Page 38 of Igniting Sparks
First stop though is caffeine.
I slept less than five minutes last night, so my ass is dragging today, but I’m stalling because I’m not sure which is worse—the silent treatment from Mina or going downstairs to discover she left in the middle of the night for parts unknown.
Here’s hoping I haven’t screwed up our friendship, or relationship, or whatever the fuck we’re doing right now.
A weight lifts off my chest when I enter the kitchen and see Mina pacing the far end of the room, her phone clutched in her fingers.
She’s not happy, as evidenced by the frown lines marring her beautiful face, but I don’t think it has anything to do with me. At least, not at present.
“I don’t think that’s a possibility,” she grumbles into the receiver. “I understand it’s important to you, but Braden runs a business. Yes, a very successful business, Aunt Bitsy. He works on weekends. That’s when most people want to get inked.”
I lean against the counter, curious about what her aunt is saying about me. If Mina’s pacing is anything to go on, it’s nothing positive.
Mina huffs out a sigh, her long legs cutting strides across the floor. “I’ll ask him, but it’s such short notice I doubt he’llattend. Yes, you’ve mentioned that Vanessa’s fiancé will be there, but Wall Street is closed on the weekends. Braden doesn’t have that luxury. You might have to deal with just me, okay? Bye.”
She tosses her phone onto the counter, catching sight of me as I pour a cup of coffee.
“Everything okay?” Sure, it’s a dumb question and I already know the answer, but I’m taking baby steps this morning.
Mina waves off my question with a roll of her eyes. “Just perfect.”
“With that level of enthusiasm, I almost believe you. What’s up? What does your aunt need?”
She sinks into a kitchen chair, burying her head in her hands. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Not happening. So, you can tell me, or I can keep asking until I wear you down. Your choice.” I smile for her benefit, but considering she’s still got her face against the table, it has zero effect. “Come on, Mina. What’s up?”
Huffing out a sigh, Mina leans back against the chair, her gaze on the ceiling. “There’s some big wedding expo happening at Aurum Ridge and she wants us to attend.”
“Okay,” I reply, taking a sip of my brew. “That seems doable.”
Apparently, Mina is not a fan of my answer, as she leaps to her feet and resumes her pacing. “But it’s not. The expo is this weekend. I explained Black Lotus is packed on the weekends, but Aunt Bitsy doesn’t care. Per her, if we werereally dedicatedto our marriage, we would jump at the chance to attend. It’s all bullshit, of course, but so is our engagement, so I guess it tracks. That’s my morning. How is yours?”
“Better than yours. Look”—I reach out and grab her wrist before she paces a hole in the floor—“this is my weekend to handle walk-ins. I’ll have a chat with Ash, but I’m pretty sure I can swing it.”
Mina focuses on my hand, still encircling her wrist. Guess we’re not making eye contact this morning. Wonderful.
“You’re not skipping out on work, especially not for this. We should call off this whole stupid charade now.”
There’s my out. But there’s no way I’m bailing on Mina now. She’s hurt and angry, but she also needs me.
Truth is, I need her, too, even if that idea makes me surprisingly uncomfortable.
“Why? Did your aunt change the parameters of her deal?”
“No.”
“Would you rather have someone else take my spot? Fair warning, that might send up a red flag to your aunt. New week, new fiancé.”
Not even a hint of a smile at my poor attempt at humor.
“Can I have my hand back?”
“Will you sit down and hash this out?”
Mina nods, her eyes glued to the floor. As soon as I release her wrist, she sinks into the chair across from me. “Look, I realize how silly I was that day at One More Page. I never should have kissed you or dragged you into my mess. I’m sorry for all of it.”
“First, stop apologizing. You haven’t done a damn thing wrong. I know what that studio means to you, and after watching you dance, I know you’re the only woman for the job.”
