Devil's Food Duke by Rosie Chase

Author:Rosie Chase [Chase, Rosie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Under Hill Press
Published: 2020-01-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Maya knocks on my door but I’m still in my nightshirt, sitting at the table, drinking hotel room coffee out of a paper cup while I scroll through my phone and try to figure out my next move. Should I buy plane tickets now? Should I text my old boss at C’est La Vie and beg for my job back? Maybe beg for a reference? Should I start looking at classifieds? Should I text Ollie?

“What’s going on?” she asks when she sees me.

“I’m out,” I say, handing her the letter.

“Oh…”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm. Have you eaten?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Well… yes. I did. But neither of us have eaten and that’s what we normally do right now and we should do that. So… let’s get some breakfast.”

I have no ability or even any reason to argue with her. She’s right. Whatever else happens today and whatever plans I make next, the world hasn’t stopped. And neither has my digestive system. My belly grumbles at the mere idea of breakfast.

“Alright,” I say.

Ten minutes later I’ve managed to harangue my hair into a messy version of my usual bun and I’ve put on a fresh, if slightly rumpled, dress. We get an actual table in The Bonneville’s restaurant and, as I look at the menu, I’m awash with every horrible, sickening feeling of failure that plagued me as a girl. My eyes scan the offerings but all I can think about is how I’ve messed up. How I haven’t lived up. How I should’ve done better. Been better. Been good.

“I’ll take the egg white frittata,” I say. “No toast.”

Maya orders the Belgian waffles.

“I wonder what happened,” she says, sipping her tea.

“I think Jasper and I doubled up on sugar. We were both distracted.”

She sighs.

“I’m sorry, Adrienne.”

“It’s alright.”

Even though we both knew it wasn’t.

“Are you going to stick around for a while?”

I shrug. I don’t know what I’m going to do. With the funds I have in the bank, I can’t possibly afford to stay more than another night at The Bonneville.

“What about Mr. Kline?”

I can’t help smiling a little, thinking about what I did the night before, and yet I have no idea where I really stand with him. Was last night a one-time thing? A simple fling? A quick fulfillment of some latent curiosity?

Or was it more?

“He’s awfully appealing,” Maya says. “Like some kind of… rakish duke. All dark and brooding.”

I snort. She’s right on the money, there.

“And you’re doing my second favorite trope.”

“Excuse me?”

Maya takes a sip of tea as if “doing a trope” and “living my life” are one-hundred percent synonymous to her.

“Second-chance romance,” she says.

I laugh.

“What’s your favorite?”

“It’s silly,” she says.

“What is it?”

“Soul mates.”

I laugh, shaking my head. Whatever I’d thought we were going to talk about this morning, it wasn’t this. Lord, this woman is a jewel. I want to throw my arms around her. Or fold her up all nice and tiny. Keep her in my pocket. Carry her around with me.

The server brings our food and

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