My Destiny by Adrianne Byrd Page B

to find one’s purpose or searching for your soul mate, but to go through all that with an expected time limit...” She shook her head. “Knowing something like that would drive most people crazy.”
    “I don’t know about that.” He shrugged. “My take on it is that I have to get as much life in as I possibly can. I try to enjoy and appreciate each day as it comes. It’s not always easy, especially lately,” he said, frowning.
    He piqued her curiosity. “What’s changed recently?”
    “The number forty, ” he answered in a low tone. He paused and looked down at his empty glass. “It has such a final ring to it.”
    She covered his hand that lay on the arm of the sofa. “You could be wrong about this, you know.”
    His gaze lowered to her delicate hand and its warmth surprised and comforted him. “I’ve considered it. My father told me once not to put too much stock in curses.” His chest tightened at the memory.
    “He didn’t believe in the curse?”
    Miles shook his head. “For a time he actually had me convinced.”
    She squeezed his hand.
    Miles slid his hand from beneath hers. “Can I get you something else to drink?”
    The lights flickered on and suddenly the room was flooded with light.
    Destiny smiled awkwardly. “No, thanks. I think I’ve had enough.” She stretched lazily as Miles stood and reached for her empty glass.
    “It’s getting late. What time is it?” she asked.
    He glanced at his watch and was startled to see just how right she was. “Four-thirty.”
    “A.M.?”
    He smiled. “And you thought that you would never spend the night with me. Ha!”
    She rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible.” She unfolded herself from the wing chair and cringed slightly at the sound of her joints popping. “I’m sure someone has to be working the front desk by now.”
    “Yeah. George usually works the graveyard shift. We probably could have called a few hours ago to get a key.”
    She nodded and covered her mouth as she yawned.
    Miles placed the dishes in the dishwasher while Destiny used the phone. His eyelids grew heavy as he experienced a hefty dose of drowsiness. When he returned to the living room, she informed him that George was on his way up.
    “Turns out there was a bad accident that damaged an electrical pole not too far from here,” she said. “I didn’t bother to ask George about Wendell. I don’t want to get the boy in any kind of trouble.”
    Miles simply smiled. “Well,” he said. “I hate to see this pleasant evening come to an end.”
    She smiled. “It was pleasant, wasn’t it?”
    He nodded. “I hate that it took so long to get to know each another. I can always use a good friend.”
    “Me, too,” she affirmed with a smile.
    The doorbell rang. Miles and Destiny started at its sudden sound.
    “My, that was fast,” Miles commented, heading toward the door.
    George, an elderly black gentleman with twinkling eyes and a florescent white smile, greeted him on the other side of the door. “Good morning, Mr. Stafford. Ms. Brockman asked for me to deliver a spare key to her apartment here.” He tilted up on his toes to dart a glance over Miles’s shoulder. When he lowered his weight back onto the balls of his feet, he winked knowingly at Miles and handed over the key. “I hope the night’s events haven’t been too much of an inconvenience for either of you.”
    Miles shook his head as one side of his mouth lifted into a sly smile. “It was no trouble at all.” He dug into his pocket, handed George a small tip along with a conspiratorial wink before closing the door.
    “What’s so amusing?” Destiny asked him as he returned to the living room still wearing a smile.
    “Nothing,” he responded with his voice laced with undeniable humor.
    Her expression wrinkled with disbelief, but she didn’t bother to interrogate him further. “Please tell me that was George at the door.”
    Miles held up the key. “Pour vous, Mademoiselle.”
    Her face flashed with