Page 97 of Mafioso's Muse
‘What does that mean?’
‘He’s a little sulky, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.’ She brushed hair back from her face. ‘I stood up to him today. I wish you could have witnessed it. You might have been impressed.’
‘I’m impressed just hearing about it second-hand.’ There was a pause. ‘Did you punch him?’
She laughed. ‘That’s exactly what I did. He stood no chance against my recent Pilates gains.’
A deep chuckle reached her through the phone.
‘But seriously,’ she said. ‘Please don’t waste your friend’s time by having him follow me.’
‘Myfriend?’
‘You’re not friends?’
‘I suppose we are.’
She smiled into the phone. ‘I promise if I need help of any kind, I’ll ask for it.’
He was quiet a moment. ‘All right.’
Neither of them ended the call.
‘You were right about him,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner.’
She heard him exhale smoke again. ‘Don’t you dare apologise.’
Still, she couldn’t bring herself to end the call. ‘I miss you.’
Silence.
‘All of the reasons it ended are valid, but I miss you.’
She wasn’t sure what to make of his lack of response, so she changed the subject. ‘Matilda’s sick. I’m going to be the Fairy of Joy again.’
‘That’s great news.’
She could hear the smile in his voice. ‘Funny how I ended up with opening weekend and closing weekend.’
‘You deserved all the weekends in between. That’s why you punched him, right?’
She suppressed a smile. ‘He was laid out on the floor with a ballet slipper pointed at his neck.’
‘I really was a bad influence on you.’
‘The worst,’ she said, her smile evaporating. ‘Would you… would you like to come watch on closing night?’
‘Sunday?’
‘Yeah. Closing night Sunday. Eating myself to death Monday.’
‘Monday could be just as entertaining to watch.’
‘Could be.’ The conversation with him was always so easy. ‘Don’t feel pressured to come. It was probably a weird thing to ask given?—’
‘I’d love to see you dance,’ he said, cutting her off. ‘It was an honour then, and it’s an honour now.’
She squinted to ease the burning in her eyes. ‘Oh. Okay.’