Welcome to Case Close Close.

You're listening to Bye-B-Babee, by Kerala Lovering.

Narrated by Helen Laser and Carissa Vacker.

Let's pick up where we left off last week.

Chapter 22 Billy October 13th, Billy

October 13th, 2023 The Day of

Do you feel different?

Jane asks one of her eyebrows arching. We're having a Friday morning

catch-up over cronuts and cappuccinos at Dominique Ansel. I haven't seen her

in two weeks, which is rare for us, but she's been busy with the move and I've been in Lala land with Alex.

Last night was the first one we've spent apart since he asked me to be official.

I already miss him.

Different?

I take a bite of my cronut, half crescent, half donut, which is sweet, buttery

heaven in my mouth. You know, all coupled up now? I shrug. It's going well, but it's still early days. It's exciting, Billy. You're allowed

to feel excited about it, you know. Jane sips or coffee. I am excited, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. I stare into my mug, foam

dissolving into milky espresso. Then I glance up, tap the top of my laptop with my pointer finger.

Enough about my love life? Can we talk work for a minute? I have something I want to run by you.

Jane interlaces her hands across the table. What is it?

I draw on a breath suddenly nervous. What I'm about to say has been on my mind for a while, but I hadn't uttered it out loud, not to anyone, until I ran it by

Alex the other night.

He thought it was brilliant.

...