Chapter 32. Red and White Roses

Her 3 p.m. appointment was the one she dreaded most. She didn’t usually take any appointments on Mondays. But she made an exception because it was Timothy.

Everything about him was an exception. For a guy with a slim stature, his muscles were his weapons and he wore tight t-shirts that snug to his arms to display them. Tall people walked slower but Timothy charged forward head first into everything as though he were a short person trying to barrel his way through a crowd.

“Ellie,” he called, walking up to her with his familiar stench of wax and something foul floating around him.

She knew the wax was from his modeling business but that other stench, she didn’t know where it came from. It followed him like a tail and was one of the reasons she hated their in-person meetings.

“Good afternoon, Tim.” She pushed her chair backwards and drew in a deep breath.

“It’s been a while.”

He reached out to her and tried to hug her but she shook her head. “I have