I spit out the toothpaste without running any water. It would leave a gross, crusty mess for Luca when he got back in three days. Gargling, I fought the urge to rinse the toothpaste grime away.
The white paste would drive him bonkers, but he could deal with it. Birthday or not, his little Houdini act was bullshit. Was my bathroom sabotage passive-aggressive? Yes. Was that going to stop me? No.
Finishing up in the bathroom, I shut off the light and slid into bed.
In the dark, lonely bedroom, I couldn’t stop wondering what Luca was up to or why he hadn’t made time to call me. My mind concocted all kinds of scenarios, from torrid affairs with jazz lounge singers to being kidnapped by stalkers hell-bent on his riches.
Huffing out a breath, I realized I was being ridiculous and needed to relax. I tried counting backward from one hundred, then from one thousand.
Annoyed by the lack of drowsiness, I couldn’t stay still. I pulled out my vibrator and tried to tire myself out with an orgasm. I came, but sleep still evaded me.
Flipping on the lamp, I looked around the room for something to do. My eyes landed on the dirty clothes basket that was pretty empty. Slipping out of bed, I grabbed the basket and turned it over. I kicked and tossed the clothes all over the floor.
Satisfied by the mess, I went back into the bathroom, pulled all my hair products out from under the sink, and set them on the counter.
I smiled at the minimal chaos. Luca would flip when he got home. As I reached for the light switch, my deranged smile in the mirror caused my hand to drop to the counter, knocking over a styling wand.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you really this big a fucking loser?”
Without a second thought, I turned on the faucet and rinsed the toothpaste down the drain. I returned all my products to their designated cabinet and tossed all my dirty clothes back into the basket.
Getting back into bed, I grabbed my phone.
SASHA:I miss you.
Only a minute passed before my phone lit up with a text.
LUCA:I miss you so much, baby. Love you. The next 3 days can’t go by fast enough. I’ll call you tomorrow.
Smiling to myself, I fell into a peaceful sleep.
* * *
When Luca wasn’t home, Saturdays meant brunch with Ashley, Sarah, and Adriana.
“Pass the champagne. This is a weak-ass mimosa.”
Ashley frowned at me but handed me the bottle. “I’m sorry, princess. I didn’t know we were getting sloshed.”
“It’s brunch.” I shrugged as I poured myself a generous glass of champagne. Dropping in a few berries, I sipped the more potent cocktail.
Sarah laughed and toasted me. “I could use a little drunken breakfast fun.”
“Trouble in perfect husband paradise?”Ashsaid with a lifted brow. She always got weird when it came to Sarah and Michael’s unnaturally perfect partnership.
Sarah frowned. “No, not exactly.”
Adriana gestured with her mimosa in hand, nearly spilling it on the table.
Blowing the bright red bangs from her forehead, Sarah tilted her face toward the ceiling. “Michael is ready to be a papa, and I want to have a little more time with just us.”When she looked back at us, apprehension was all over her face.
“Makes sense. You just got promoted and are getting situated in the new position. Is Michael being pushy?” I couldn’t imagine the sweet,baby-faced man being a jerk, but you have to ask.
Sarah waved a hand as she set down her drink. “No! No, nothing like that. I just feel like I’m letting him down. And after he’s done so much for me.” Her gaze dropped to the tabletop,whereshedrew patterns in the condensation from her glass.
Ashley cleared her throat. “Him changing for you doesn’t give him the right to dictate the pace of the rest of your lives. It’s not like you didn’t make sacrifices for him, too.”
Nodding, Adriana patted Sarah’s hand. “Ashis right. You should probably talk to him about how you’re feeling. From what you’ve said about him, I’m sure he would be mortified if he knew you felt pressured.”