Chapter 105

When I got out of the bathroom Wictor and Anthony stood waiting for me, they had collected my things and I was enveloped in a hug from both of them.

“How are you doing?” Anthony asked. How was I doing? After what had happened just moments ago in the bathroom I didn’t know.

“I’m okay, hanging in there. How about you?” I asked Wictor.

“I am seriously pissed that they put you through that. And that the fucking lowlife actually showed up to testify,” Wictor fumed.

“I’m happy I didn’t have to be there for that part,” I said as we walked home.

“You look better than you did when leaving the courtroom,” he said.

“I had time to calm down,” I said and I was proud of myself that I didn’t blush.

“I saw that Hunter comforted you, I hope it’s okay that I didn’t intervene,” Wictor asked.

“It is. It’s not that we got back together or anything. But you know, the feelings are still there so he just made sure I was okay. It was sweet of him,” I said as casually as I could. I did not admit that I more or less had jumped Hunter and made him have sex with me. Not that he seemed to mind. But still. I couldn’t solve all my issues by jumping Hunter.

“Well, it seems to have done the trick, so I’m not going to complain.”

“Do you want to come back home with us?” Anthony offered. I smiled at him. I liked how he had been there for Wictor through the trial and I liked how casually they were holding hands and kept touching each other like they couldn’t help themselves. It was heartwarming.

“Thank you. But I need to get home to Cuddles and I’m going to sleep in tomorrow morning,” I told him.

“You’re not going to listen to the trial?” Wictor asked. I shook my head.

“No. I’ll be there for the verdict and the sentencing. But I don’t want to see the rest of it. It will just get me annoyed or pissed off. I can live without that in my life,” I explained.

“That sounds healthy,” Anthony told me. They walked me back to my building and each gave me a hug. When I stepped into my apartment, Cuddles came running and I picked him up as I made sure he had water in his fountain and food in the dispenser.

“Did you have a nice and lazy day, baby?” I asked and scratched him under his chin. He purred and looked satisfied. I placed him on his favourite perch on the cat tree and made myself some dinner. When I relaxed back, I started to think. I tried to analyse my feelings about what had happened with Hunter. I thought it would be complicated, but it was simple. I still loved him and he was still someone I felt safe around. To be honest, he was the person I felt most safe with. What had happened between us today had been amazing, as always. But I knew it didn’t change anything and I also knew it couldn’t happen again. I needed to be a big girl and deal with things on my own. First order of business as a big girl was to start searching for a place to set up my bakery. I knew the trial was almost over and the fallout hadn’t been as bad as I had feared. No more putting things off because of fear.

The next day I stayed home. I revelled in the freedom to sit on my balcony and watch as the summer slowly started to turn into fall. It was nice to get out of the small room that had been my everyday for weeks. I sent an email to Mr Smith, letting him know I had finished the latest assignment with statistics, that the trial would soon be over and I could go back to my regular work. I also offered to show whoever would take over the work I was currently doing how I had been doing it. Then I started looking at business venues. My heart nearly stopped when I saw the small shop that I had fallen in love with all those months ago, was still available. I picked up my phone to call my old relator when it started ringing. I almost got a heart attack and it took me a moment to answer.

“Miss Bishop, how are you doing?” Mr Smith asked.

“Hello Mr Smith. I’m doing well, thank you. How about you?” I asked. Trying to get my brain to switch back to work.

“Fine, fine. I wanted to talk to you, I hope I’m not calling at a bad time,” he said.

“Not at all,” I answered, even though I couldn’t wait to hang up so I could call about my dream shop.

“Good. I was going to ask you if you would think about continuing the work you are doing now after you come back full-time,” he said.

“You want me to continue with the statistics?” I asked.

“Yes. You are doing a great job at it and I don’t want to risk handing it over to someone else.”

“I like the work so I would be happy to do it.”

“Good. That takes one load off my shoulders.”

“Mr Smith, you have been most kind to me, but I think I need to tell you that I’m going to start my own business, a bakery, soon. I may not be able to work for you that much longer. I’m sorry,” I told him.

“A bakery? Really? Well, I understand following your dreams. I also know what it’s like to start your own business and it’s nice to have a reliable income in the beginning. I would like you to consider continuing working for me, at least a couple of hours a week,” Mr Smith said.

“That would be possible?” I asked.

“It would. I would prefer for you to finish this work. As I said before, we have plenty of time to get it completed and now that I have found someone I’m happy with, I would like to keep you.”

“I will think about it and give you my answer soon.”

“I can live with that. I will let you get on with your day. I have a meeting in five minutes and I was hoping I would have time to grab a cup of coffee,” Mr Smith said. We said goodbye and I sat for a moment and tried to wrap my head around his offer. Then I snapped out of it and called Anya. She was happy to hear from me.

“It is still available. I told you, the space is a tricky one,” she told me.

“It’s perfect for me. Can you place an offer for me?” I asked.

“Oh, I sure can. You don’t want to see it again?”

“Has anything changed?” I asked.

“No, it’s the same.”

“Then there is no need,” I told her.

“Okay. I will place a real low ball bid. It has been out for sale so long they will be desperate.”

“I just don’t want to lose the place,” I said, feeling worried.

“Oh, don’t you worry. This is how it’s done. We give them a low bid, they come back with a higher counter and so it goes. The one that is more desperate will fold first. Let me handle everything and I will keep you updated.”

“Thank you. I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“I saw your eyes when we looked at it, it was love at first sight,” Anya told me. I smiled.

“It sure was,” I agreed. I then remembered running into Hunter that day. It had been as close to love at first sight as possible with him as well. And that’s when I knew what I would call my new bakery. Things were starting to fall into place in my life. This would be the new me, Hana 4.0. I giggled at how many times I had started a new life. I hoped 4.0 would be around for a while.