29
Josie
I hand Florence a beer as soon as we get home. "Sit. Relax." I park myself next to her. "Would you rather be at your house with Marin?"
She squints at me. "No? Why do you ask that?"
I pull my leg up under me and turn toward her. "I don't know. I imagine it's nice to have someone around to do everything for you."
She shrugs. "I'm busy enough with work that she makes my life easier. Mostly she alleviates the stress of doing all the little things."
"Like making you dinner and doing your laundry?" I tease.
She elbows me. "Yes—and picking up the dry cleaning, going shopping, making phone calls and appointments, keeping track of things like my lawyers, specialists like my brother's numismatist, my nieces' school things, all that stuff."
"I wouldn't trust anyone to do all that for me."
"You have to find someone you trust, but it's well worth it—for me, at least. I could do all of it—but it really takes the stress off me." Her eyes light up and a smile spreads across her face. "Hell, she walked in on us making out in the closet, turned around, and never mentioned it again. She's walked in on me getting myself off, too." She laughs.
"I would die of mortification." I feel my face heat up in embarrassment.
"You know, assuming you get everything figured out with the estate on time, you'll probably need to hire someone to deal with all this stuff. Have you thought about what you're going to do with all of it?"
"A little." I groan softly. "I want to figure out a way to donate it to the types of people—well, their families—that he stole from. It's impossible to trace individual pieces, but there has to be something…" I trail off, thinking. "I want to get rid of it all, except maybe a few pieces." I haven't ruled out the idea of having kids, and planning for the future—with or without kids—is my main priority.
"Why don't you just let it all go, then? Just let the time pass and pretend like none of this happened."
I raise an eyebrow and look at her incredulously. "A quarter billion in other assets, the penthouse is worth almost thirty million, and the other stuff is worth—" I shake my head in amazement. "A billion, on the low end." I look down at my hands. "I feel like I owe it to the world to try to balance the horrible things he did and use his money for good."
"You can never counter the horrible things that happened, Josie. Don't put that on yourself." She scoots next to me and leans against me, her body soft and warm.
I wrap my arm around her shoulders. "I don't. But I'm also being given the resources to make a difference. I have to think about it, though. I need to focus on getting that money so his dirty fortune doesn't go to the Vanderveens. I don't know them at all, but I'd guess they're money-hungry and would grab at the opportunity if they knew about it."
"The Vanderveens aren't bad people. They're obsessed with money in an unhealthy way, but they aren't evil or anything."
"Do you know them?"
"Father and son own the Tower. I assume that's who the estate would revert to, if you don't claim it. Landon Senior and Landon Junior. I've met Senior once. Junior a few times."
"How do you know them?" It seems unlikely that they grew up in the same circles. I've gotten the impression her family was lower-middle class when she was growing up. She and all her siblings have worked hard to get to where they are now.
"My sister Hettie married Junior. She's also my personal lawyer. She'll take care of the contracts for the coin purchases."
"Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest for her?" I frown.
"Not if she doesn't know. Honestly, even if she did know, it wouldn't be. They have a prenup, so she doesn't have any rights to his properties. I don't think she's ever heard about the penthouse in the Tower."
"Why do you say that?
Florence shrugs. "Last week at dinner, Joe brought up that Karl Schneider died, and everyone was wondering what would happen to his coins. She didn't blink."
That's interesting. "Aren't you going to tell her, though?"
"I don't know why it would be relevant. Even if she knew, she doesn't care that much about his assets. She rarely sees him unless he needs a pretty woman on his arm."
I raise an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a healthy marriage."
She laughs. "It works for them. They're both bi, and they have a very open marriage. As long as they're discreet about other partners and it stays off the internet," she raises an eyebrow at me knowingly, "they're both happy."
That's such a weird concept to me. I can't imagine sharing my partner with others—not if we've made a commitment to each other.
Although, to be fair, I guess I was sharing Ruby with her husband and with Nora.
"About him being bi, that's not public knowledge," Florence says, interrupting my thoughts.
"His secret's safe with me." I wave a dismissive hand through the air and sigh. "Does this change things?"
"Nah." She shakes her head. "Hettie wouldn't see it as a problem. Don't worry about it." She laces her fingers with mine. "It's been a rough week. How are you doing?"
I purse my lips together and sigh. "I'm exhausted. I think the shock of what he did is wearing off. Now I'm just fucking mad about it." I lean my head against her shoulder. "Can I just sleep on you for the night? You're comfortable." I sigh contentedly.
"I can stay the night if you want me to hold you while you sleep."
I look up into her eyes. "You'd have to get up early to go home and get dressed."
She chuckles, a rumble against me. "I have a locker with work clothes at the hospital. If I shower here, I can change there."
"So that means you'll stay?" I murmur against her.
"For you," she whispers, pressing her lips to my temple. "It's too early to go to bed. Do you want to take a bath and I'll make dinner?"
I bite my lip, sleepily gazing into her face. "You know how to cook?" I ask, surprised.
"I grew up in a big Italian family. Of course I know how to cook. Italian, anyway."
That makes me smile. "I don't even know what's in the fridge. I haven't had time to go shopping at all this week, with everything happening with the penthouse. It would probably be easier to order out."
"See, you need Marin, too. You should get an assistant once the estate is settled. You'll be able to afford someone. I can make some recommendations."
I snort. "No, Florence. I'm not going to get an assistant. I might get someone to help deal with Opa's things, but no—not for me." I wouldn't even consider it.
She stands up, leaving my left side cold. "I'm going to draw you a hot bath. What are you in the mood for, for dinner?"
"You," I deadpan.
"You should eat something with calories first," she replies without missing a beat.
"Surprise me." Standing up, I pull her close to me, searching her eyes. I want to kiss her. "Do you know how much I want you right now?" I whisper, my lips a hair from hers.
She erases the distance between us, her lips soft on mine. Her hands grip my head, tangled in my hair, as she inhales my quickening breath. "Stop me, Josie," she says softly against my lips.
I close my eyes and put the smallest space between our lips, leaning my forehead against hers. "Talk to me." I pull back and rub my thumb across her cheek.
She raises an eyebrow. "You need to eat first. We can order, I can go out and pick something up, or I can have Marin get it. She would probably be happy to do something for me this weekend."
"Maybe she's on a date and she's getting laid right now. You don't want to interrupt that." I fight back tired laughter.
"She's not seeing anyone right now. She broke up with the person she was seeing a few weeks ago, and she's taking a break for now."
"She tells you all this?" I ask curiously.
"Enough of it, yes. I'd say we're sort of friends. We talk to each other about things." She shrugs.
"What does she say about me?"
Florence's face drops. "She doesn't."
"What does she think about me?" I press.
She shakes her head. "She thinks you're out to get my money, and I'm going to get hurt."
"I'm not out for your money. You know that," I argue. Is that what all of Marin's hostility toward me has been about?
"No, but I am going to get hurt," she says softly.
"Maybe. But maybe you won't. That's how life works, sweetie."
She looks up at the ceiling. "I know." She wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me closer. "But I also know I've never felt like this with anyone else before. Not even when I was with Katie. She never made my heart pound like you do."
"So how do I deal with your shadow who dislikes me so much?" I ask seriously. I don't like being on someone's bad side, especially when I didn't do anything to earn it.
"She's coming around. I think she needs to get used to the idea of sharing me again, too. It's been almost five years since Katie left, and Marin's been there for me through all of it."
Pausing, I frown. "Does she take care of your other needs for you, too?" It never occurred to me that she might—
Florence cups my face in her hands. "No." She sighs. "She offered, after Katie left, but no. Never mind the legality of that, I would never put her in that position."
I nod, satisfied. "I wondered for a minute if she was jealous."
She frowns at that thoughtfully. "I don't think so. I doubt it." She chews on her lip for a moment. "She's never shown an interest in women, at least not to me."
"Let's address food right now," I tease her, "because I really want to go to bed."