Page 73 of Billionaire Grump's Baby

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HAZEL

Aweek later I’m leaving Luke’s office, humming to myself. I brought him lunch and we went over the first five chapters of the book, and the outline for the rest. It’s still a battle to get him to let me put more personal details in the book, but he trusts me more than he did at the start.

And in general, he’s a lot more willing to make time for me in his schedule, even if it’s just so we can spend a half hour arguing about the book outline over dumplings. Even when we’re fighting, we’re both somehow in a good mood.

Of course, thatmighthave something to do with all the sex we’re having. He’s insatiable. Or maybeI’minsatiable. I don’t know. We’re wearing wedding rings, but it feels like we’re having some kind of secret affair.

I hum as I stride down the sidewalk, unable to hide the smile on my face.

My phone buzzes and I answer. “Hey, Sarah. What’s up?”

“Oh, the usual. I just added another editor to my enemies list. She’s thwarting me.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” I say, knowing Sarah thrives on these kinds of professional battles.

“Anyway, that’s not why I’m calling,” she says. “Now that you’re a week into fake married life, I wanted to check how your book is going.”

“It’samazing,” I say. “Luke and I are really clicking. He’s still fighting me on the concluding chapter, but I think I can get him to come around—”

“That’s great, but I wasn’t talking about Luke’s autobiography,” Sarah interrupts. “I was talking about your next novel.”

“Oh. That.” My happiness dims slightly. “I’m, um, still mulling things over. I think it might be good to take a break before I try to write it. Relax, recharge. That sort of thing.”

On the other end of the line, Sarah falls silent.

A cab driving by honks aggressively at something or other.

“Did you hear me?” I ask Sarah. “I said I’m taking a break.”

“I heard you,” Sarah says faintly. She doesn’t sound happy about it. “Hazel, is there something going on with Luke?”

My shoulders tense. “Luke doesn’t have anything to do with this. I’m allowed to take a break from my own writing.”

“Of course you are,” Sarah says. “But the last time we talked about your career, you turned down a really lucrative writing gig so you could focus on your novel. And I supported you! But now you’re saying you don’t want to write that either.”

I shift from foot to foot as I wait for the light to change, trying not to feel caged in.

Sarah isn’t done yet. “So I’m asking again. What’s going on between you and Luke?”

Damn it. She knows me too well.

I didn’t want to pop the, well, honeymoon bubble Luke and I are in by telling anyone else. But I don’t want to lie to my best friend either. I’m lying to enough people as it is.

“Um.” I look up at the sky. “I’m sort of...sleeping with Luke.”

“What?”

I wince and hold the phone away from my ear while she processes that bombshell. When she’s done swearing and muttering vaguely about emotionally suicidal writers who make terrible career choices, Sarah takes a deep breath.

“Ok. We’re talking about this in person,” she declares. “Meet me at NewsBar Cafe in fifteen minutes.”

She hangs up before I can argue.

I sigh, head to the subway, and catch the subway to NewsBar. Sarah likes it because it’s far enough from her office she can have personal conversations without worrying that one of her coworkers will overhear.

Also, she saw a sitcom celebrity there once and is convinced more will appear if she’s just patient enough.

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