Page 197 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
“Fine,” Piper huffs. “A monthisbetter. I’ll make one of those paper chains to count down the days.”
“Brilliant.” I nudge her off my lap. “In fact, you should get on it before I cave and let you kiss me right now.”
“Oh, no. You lost your chance with these lips for the next thirty days, Archie. You set the rules. Now you get to keep them.”She walks past me, up the stairs, with a sway to her hips that I’ll be thinking about for the next…forever.
She looks back at me when she gets to the top. “Yes, I’m wearing the leopard pair. In case you were wondering.”
I groan. Because, yeah, the thought had definitely crossed my mind.
Chapter 36
Piper
True to my word, I make that paper chain. And every morning when Archie brings me coffee from Frothed and walks me to the bus stop, we say how many loops are left. Every night he’s waiting for me at the beach house after I’m done with my workday at Valente and he’s done with his shift at Frothed—because, yes, Britta gave him a job. Technically, he is homeless, but Archie’s come a long way. He gets that, even without the allowance from Malcolm, he’s a lot better off than most people. In fact, he’s come around to thinking he’s a lot better off without Malcolm’s money.
We spend our nights working on Bombora and my launch, eating cheap take out or grilled cheese sandwiches which he’s also really good at making. Before Archie leaves to go back to his room at Dex and Britta’s, we tear off one more chain, thendon’tkiss goodnight.
On the morning we count the last loop, I get a call from Mom as I get off the bus. We haven’t talked for a few weeks, mostly because she hasn’t had great reception, and I’ve been too busy to talk when she has.
“Hi Mom,” I say, feeling lighter knowing she only has one day left as Malcolm’s wife.
“It’s final!” she squeals.
“What?” I stop outside the Valente doors.
“I just got the notification from my lawyer. The divorce is final!”
“That’s good news.” I’m breathless for an entirely different reason from Mom.
“We’re done with the Forsythes. Finally.”
“So, the house is yours?” I ask, not quite ready to break the news to her that we’re not as done with the Forsythes as she thinks we are.
“Ours,” she answers. “What should we do with it?”
I don’t have to think twice, and I’m not going to argue with her this time about taking the house. “Sell it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely—the maintenance costs are crazy high, Mom. Let’s buy something smaller and more affordable.” I pause long enough to take a breath before dropping my bomb. “Then I’d like to use the rest of the money to launch Archie’s and my company with you as a percentage owner because of the financial investment.”
Mom goes so quiet, I can almost hear her blinking. “Excuse me?”
“I’ll explain later, but trust me, selling is the best thing to do.” I open the door to Valente and rush to the elevator. “I’ll call you later, Mom. I’ve gotta quit my job.”
“Wait! What’s happening?”
I end the call and almost lose my mind as the elevator stops at each floor. When I finally get to the sixth, I find Anna first.
“It’s time!”
“It’s time?” she repeats, a slow smile spreading across her face as she starts pulling things out of her desk drawers.
I nod. “I’m headed to HR now.”
“I’m right behind you,” she says, pulling out a folded box she’s had next to her desk for weeks, waiting for this day. “I’ll call you later and we’ll figure out our next steps.”
“Perfect.”
