaky steps, I walk toward the far end of the café and flop down on a chair before calling Zane.
“Vienna, is-s everyth-thing okay?” His raspy voice is filled with concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Rick just gave me a shopping bag,” I whisper, grabbing the edge of the table tight in my grip.
“How is-s it? I d-don’t know much about cameras, s-so I had the salesman s-select the best one.” There’s an excitement in his voice which amplifies the quivering in my heart. I imagine his face and his sparkling hazel eyes.
“You bought this personally?”