Page 15 of Double Fault

Lucy bounces beside me, vibrating with giddiness. “Sabrina got the job.”

Her wife’s eyes widen and her lips curl up. “Congrats.” She hugs me. “You deserve it.”

“Thanks.” I head into the kitchen for a much-needed glass of water. “How do you know Noah, anyway?” I ask over my shoulder.

“A friend of a friend introduced us at a gathering,” she says, following me into the room. “We’ve stayed in contact. I might’ve tried to get him to do a commercial for the app, but he wasn’t into it.”

From what I saw of Noah, that doesn’t surprise me. The guy seems far too surly to agree to promote a dating app.

“You know what this means?” Lucy asks, her excitement distracting me from thoughts of my new boss.

I shuffle to the fridge, glass in hand. “What?”

“We’re going shopping. You need a new wardrobe.”

Eyes closed, I stifle a groan. “Lu, my wardrobe is just fine.”

It’s really not, considering I can fit every item of clothing I own into a duffel bag. Most of it is secondhand or from the clearance rack at T.J. Maxx.

In unison, my best friend and her wife shake their heads. “Our treat,” Alyssa says. “A celebratory gift.”

Slumping, I press my glass to the ice dispenser on the fridge. “I can’t let you guys do that.”

They will go overboard. They can’t help themselves.

Lucy laughs. “Nice try. You deserve this.” She sidles up next to me and throws an arm around my shoulders.

There’s no getting out of this. “Please don’t spend too much,” I beg.

Alyssa chuckles and points at her wife. “You try reining in that one at the mall.”

She has a point.

Releasing me, Lucy spins away. “We’ll go tomorrow.”

Alyssa sends me an amused look. We both know that means we’ll be shopping from sunrise to sunset.

“I better get a shower and eat some dinner, then.” I stalk toward the stairs, sipping my water. “I have to keep my strength up for all the vigorous shopping activities.”

Lucy darts my way, hand up like she’s going to swat at me.

I take off faster, my laughter carrying behind me as I head up the stairs.

The next few months are going to be an adventure, that’s for sure. Noah is clearly a curmudgeon, but after only a few minutes with Maddie, I know she’s the sweetest soul. And she’s what matters most. I can handle my boss. I’ve dealt with worse.

CHAPTER 5

NOAH

“She’s not coming.”

The plane is fueled and ready for the first leg of the trip to Australia, but Sabrina is MIA.

Fisher reclines his chair, settling in for the long flight, and crosses his arms over his chest, his lips turned up in amusement. “She’ll be here.”

“She’s late,” I bite out, my tone clipped.

He ducks his head and peeks at his watch. “No, she’s not.”

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