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Be right there!
I make it to the restaurant in record time. Smoothing down my hair, I take a deep breath as I enter the establishment. My heart is still racing from the encounter with Jonah, but I force myself to focus on the present. Shawn is waiting for me, and I don’t want to worry her.
I spot her immediately, her ebony skin glowing in the soft light of the restaurant as she reviews the menu. She looks up, and her hazel eyes light up as she sees me, and she waves me over to the booth.
“Fee! There you are,” she says, standing to give me a quick hug. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me.”
I manage a smile as I slide into the booth across from her. “Never. Sorry I’m a bit late.”
Shawn's eyes narrow slightly as she studies my face. “Okay, spill. What’s wrong?”
“What? Nothing’s wrong,” I say, perhaps a bit too quickly.
She raises an eyebrow. “Fee, we’ve known each other since middle school. I can tell when something’s up. Is it the shop? Did something happen?”
I sigh, knowing I can’t hide anything from Shawn. She’s been my rock through so many hard times, always there with a listening ear and sage advice. She knows all about Lou’s paternity and was there when my other friends ditched me.
“It’s… a lot,” I admit. “The shop… there was a fire last night.”
Shawn’s eyes widen in shock. “Oh, my God, Fee. Are you okay? Is everything…?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know yet. It’s not a total loss, but… it’s bad.”
She reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do? I can reach out to some of my clients, see if they’d be willing to place orders in advance to help with rebuilding costs.”
Her offer of help, so immediate and genuine, brings tears to my eyes. “Thanks, Shawn. That… that would be amazing.”
She nods, then narrows her eyes again. “But that’s not all, is it? There’s something else bothering you.”
I hesitate, torn between wanting to unburden myself and not wanting to relive the morning’s encounter. But this is Shawn, my best friend, the person who’s stood by me through everything.
“I… I saw Jonah this morning,” I whisper.
Shawn’s intake of breath is sharp. “Jonah? As in…?”
I nod, unable to meet her eyes.
“Oh, Fee,” she says softly. “I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”
As I look up at her concerned face, I feel a wave of gratitude. No matter what life throws at me, I know I have Shawn in my corner. And right now, that means more than she could ever know.
I explain everything—Jonah running into me and seeing Lou because he saw me on TV, his wanting a DNA test. I even tell her about Gino and his threat, how he was the one who probably set the fire, and how he attacked me.
“Thank goodness Angelo was there—” I start, but Shawn holds up her hand, interrupting me.
“Wait,wait! Back up. Who is Angelo?” she asks, her eyebrows raised in curiosity.
I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks, realizing I’ve completely forgotten to mention him. “Oh, right. Um, Angelo is… well, he’s…”
Shawn leans forward, clearly intrigued. “Come on, spill it!”
I laugh, feeling some of the tension leave my body. “Okay, okay. Angelo is this guy who came into the shop yesterday. He’s been helping me with the whole Gino situation.”
“And?” Shawn prompts, sensing there’s more to the story.
I bite my lip, trying to find the right words. “And… he’s probably the hottest guy I’ve ever met.”
Shawn’s eyes light up with excitement. “Oh, really? How hot are we talking?”
