“Not yet.”
“You can’t go on like this, honey. Has he even paid your wages this month?”
“No. Everybody else is still getting paid, but I don’t know for how much longer. If the suppliers stop sending us deliveries, I’m
going to have to close up.” Ally sighed. “If it wasn’t my dad’s café I’d have left long before now.”
“Maybe you should think about it anyway.”
“How can I?” Ally said, her voice full of emotion. “If I go then the whole staff will have to be laid off. I can’t let that happen. They have children, bills to pay.” She sighed again. “I’m going to give him one last chance to sort things out.”
Ember didn’t like to point out that he’d already had a few last chances. “Where is he now? Still in the Bahamas?”
“I’ve no idea.” Ally sighed. “Anyway, enough about my woes, tell me about yours instead. How’s the lovely Lucas?”
“Lovely.”
Ally laughed. “And have you guys talked about what’s going to happen when he’s back in White City?”
“Nope.” Ember grimaced at the thought of it. He’d made it clear from the beginning that they were only friends. Even if he was a friend that would help her out if her car broke down. “I guess we’ll go back to how things were.”
“What a waste.”
“Yeah, and you know what’s worse?”
“What?” Ally whispered. Ember wondered if the supplier had walked around the back of the café looking for her.
“I’ve got this damn party to go to at the Martins’ house on Saturday. On our last weekend together, so I won’t even be able to enjoy it.”
“You’re going to the party?” Ally sounded outraged. “Why?”
“Because I said I would to Janice Martin. She’s been so sweet to me, I didn’t want to upset her.” Ember wanted to kick herself for agreeing, but what else could she do? “Anyway, it’s just for one night.”
“Call her and tell her you’ve changed your mind. Or that you have the flu.” Ally’s voice was louder now. Maybe the danger had passed.
“I can’t do that. I made a commitment.”
“Yeah, well the Martins should know all about broken commitments. Just look at their son. Ugh, Will’s not going, is he?”
“I’m not sure,” Ember said. “And it doesn’t matter if he is. It’s not Janice’s fault he left me, and maybe that’s the reason I want to go. To show everybody that I’m better than him, that I’m doing fine without him.” It was amazing how far she’d come since those dark days after he’d left her. She felt stronger than she ever had, and happier too. Going to the Martins’ Memorial Day party felt like drawing a line over the past year. After that she could forge ahead, even if she was forging ahead on her own.
And damn if that thought didn’t bring her right back down to Earth.
“Listen, I’m on my way home. I’ll give you a call later, okay? Don’t hide out there by the trash cans all night, either. You’ll smell terrible.”
“Thanks for the advice,” Ally said, her voice low. “And think about missing that party, okay?”
“Sure,” Ember said, knowing full well she wouldn’t, but she’d learned from years of experience that once Ally got an idea in her head it was almost impossible to shake it off her. “Take it easy, honey.”
“Have a good evening with Lucas.”
Ember laughed and ended the call, not bothering to reply. Mostly because she knew she would.
* * *
When Lucas arrived at her apartment that evening, they ended up going straight to bed, as though there was an unspoken agreement that they wanted to make the most of their last few nights before he returned to White City. Ember smiled, turning in his warm, muscled arms, and breathed in his scent – full of cedar and citrus.
“You okay?” he asked her, his voice full of grit. She loved it when he sounded like that, all satisfied and sated and as though he had no energy left at all. A gentle breeze blew in through her open window, lifting the curtains as it danced into the room. She felt the coolness of it against her heated skin.