Love That For Me by Abby Knox

ChapterFive

Jessica

Today’s been taxing,and I’m beat.

As if meeting Alex Martin wasn’t enough thrown at me, I had to endure a school board meeting because Meredith had a doctor’s visit.

I hadn’t checked my email until after I filed my stories later that night, and that’s when I saw the email from Alex. He’s just blatantly asking me out now.

I, of all people, know better after everything that happened to me in Phoenix.

And now, under the wing of Donna, I’ve got a second chance. Sure, it feels like I’m starting all over at 26, but it’s not too late to salvage my career.

After all, my Gran did not raise a quitter.

When I came crying to her after that front page disaster, Gran handed me a tissue and let me blubber in front of Netflix with pints of ice cream for three days. Then came the pep talk and the tough love.

I keep going because of her, even when I don’t like my job so much.

Today was one of those days.

So imagine my surprise when I arrive at my apartment to find a huge bouquet of flowers on my kitchen table, a box of those giant chocolate-covered strawberries, a bottle of wine, and a small wrapped gift.

Sophie, my orange tabby, noses the bottle of wine. Little weirdo.

My stomach groans in hunger. I gently herd Sophie off the table, then dive into the berries.

Company policy says we must declare any gift over $5 from a source. But I’m starving. And technically, I don’t know where these gifts came from. And I’ll never know if I perhaps absentmindedly toss the little card into the trash.

I make a pornographic noise as the juicy berry explodes in my mouth with the chocolate. Heaven.

The flowers aren’t your typical long-stemmed red roses. It’s an arrangement of tulips, peonies, daisies, and lilies, taking up half the space in my tiny apartment kitchen.

After I gorge on a few berries, I clean my sticky hands and carefully unwrap the box. Inside is a Sephora skincare gift set.

I’m drooling over it, yet I wonder if Alex is trying to send me a message. Does he think my skin looks dry? And how does he even know my skin type? Is he that good at guessing?

But wait. No, I don’t officially know where any of this came from.

And neither does my neighbor, Alexis, most likely the person who let in the flower delivery.

“I can pretend I have a secret admirer and toss the card in the trash, right, Soph?”

The orange demon is making slow figure eights around my ankles, buttering me up to let her at that wine.

Nice try, cat.

Right. Throwing that card away now.

I pick it up and head to the small trash bin under the sink. But then I pause, and look at the small blue envelope.

I change my mind and toss the card in my junk drawer, unread.

Am I tempted to read it?

Sure.

Will I? Not if I want to keep my job.

After I change into my comfy leggings, I spread out on the sofa in front of the show I’m currently binging, along with the wine and the rest of the strawberries. Sophie purrs on my lap, sniffing the air every time I take a sip.

Stomach sated and head buzzy from the wine, I open my phone.

My finger hovers over Alex Martin in my contacts.

Now would be a bad time to text him. It’s after 10 p.m., and I’m not sober.

Ah, what the hell.

Me:Coffee. Tomorrow. But I’m buying.

I waitfor the three little dots to appear, but instead, my phone rings.

What the hell?