Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 95816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95816 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 479(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
“Hey,” I answered. “How was your night?”
“Lonely.”
I laughed. “Poor boy.”
He chuckled. “Actually, I had a late dinner with Reed when I finished fixing the problem at work.”
My shoulders suddenly felt tight, but I kept my voice calm. “And how was he? Good honeymoon?”
“He looked great—tanned and happy. He said the trip was awesome, and he shared a few pictures. The scenery was spectacular.”
“Great.”
“He’s been busy since they got home.”
“I imagine so,” I murmured, glancing down at the notepad on my lap. I had been making a list of what I wanted to say to advertise for a new roommate. I hated the thought of Joyce leaving—not only had we gotten along well, but I was used to her absences, and the thought of living with a stranger who would no doubt be around more was going to take some getting used to. The sound of a familiar name in my ear brought me out of my musings.
“Sorry, Luc, what did you say? I was distracted for a moment.”
“I said Reed mentioned Heather has tried to get in touch with you.”
“Yeah, she left a couple messages.” I rubbed my eyes. “Leave it, please. I will get in touch when I’m ready. I have a lot on my plate right now.” My gaze strayed to the notes I’d jotted. “Especially after tonight.”
“What happened?”
I told him Joyce’s news. “I’m thrilled for her, but sad she’s leaving. Now I have to find another roommate. I can’t afford to live here on my own, and although it’s not the Taj Mahal or anything, I like it here.” I sighed. “I wish I could afford to buy a place, but until I pay off my student loans and save more, that’s not happening. I really don’t want to move.”
“So, what are your options?”
“Find another roommate. I’m trying to write an ad.”
“You plan on living with a stranger?”
“Joyce and I were strangers once. I don’t know anyone looking to move. I’ll ask around at work, but I’m not sure I want that either. I prefer to leave the office behind me.” I huffed out a breath. “I’ll think on it a bit more. Joyce is paying her share of the rent for the next couple of months.”
“There’s a memo board in the staff room at work,” Luc mused. “Once you write it up, I’ll post it there too. I always hear about people looking.”
“Oh, that would be great. With utilities, it’s usually around twelve hundred a month each. And both bedrooms have a private bath.”
“Okay, good to know.” He paused. “I’m sorry, love. I know you’re fond of Joyce.”
“I’ll miss her.”
“I know. We’ll figure this out,” he soothed.
His words were comforting. His use of the word we made me feel a little less alone.
“Thanks.”
“Dinner tomorrow, right?”
“For sure.”
“You want to come back to my place?”
I paused. Luc had three roommates in the house where he lived. All of them were computer nerds, and the house was full of computers, gadgets, and random workstations. The guys were nice enough, but the clutter sometimes drove me crazy. Luc’s room was tidy, but getting there was a minefield at times.
“Joyce is seeing her friend Bonnie tomorrow in Toronto. I’m sure wine will be involved, and she’ll stay overnight there.”
“Great. I’ll pack my bag.”
I laughed. Luc’s idea of packing a bag was a toothbrush and a fresh shirt shoved into his knapsack. Especially when he was spending the night on a Thursday since his office had casual Fridays.
“You left a toothbrush and a couple of shirts here,” I reminded him.
“Even better. I’ll see you tomorrow, love.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Good. Now, get some sleep.” He paused. “You’re going to need it.”
And with that promise, he hung up.
24
ASHLEY
It shouldn’t have surprised me to find Heather waiting in my office when I returned from a site meeting the next day.
I was deep in thought when I walked into my office, my assistant out on an errand. The client and her daughter had been with me, and although the mother had gushed and insisted the venue was perfect for her vision, I sensed her daughter was uncertain. I had no doubt the mother wanted a large, splashy wedding, everything over the top and screaming money, whereas the daughter seemed uncomfortable with the lavish ideas. She was quiet, pretty, and unassuming, and I knew that was what she wanted in a wedding. She had confessed privately she wanted something half the size of what her mother wanted and without a lot of the “frills,” as she called them. I needed to help her find a compromise. A venue spectacular enough to please her mother, yet not so huge as to intimidate the daughter. I needed to create the right plan to balance both. I hated the thought of the daughter dreading her own wedding day to please her mother. I had seen it before, and I knew the brides often regretted the choices they’d been forced to make. Luckily, the wedding planner they’d hired was a woman I’d worked with before. We were going to meet next week and see what we could come up with.