Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry, but—”
“Nope,” she chirps. “I’ve got it all handled. Are you staying in Philly?”
“Yes.” I remove my already loose tie.
“Great. Can you give me ten minutes?”
I love her. She’s getting a raise first thing in the morning. “Yes. I need to shower and dress.”
“Keep your phone close; I’ll send you all the details.”
“Thank you, Megan. You are truly the best.”
“Of course, Mr. Milloy.”
I pull it off. Well, Megan pulls it off. A chef’s table dinner at a new French restaurant and tickets to George Frideric Handel’s Julius Caesar.
“Oh my god, Price! I can’t believe you’re taking me to an opera,” she covers her mouth, “in Paris.”
That makes two of us. I’m not a fan of the opera or Paris. And I now have mixed feelings about Megan. I thought she liked me better than this. Now, I’m forced to rethink her raise.
“I love you so much.” Amelia stands to lean over the table and kiss me.
I smile when she sits back in her chair and adjusts her dress. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”
She sips her champagne, eyes narrowing a bit before she sets it back on the table. “I’ve noticed you haven’t been yourself lately. I know you say it’s stress at work, but you’ve been sluggish, and your skin is pasty.”
“I’m sure it’s the lighting.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “I’ve noticed it at home too. When’s the last time you had a physical?”
I watch the chef carefully place a sprig of rosemary beside two lamb chops. “I don’t know.” I lie.
When I know more, I’ll tell her about my trip to the ER earlier today. But until I know something concrete, there’s no need to worry her.
“Well, I think you should schedule something. It might just be a virus. That would explain your fatigue.”
I nod several times while shifting my attention back to her. “I’m sure that’s it. But I’ll have it checked out if I don’t feel better soon.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
DOES “OKAY” HAVE A REAL DEFINITION?
A week later, I get the call.
The test results are back, and none too soon. I have no energy. Dragging my ass out of bed every morning has felt like running back-to-back marathons for a whole week. I’m basing this off the three that I’ve run in a span of five years. Honestly, I’d rather run the damn marathon than deal with whatever this is.
“Can we talk?” I ask when Amelia opens the door after dropping Astrid off at school.
She jumps. “You scared me!”
“Sorry.”
After slipping off her cream wool coat, revealing her pink jogging suit, she folds it over the back of the white sage upholstered dining room chair. Rays of morning sun cut through the snow-flocked trees, searching for places to rest, like the empty Knotty Alder hardwood table and the matte black built-in buffet filled with dishes we never use.
Things …
This thirteen-million-dollar home is filled with so many things that don’t mean a thing.
“Why are you still home?” She sits beside me.
I stare at the half-filled glass of water in front of me, the one I used to take down a few pain pills minutes earlier.
“I didn’t want to worry you.” I reach for her hand. “And I still don’t. But last week, I wasn’t feeling well…” I laugh. “Let me rephrase, I was feeling fucking awful.”
Her brow furrows as she squeezes my hand.
“So I went to the ER—”
“Price—”
“No. Please, let me finish. It was on our anniversary, and I didn’t want to ruin it, so I got checked out. They gave me something for the pain. And I’ve been waiting to hear back on the test results. They’re in now. I have an appointment this afternoon. I don’t know what they’re going to say. Perhaps nothing. Maybe it’s a virus. Or something related to stress. But I want you to come with me.”
She nods over and over. “Of course. It’s fine. You’re fine.” But the look on her face conveys anything but fine.
I try a little harder, finding something more believable when I smile. “I know. It’s ridiculous that they can’t just tell me over the phone. We’ll pick up Astrid after the appointment and go out to dinner to celebrate it being something very minor.”
Amelia’s eyes fill with tears, but she continues to nod.
Just as I start to speak, my phone rings. “It’s Megan.” I hold it up for her to see before heading toward my study.
“Sorry to bother you.”
“It’s fine. What’s up?”
“Malcolm Herring wasn’t happy about rescheduling his appointment with you. He flew in last night from LA. He said he’s taking his business somewhere else. I wasn’t going to call you, but Alex said to—”
“No. It’s fine.” I rub my temples, collapsing into my desk chair. “I’ll deal with him.”
“What do you want me to tell Alex?”
“Nothing. I’ll deal with him too.”
“Okay. I hope you feel better.”
Me too.