Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
“After I feed you.”
“Fine, but for the record, I’d pick sex with you over food.” She sits up. “Just so you know, that’s almost like a declaration of love for me because food is everything.” June bounces to her feet.
Her words stun me for a second. I want to grab her and pull her back down, but the sound of footsteps approaching stops me. It doesn’t stop my thoughts from racing though. Was she saying she loved me? It’s too late to ask her. She is already helping unload the food from the cart.
“How much did you order?” She laughs. “Come on.” June waves me over. “How was work?” She fires off one question after another. I join her at the table, wondering how I ever enjoyed coming home to an empty home. Not when I could have this.
Have her.
11
JUNE
“Owen, you’ll be getting a basket too,” I tell him as he helps me carry in all the crap I got from my shopping spree. I’m excited for my little project.
“You don’t have to do that, Ms. Graysen.”
“Owen.” I sigh. I thought we were past this.
“Sorry,” he says, clearing his throat. “June.” I can tell he is still reluctant to say it. He’s been fine with it for the past two days. I hate that everyone here is always so formal. It makes me feel as though I can’t get to know anyone.
“Thank you.” I move the flowers off the coffee table. It looks like a florist exploded in here. I had to demand Luka stop sending them. I felt guilty whenever they died. I may come from the country, but I sure as heck don’t have a green thumb.
Luka doesn't need to send me flowers; it's obvious to me that he's not pleased with the time we have to spend apart. I do love that I get to spend my nights with him. When we make love, it makes me feel connected to him in a way I have never felt before. I just wish he could make it home a little earlier. He does some nights so we can have dinner together, but not always. It gets lonely for me.
I try to hide how I feel about it. But I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that each day gets harder and harder. Not only do I miss him terribly, but I also miss people in general. I have been here for almost three weeks now and have made zero friends. Making friends has always been easy for me, or so I thought. I even started taking the other public elevator so I could meet people from inside the building. The most they have given me is their name and a hello. Most look at me suspiciously, like I’m crazy for talking to them. I swear a few of the women even clutched their purses tighter when I tried to make conversation.
I think I’m slowly wearing down Owen, though. He’s been stuck with me a lot. Since Luka spends his time either in his office or at home, he doesn’t have much use for Owen. He does, however, want him to be with me whenever I leave the building.
“Are you hungry? Want a drink?” I offer.
“I’m still full from lunch.” Owen sets all the bags down; he helped me carry them up.
“Okay.” I try to come up with something else, not wanting him to leave yet. “Oh, I found another cool lunch place we can try tomorrow.” I pull out my phone to show him. The only cool thing I've discovered so far about living in the city is all the different food places.
“I’m not sure about that.”
“Oh.” I can’t help the disappointment in my voice.
“Your clearance came through.”
“Clearance?” I ask, knowing he’s changing the subject. I’m not sure I should let him get away with it.
“To go downstairs to Mr. Woods' office. It came through a bit ago.”
“Do I need a fancy badge?”
“No, just your normal scan. It will allow you now to go to the bottom floor.”
“Cool.” I’m not sure if I should go down. Luka is working, after all. “You going to tell me why you can’t have lunch with me tomorrow? Is it just tomorrow?”
“It’s not professional.” I roll my eyes.
“We both have to eat.” No one can dispute that.
“It’s nothing personal.” It’s hard for me not to take it that way lately. No one wants to be around me here. Not even someone whose job it is. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
“It kinda feels like it.” I can tell Owen wants to say more. “What?” His mouth forms a tight line. “Out with it.” I poke him in the shoulder. His lips twitch. “Owen.”
“Luka has a problem with it.” Never in a million years would I have expected that to be the reason.