my phone vibrated or someone rang at my door, my heart leaped with hope that it might be Vi––even though I knew deep down that it wouldn’t be. In fact, I decided I would have to stop ordering food to be delivered because every time it arrived, I couldn’t keep the hope at bay that it was Vi asking to be buzzed inside my building. Each time, the disappointment surged anew through my veins, leaving me even more sad than I’d been before.
Even though I knew it wasn’t smart for my heart’s sake, I couldn’t resist listening to her radio show every day. Her smooth, sexy voice was ideal for radio, and it drove me wild to the point of distraction. I told myself that I needed to stop torturing myself by listening to her, but each day when her time slot started, I was there, anxiously tuning in.
I found myself incorporating many of the smart life hacks she mentioned on her show into my daily life. My latest favorite was using a soft tortilla shell as a plate. It was better for the environment and turned into a delicious dessert when I spread Nutella on it and rolled it into a pinwheel after I was finished eating.
In an effort to feel closer to Vi, I’d also started reading the Ask Ida advice column that Soraya helped pen. It was easy to figure out when a response was written by Soraya because she took a no-nonsense, bold approach to her advice, while Ida was more conservative with her responses.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw one of the questions in today’s post.
“Ida, I fear that I have fallen in love with the wrong man. Our relationship has been based on a lie from the start, and I don’t know how––or if––I can ever forgive him. But I’m having trouble finding a way to move on with my life without him. I miss him desperately, even though he really hurt me. I doubt I’ll ever find anyone else who will love me like he did. What should I do? Sincerely, Missing the Heartless Hunk”
I wasn’t positive that it was Vi’s question until I read how it was signed. This had to be about us, and Vi missed me. I whooped with excitement, not caring about annoying my apartment neighbors. Silently praying that Soraya, rather than her boss, had answered this one, I quickly read on to see what advice had been given.
“Dear Missing the Heartless Hunk, Your hunk made a mistake. Perhaps even a colossal mistake. Is he sorry for it? Do you believe he will do it again? You sound miserable without him, and I’m sure he’s devastated without you. If you love him and he loves you, why torture yourself… or him? Run to forgive him, jump into his arms, and never let him go.”
“Thank you, Soraya!” I yelled to the empty apartment as I grabbed my jacket and ran towards my front door.
As soon as I flung it open, I nearly stumbled at the sight of Violet raising her hand to knock.
47
Violet
Oliver looked stunned by my presence as he stammered, “Oh! I didn’t buzz you inside the building’s front door.”
I nodded, “I must look trustworthy because one of your neighbors held it open for me.”
He grinned as he said, “I’ll have to give them a stern warning at the next owner’s association meeting.”
I smiled up at him, not quite able to believe we were joking amiably together after all of this miserable time had passed with no contact between us. His eyes glanced downward then, and he stooped to speak to Reese.
“Oh my, look how big you’ve gotten!” He ruffled the puppy’s soft ears.
Reese leaned into the man’s touch, savoring it. I felt the undeniable urge to do the same, but managed to refrain from demanding that Oliver focus his loving attention on me.
I licked my parched lips, suddenly feeling overly nervous. “Umm… Can we talk?”
“Sure,” he said, standing and moving aside to usher me inside.
Reese trotted confidently into the room as if he had been there a million times. I stooped to unhook his leash, so he could explore the new-to-him space.
The studio apartment hadn’t changed much since my last visit here, other than being a bit messier. It was spacious for the city, but it would have been considered miniscule in Brunswick Bay Harbor. There was a great deal of leather, stainless steel, and dark shades of gray––as one would expect from