Page 52 of Little Fury

I school my features, removing any uncertainty I feel so he can’t see it there. I never want him to see it there.“Okay.”

“Okay,”he repeats, that one word filled with relief.

“Once Upon a Poolside”by The National plays throughout the house. I’m sitting at the island having breakfast. Marcus is outside talking on the phone. He’s speaking Russian, so I know he’s talking to someone in his family. I finish my breakfast and place my dishes in the dishwasher. As he finishes up his call and strolls back into the house. He’s only wearing board shorts, and his tanned chest and abs make my mouth water.

“These Arms of Mine”by Otis Redding starts."I love this song,”I remarkcasually.

“I know you do.”Marcus says,“this playlist is called Ava. I made it for when I’m with you because nobody wants to deal with cranky Ava when she doesn’t like the music.” I don’t say anything to that, but I flip him off in a playful, familiar way.

After we get dressed, I have to head to the bank to finish a few things. Marcus has some work to do finalizing a few of our plans before we head back to the States.

“I’ll see you in a bit,”I called over my shoulder to him.

I close the door behind me and slide my sunglasses onto my face. The morning heat from the sun is just starting to become too much. I’m wearing a simple grey dress with one side gathered at the mid-thigh. I paired it with simple black leather flip-flops, the perfect footwear for a leisurely day in town.

I make my way into the heart of town, stopping here and there to look at the flowers and pet a couple of dogs out with their owners for a stroll. I stop in a little bodega a few doors down from the bank and get a fresh raspberry mint iced tea. I sip the cold drink, enjoying the tartness mixed with the coolness of the mint.

I open the bank door, and Brynn Walters, my account manager, greets me.“Good morning, Ava.”

“Morning, Brynn.” I follow her back to her office and sit on the couch. She goes to her desk, grabs her laptop and some papers, and then joins me in the chair on my right.

“So, I have all the finalized paperwork for you to sign. All the properties and investments you wanted to unload have been sold. You did well, great profits across the board.”

“That’s great. You did an amazing job, Brynn.”

“It’s my job, but I’m pleased with how it went.”

“You should be. This is more than I expected, to be honest. I’m adding another 5% to your commission on these sales. You deserve it. You made this the easiest process ever.”

“Ava, that is not necessary. My commission is already the biggest one I’ve ever garnered.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but I’m still doing it, Brynn. You deserve the money, and that’s that.”

She nods at me, and I nod at her. We both smile at each other.“I like you, Brynn. I hope we can work together for many years to come.”

“I feel the same, Ava. It has been an absolute pleasure.”

It takes another hour to finish signing and going over everything before we stand and shake hands. Brynn walks me to the door and wishes me well. I head out into the mid-day heat.

I walk towards home for about ten minutes when I feel eyes on me.

“Miss me?”I ask him.

“I did. I got bored waiting for you.”

“Why didn’t you go for a swim or watch a movie?”I ask him.

“I thought it would be more fun to come meet you. One of these days, I will sneak up on you.” I snort a laugh at that. He has been trying to sneak up on me for years and has yet to be able to take me by surprise.“I stopped and had a sandwich at the little stand over there,”he informs me, pointing across the street.“Then I got a beer from that pub there. Then I got an ice cream from the bodega beside the bank.”

“Wow, that’s a lot in a short time,”I tell him, laughing.

“So, how did it go?”he inquires.

“Good. Everything is in order.”

“Perfect.”

Marcus’s phone rings with a text notification:“It's Alexi. He will be here first thing in the morning.”

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