Page 54 of So This Is Love

Laila’s shoulders visibly relax. “Good, I’m so happy she’s okay.”

“Thank you for coming with me tonight. It means a lot, truly.”

“You’re welcome, I didn’t want you to have to go alone.”

On the ground floor we exit the elevator and make the short walk back to my car. I open the passenger door for Laila, making sure she’s safely inside before shutting her door and walking around to my own.

I start the car and exit the parking garage.

“Shit, I left my purse at your place,” Laila says a few minutes into the drive. “We left so quickly I didn’t remember to grab it.”

“No worries, it’s closer anyway.”

I hit a u-turn and head towards home. The drive that felt so long headed to the hospital now feels short. I press the code to the garage attached to my building and the door opens. I reverse into my parking spot and kill the engine.

“I’ll just run up and grab it and then I’ll be out of your hair,” Laila says unbuckling her seatbelt.

“You don’t have to,” I say. “Leave I mean. You can stay if you want to.”

Laila’s teeth sink into her bottom lip as she thinks over the offer. “I don’t want to be in your way.”

“I wouldn’t have offered it if I thought you would be,” I say, unbuckling my own seatbelt. “We can even finish that episode you love.”

17

Sonny

Morgan is already seatedat the table when I arrive for our meeting. She’s sitting on the booth side of the table, her tablet attached to a keyboard as she types away.

“Here I was thinking I was getting here early,” I joke as I walk up to the table and take my seat across from her.

Morgan looks up at me and smiles. “Not this time. I got here a little bit ago to work on some things before our meeting.”

A waiter comes and takes our order and when he leaves Morgan gets right to business.

“So your interests have shifted to working with small beauty brands now?” Morgan asks.

“I’ve always been interested in working with businesses I align with. Nothing’s changed, it just happened to be skin care.”

“Interesting.”

“Weren’t you one of the people telling me to diversify?”

“I was, I just didn’t think we’d end up here, but I’m not mad at it.”

“So everything’s set with that?”

“I made a few suggested changes, but I sent it over to the lawyers to look at it as well. Once they send it back you’ll be all set.”

“Good, I’m looking forward to it.”

Morgan gives me a skeptical look but doesn’t press any further with her thoughts and instead changes topics.

“The response to you doing that performance has been great. People still really enjoy you and Dez, and have been asking for more of it.”

Our food is delivered to our table and we both shift some of our focus to eating. We talk over the usual things of our check ins, upcoming obligations, new opportunities, and so on. We have just about wrapped up when Morgan gets serious and folds her hands together.

“Last thing.”

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