“Like … you could relax. Blow off steam. Loosen up. Live a little. You might even laugh. Like, unprompted. It could be a medical miracle: a solid injection of vitamin D, and you’re a brand new woman. Take it from a retired floozy—what you need, my dear sister, is a rebound.”

Unbidden, the vision of Kash leaning on his shovel with that smirk on his face filled my thoughts. For a moment, I fantasized about him taking off his shirt, imagining the naked truth of his musculature. Imagined him licking those wide lips of his, imagined the scent of him, the warmth of him, the strength of his arms, the breadth of his hands. His lips would be soft and demanding all at once, hot and slick and—

“Oh, they have supreme today!” Ivy cheered, yanking me out of my reverie and into the line. “God, it must be my lucky day. Come on, Lila. You’re gonna get the spicy sausage, aren’t you?” She waggled her brows, prompting a too-loud laugh from me and a couple of glances for disturbing the pizza peace.

“I’ll take all the sausage, please.”

11

At Your Service

LILA

The day was eternal.

Meetings stacked on meetings, including a rush to sit with the Femmes through band auditions, which all five of them had opposing opinions on, resulting in zero choices made. To top it off, fall was in full effect—it had rained all day, resulting in filthy shoes and my ankles dotted with muck despite my constant attention. I’d donned my knee-length peacoat, the deep emerald hiding proof of dirt and protecting the white pencil skirt and tailored shirt I’d decided on today, a risky choice given the weather circumstance.

Four days had passed since I’d seen Kash, my longest stretch away from the shop in weeks. I wondered immediately why I’d kept count. Maybe it was because I was on my way to Longbourne, though I was set to meet Tess—Kash probably wouldn’t even be there. I wouldn’t admit under duress that I hoped he was, but I did hope. It was stupid and probably irresponsible, but I wanted to see him.

Those days without seeing him had crawled by at the speed of a legless zombie.

I sighed, using a baby wipe from my bag to clean off my shoes and ankles again. The cab rumbled along, radio tinny and distant through the little plexiglass window, rain pinging the roof, brushed from the windshield in rhythmic sweeps. The sound lulled me, exhaustion blooming in my chest, creeping down my arms to draw me into sleep.