Page 102 of A World Without You
TWENTY-THREE
Friday, December 22nd
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I’M DREAMLESS ALL WEEK, and on Friday Bennett wakes me up at four a.m. with a phone call.
“Liv, it’s me,” he says, his voice low and raspy.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” I groan as I roll over on my back. “It’s four in the morning!”
“Payback’s a bitch,” he whispers, and I’m certain if I could see his face, he’d be smiling, one of his rare smiles I only get to see when I make a complete fool of myself.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“So moody in the morning,” he teases.
“Bennett, I swear to the good Lord baby Jesus tell me what you need.” My irritation cuts through each word and he laughs over the line.
“I have an idea...”
I groan.
“No, listen. Tonight is the Holiday party—” he begins but I cut him off.
“I thought you said you don’t do those team-building activities because you’re a nerd who works in finance,” I argue.
“I didn’t exactly saythat,but the work parties are different—free booze and excellent food,” he continues, but my mind is still half asleep.
“Look, the mission is off. I don’t want to win Colin back. I got his forgiveness. That was all I needed—”
“Come with me.” The command makes me pause.
“For...?”
“For fun. Come as my date. We’ll eat good steak, drink free cocktails, and have fun,” he answers.
“I don’t have anything to wear,” I say, but there’s a huge smile gracing my face without permission.
“Check your pockets on the pants you wore yesterday at work,” he says and I cock an eyebrow. “I know they’re on the floor right next to your bed because you’re a slob.”
“I am not—”
“Check.”
At his last word, I roll over and drag my black slacks from yesterday toward me and dig into a pocket, pulling out lint. “I swear if this is one of those stupid tricks to show how gullible I am, I’m going to—” I cut myself off when I reach into the second pocket and my fingers graze paper and I pull out two one hundred dollar bills.
“You were saying...” he says.
“Thank you,” I say, a thoughtful smile on my lips.
