Page 11 of Mr. Almost

He’s here…

She replies instantly.

Chloe

Who? Jack the Ripper? The Zodiac Killer? Oh! Is Detective Joe Kenda there? Gotta give me more than that girlfriend.

I shake my head at her antics.

Me

Baby daddy.

Instead of texting, Chloe calls me.

“One sec,” I say quietly as I step out of the elevator. To the right of the elevator is a utility closet, and I step inside. “Okay, sorry about that.”

“First, I thought I was your baby daddy.”

I roll my eyes even though she can’t see me. “You don’t have the right parts to be my baby daddy.”

Chloe scoffs. “I don’t have the right parts to be your sperm donor, but last I checked, I was there in the delivery room when you had Littles. Which makes me your baby daddy, but that’s besides the point. What the hell is he-who-shall-not-be-named doing there?”

“He owns the place,” I remind her.

“Yeah, but you said that he’s never there.”

“Well, clearly the internet was wrong,” I deadpan.

“Seriously, though, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“I appreciate you trying to lie, but we both know you’re not.” She sighs.

We both fall silent as the gravity of the situation hits us.

“I need to get back to work before they realize I’m missing.”

“Okay, just be careful. Whatever you do, if he approaches, you don’t engage.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll be over tonight with a bottle of wine and food. Then, once Littles goes to bed, we can binge-watchMurder in the Heartland.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.”

I close my eyes as gratitude fills me. I don’t know how I got so lucky in the best friend department. Chloe is genuinely the best.

“Sounds good. Later.”

“Later.”

I hang up and put my phone back in my pocket.

Taking a deep breath, I open the door. I step out and turn to go back to the front desk, only to jerk back.

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