Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

A smile claims my lips, but I shake my head.
He’s so crazy.
Since I have my phone today, I grab it and text him, “I’m not going to Paris with you.”
A moment passes before he sends back, “Why?”
I ignore his crazy question and grab the shoe box to see which shoes he picked out for me today.
It’s a pair of black sandals with a strap over the toe and an ankle strap. There’s a heel, but it’s a low
one.
My phone buzzes and I grab it, expecting it to be Calvin trying to sell me on Paris some more,
but it’s Charity.
Forgetting for a moment all the crap we shouldn’t talk about, I text her back. I’m so proud of
myself for being on top of it today. Since it crossed my mind yesterday, I ask her about having lunch
after my meeting, and she agrees.
I gather all my new things and go in to take a shower and get ready for the day. I woke up before
my alarm and forgot to turn it off, so it goes off while I’m in the shower.
As I’m doing my hair and makeup, I wonder if I should text Calvin. He knows when my meeting
is and what time I wanted to be up, but I don’t know if he’s sending Hollis, or I have to call for him.
When I emerge from the bedroom, though, Hollis is waiting on the couch. “Ready to go?” he
asks, sitting forward so he can stand.
“Yep,” I say, grabbing my purse and following him to the gallery.
___
The restaurant Charity wanted to meet at is an Italian place in Chelsea near her office. When I
get there, she’s already seated at a table with a red and white checkered tablecloth. She’s sipping a
martini and people watching, and I’m filled with a sense of just how much I’ve missed her.
“Hey, beautiful,” I say cheerfully, despite my life lacking in cheer at the moment.
She turns her head and beams at me, pushing back her chair and straightening her charcoal gray
skirt suit on her way over to hug me. “Hey, you. God, I feel like it’s been a million years.” She’s
frowning as she pulls back and grabs a handful of my necklace to inspect. “Is that a knock-off?”
“I highly doubt it.” I move away so she drops the necklace. I’m disappointed she immediately
brought up something that’s going to lead us back to Calvin, so before she can ask about it, I ask her
lightly, “How’s the divorce coming?”
She rolls her eyes as she takes a seat on her side of the table. “Oh, I decided to keep him.”