Page 101 of The Don
“You’re adorable.”
I take the first package and feel it in my hands before I tear the paper off. Inside is a t-shirt, neatly folded. I pull it out of the package and hold it up. “Is this...”
“Sure is.”
I turn it over in my hands and find it’s merchandise from the author that Ruben was making fun of earlier. “Where did you get this?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“Thank you.” The smile on my face is big and bright, and I can feel my cheeks hurting.
“Keep going.”
I fold the t-shirt up and open the second gift. “How did you do this?” I ask as I unwrap a mug from the same author that’s been signed by her too. “This is crazy.” I open the third present, and it’s a light jacket with the cover image from the latest book. The fourth is a pen and a book mark, and when I open the fifth, it’s her new book. “What?”
“Open it.”
I open the book and there’s a letter inside. “Dear Eliza, thank you so much for supporting me in my journey. I hope you love this story as much as I did while I was writing it. I dreamt of my main man, and wanted to share him with you and the world. I have a condition for you reading this book. You can’t open the last gift until you’ve finished the book. You’ll understand why when you’re done. I will say this, don’t walk, don’t wait...run and read this right now. Drop everything you’re doing and read this book. With love.”
“Seems like you have a task to complete before you can open the last gift.”
“What do you think she sent me?”
Ruben lifts his shoulders. “No idea.”
“You’re lying, you know what it is, don’t you?”
Ruben straightens and looks to his two computer monitors. “Don’t you have a book to read?” My entire body is tingling as I keep looking at the last gift. I scoop them all off his desk, but leave the last present. “Take this, and keep it with you while you read.”
“Come on,” I protest. “Knowing there’s something teasing me will drive me crazy.”
He snaps his fingers, and I roll my eyes at him. “Take it.”
“You want to drive me crazy, don’t you?”
“Off you go.”
“You’re so bossy. Like the men in her books.”
“I’m not fictional.”
With my arms full, I head out of his office. “They’re better because I can close the book on them,” I grumble over my shoulder.
“What was that?” he calls with amusement.
“Nothing,” I spit with fake hurt. Ruben chuckles as Storm and I begin down the hallway to head up to my library. “I like you better than him sometimes.”
“I heard that.”
I can’t help but smile like a lovesick teenager totally crushing on the high school jock.
“Clearly you’re finished,” Ruben says as he hovers by the door.
I flick my hand at him. “I’m just starting the epilogue.”
“Have you even eaten today?”
“Who needs food when I have a great book to read?”