Page 91 of Old Habits

Chapter 24

Will

Will.

Wake up, Will.

Dreams and reality have blended a lot in the last few days so I’m not sure if her voice is real or not. It lingers between my ears with a soft lullaby-like vibrato, luring me back to a pleasant sleep.

“Will!”

I jolt with the firm tap on my arm. “Hrmm?”

“Wake up, please.”

Jovie stands over me, clean and fully-dressed, with a steaming coffee mug between her palms. Her lips curl as I open my eyes and stare up at her.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing.”

“Then…” I sit up, “why aren’t you naked?”

“Because we have to go to work today.”

“Oh.” I groan and rub my eyes. “What time it is?”

“Just after seven. If you get up now, we can grab some breakfast before we go in.”

My empty stomach tempts me with a growl. “Sounds good.”

She brings the mug to her lips. “Excellent.”

“Or…”I reach for her free hand and gently pull her down to me. “We can stay here until we absolutely have to leave and go hungry until lunch.”

I taste the sweet coffee on her lips but she doesn’t let it last.

“No,” she says, backing away. “We are out the door and in my car in twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes?”

“Twenty minutes.”

She spins around and walks out without another word or explanation.

A coldness twists through my gut as I recognize the undeniable, tell-tale signs of a Jovie scorned.

The bright-eyed morning glow. Short, punchy sentences. A goddamn time schedule.

“Uh-oh,” I say to myself.

Somebody has crossed Jovie Ross.

I suppose I should be thankful that it wasn’t me this time but I could be seen as an accessory to whatever she has in mind.

“Jovie?” I ask, sliding out of bed.

“Nineteen minutes!” I hear across the house.