O'CONNELL'S LOVER

Seventeen

I bit my lip, feeling guilty. "No, it's not that," I said quickly. "It's just... I'm worried about her, okay? She's been working non-stop lately, and she's stressed out. I just want to make sure she's okay."

Maya looked at me skeptically, folding her arms across her chest. "You could just talk to her about it, you know," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "You do know how to communicate, right?"

I sighed, feeling frustrated with her attitude. "I know, I know," I said. "But she's so stubborn, she won't listen to me. And you know Lima, she's always putting everyone else first, she never takes care of herself."

"So you want me to play spy for you and report back on how Lima's doing," Maya said, her tone still skeptical. "What's in it for me?"

I had anticipated this question. I knew Maya wouldn't do anything without a bribe. "I'll owe you a favor," I said, trying to keep my voice firm. "Anything you want, within reason."

Maya's eyes lit up at the prospect of a favor, and I knew I had her. "Anything I want?" she said, smirking.

"Within reason," I repeated, trying not to sound too desperate. "But yes, anything you want."

"Alright," Maya said, a Cheshire grin spreading across her face. "I'll keep tabs on Lima for you. But mark my words, if you try to double-cross me, I'll kill you."

I chuckle at the thought of pissing Maya off, knowing that she could be downright cruel when she wanted to be. "I won't double-cross you," I said quickly. "I swear."

"Good," Maya said, her tone smug. "You better not, or you'll regret it. So, how long do you want me to keep tabs on her for?"

"Just for the next couple of days," I said, feeling a pang of guilt. I knew I was overstepping my boundaries with Lima, but I couldn't shake this feeling of worry. "Just make sure she's eating and sleeping enough. And please, don't let her push herself too hard at work, okay?"

Maya rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine, I'll play babysitter for you. Just don't expect me to sing her a bedtime story if she stays up too late."

I frown at the mental image of Maya singing a lullaby but decided to let it slide. "Thanks," I said, my tone sincere even though I knew I was manipulating her. "I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Maya said, waving off my gratitude. "Just remember, you owe me big time for this."

I nodded, feeling relieved that I had convinced her to help me out. "I won't forget," I promised, meeting her gaze. "You'll get whatever favor you want, I swear."

"Good," Maya said, a satisfied smile on her lips. "Now, if that's all, I have better things to do than listen to you whine about your girlfriend." Maya goes onto Limas clothing website and ordered some things.

"Wait," I said, realizing that I had forgotten something. "There's something else I need you to do."

Maya raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What now?"

"I need you to place a few orders on Lima's website for me," I said, hoping she wouldn't ask any questions. "I'll send you the link and the details, just order whatever you think looks good, okay?"

Maya raised an eyebrow, looking curious but intrigued. "Shopping for Lima now, huh? You really are whipped."

I scowled, feeling annoyed at her comment. "It's not like that," I said defensively. "I just... I want to surprise her, okay? She's been working too hard and she deserves some nice things."

Lima pov

As I finished up the last few items of clothing, a feeling of satisfaction washed over me. I had worked hard to build my business from the ground up, and days like these- where I could work on something I was passionate about- were my favorite. I took a deep breath, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was nearly 7 pm, and I knew that Billie was waiting for me.

I stood up from my desk, rubbing the kinks out of my stiff muscles, and made my way towards the front door. My mind was racing with thoughts of what I should wear to see Billie tonight. I didn't want to wear something too casual, but I also didn't want to be too overdressed. I wanted to look good, without looking like I had tried too hard.

Just as I was about to step out into the cool evening air, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, expecting to see a text from Billie. But instead, it was a notification from my website. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that someone had purchased several items from my catalog.

I opened the notification, curious to see who the mysterious buyer was. But my curiosity quickly turned to shock as I saw the orders that had been placed. The items that were being shipped weren't just random pieces of clothing, they were some of my most expensive and daring designs.

My mind raced as I tried to figure out who would have bought such extravagant items. My first thought was that it must be some wealthy regular customer, someone who had money to burn. But something about the orders felt off to me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.