VELVET

I AIN’T SCARED
“If you don’t stop laughing, I’m gonna club you over the head with the coffee pot.” Danica couldn’t take another minute of Chuck’s snickering.
“Okay. I’m sorry.” He grabbed his stomach. “But for a moment there, I thought he was gonna propose.”
“Don’t make me vomit. So, based on what we just saw and heard, what do you think?”
“Too early to tell. I mean on one hand, he seemed too weak to do it. But he is the new Super. If word got out, he would be ruined.” He leaned over and smiled. “I hope all of the others are as much fun!”
Danica shook her head in agreement.

*

Hope smiled at the butcher. He wrapped two of the best cuts of beef she’d seen in ages. It would no doubt cost her a fortune, but it would be worth it. She moved over to the fresh vegetables. No man worth his salt could resist grilled steak and potatoes. But she couldn’t help but wonder about the woman at Tessa’s. She’d made such headway with Chuck and wasn’t about to lose it to someone who just slipped in under the radar.
It took one call to Tessa’s, and she had everything she needed to know. The unsuspecting teenager had no idea what the questions meant. She just knew that the lunch crowd was filing in and she needed to hang up quickly.
The air was slowly coming out of Hope’s balloon. As soon as she saw the name, she shook her head. She knew exactly who the woman was. Dara Stevens was the owner of Divine Design Marketing & Event Planning. There was really no need to look her up. Her bio was more than impressive, and it didn’t make things any better for Hope that Dara was extremely easy on the eyes. Hope tried to ease her fears, but it wasn’t easy. Within 48 hours, she may have lost her grip on Chuck, and more importantly, her career.