Page 127 of Five Days to Be Mine

The primal scene I have planned is going to be so good and I go over the details in my head.

Mara comes out, dressed in a black skirt and a deep blue shirt.

“Do you want a ride?”

“It’s okay. You rarely get a day off. Enjoy it.”

“I will, but I'm going to miss you,” I kiss her and wonder if she likes sliver or gold, but she wears a delicate gold chain on her neck, so I think I'm going to go with a gold band.

“I’ll be back soon,” she brushes her lips to mine and I walk her to the front door.

“Have fun with your new fame.” I twirl a strand of hair around my finger.

“Thanks,” she gives me a little wave and then she’s gone and I’m in the apartment by myself.

After I call Julian to double check the details of the plan I need his help with, I leave the apartment to go see a man about a ring.

26 MARA

Ipull into the underground parking lot, my head swimming with excitement.

This day has been wild.

First Wendy brought her friend, who wanted a flower sculptor for her daughter's wedding.

Just as I was wrapping up with her friend, the owners of a national baby convention buzzed at the door and then this afternoon, Wendy sent two more couples to me for wedding decor.

After everyone cleared out, I sat in the still mostly empty studio and started sketching ideas in my sketchpad

And daringly, I took a pencil to the wall and started to freehand a mural.

It’s my place. I need to make it my own. I can't wait to tell Evan about how busy I’ve been

I'm confident that I can make this business work.

Pausing at the elevators, I consider which set to take. The ones that go up to the hotel, where I’ll encounter guests, or the private one.

The private one is fine but I have to swipe the card through the readers and last time I did this it stuck and locked out and I had to use the other one. But what's the point of living in a private hotel if you don't use the secret elevator? I swiped my card in, and it lights green on the first try

I lean against the plush fabric, tilting my head back.

Only a week and this seems so normal. My mom is going to flip when I tell her about this crazy ride.

The elevator makes a clunk-clunk sound, stalling. My stomach drops to the floor.

There is only one button, no emergency stop button.

The elevator starts again and I exhale the breath I was holding. But the lights flicker off, leaving me in darkness. My palms are instantly sweaty and I wipe them off on my skirt.

I press my palm against the padded leather upholstery and fumble for my phone.

The lights flicker on.

And off.

But before I can press send on my text to Evan, the car whizzes back up, like normal, and the doors open.

It's fine, I tell myself, knowing that Evan is going to stroke my hair and reassure me and I'm going to nuzzle his neck and smell his good smell.

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