Page 43 of A Minute Past Midnight

Her Prince Charming.

I kicked off my boots and followed her to the kitchen. She had the house smelling like good love.

“You need help with anything?”

“Yes. Can you cut up those potatoes and wash the greens? Oh, and cut up the bell pepper and onion too?”

“You got it.” I washed my hands before grabbing the items and sitting at the kitchen island.

“How was work?” she asked, stirring something in the pot.

“It was straight. I did more office work than field work today. Scored another contract in Bali too.”

“Bali? Wow.”

“Yeah . . . So, I was thinking you could come with me to check out the property there.”

She turned to me. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, you definitely have a gift. I hate that you wasted your time at H.O.E., but I’m glad that's over with as of yesterday. The house in Bali needs some serious work from the pics I saw. The family wants to expand it since they got more land than they do house.”

“Hmm. When are you leaving?”

“June eleventh.”

Juliana stopped brushing the barbecue sauce that she put on ribs and looked at me.

“That's my birthday.”

“Is it?” I asked, acting oblivious.

I knew that, which was why I offered for her to come.

“Yes.”

“You got plans?”

“I never make plans. They never go the way I plan it, so I stopped making them. But I was going to ask my parents to come up for my birthday so we can tell them that they're having a grandchild.”

“If that's what you want for your birthday, I can push the project for the next day instead.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I know what you're doing, Samir.”

I chuckled. “What you mean?”

“Since I met you, I've been hit with surprise after surprise. I’m starting to see a pattern here that you can't seem to hide.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about, Cinderella.”

“Oh, no? Let me see the house in Bali then. If not, then show me the contract.”

I laughed. “You don't know how wrong you are, Cinderella. I’m not up to anything. I’ll show you the paperwork to prove it.” I wiped my hands on the dish towel, then pulled my phone from my pocket. I went to my email and pulled up the contract with the owners and handed it to her.

While she read it over, I continued working. After a minute, she set the phone down on the counter next to me and turned back toward the stove.

A smirk lifted on my face. “See. I’m not lying. No surprises.”

“Mm-hmm. For the first time since I met you,” she sassed playfully.