His 181St Second (Laverne and Marina) novel Chapter 40

**Winds Carry Lost Promises by Asa Holt Vale**
**Chapter 40**

Marina found herself in an uncomfortable silence, waiting for Daron to reach out. A half-hour ticked by, and with each passing moment, her suspicions only deepened. It made sense, really; the situation had been chaotic, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Instead of sending another message, she chose to let the silence linger, placing her phone aside. Fatigue washed over her, and she surrendered to sleep, grateful for the distraction Daron had provided. His little diversion had cleared her mind of the swirling chaos surrounding Lavern, allowing her to slip into slumber without a hitch.

Morning broke, and Marina rolled out of bed, the sunlight filtering through her curtains. She moved through her routine with a sense of purpose, the day’s significance weighing on her.

Just as she finished getting ready, her phone buzzed to life, displaying Lavern’s name on the screen.

With a hint of trepidation, she answered, “Hello?”

His voice came through, slightly slurred, “Marina, I got totally hammered last night; did I do anything stupid?”

The image of Lavern waking up next to Shawna invaded his thoughts, sending a chill down his spine. He felt the cold sweat trickle down his back—last night was a blur, and the only fragments he could grasp were of escorting Daron out alongside Marina. Everything else was a foggy haze.

Marina’s tone was laced with sarcasm as she replied, “Beats me. I can’t babysit you 24/7, can I? Why not ask one of the others?”

There was a heavy silence on the line, and for a moment, she thought he had hung up. But then he spoke again, his voice more serious, “Marina, you’re heading to meet Mr. Zamora for the contract signing today, right? Let me join you. I’ll come pick you up now.”

She couldn’t help but scoff, her skepticism spilling over. “Weren’t you blackout drunk? How’s that detail sticking so well?”

Lavern hesitated, then pressed on, “You put in so much effort to secure this Zamora Group deal; I couldn’t forget that if I tried. Let me come along. You’ve been away from the company for six months, so you might be out of the loop on operations. I’m just concerned…”

Marina cut him off, her voice sharp. “Concerned? Where was that concern when you were running your mouth in front of Mr. Zamora last night?”

She had no intention of letting him accompany her to the signing. Marina felt a surge of determination as she continued, “If anyone’s got reason to worry, it’s me; you nearly torpedoed the whole thing yesterday. This Zamora Group partnership is a huge pivot for both of us. I don’t need your input; just stay out of my way and don’t screw it up.”

“Marina…”

Without waiting for him to finish, she ended the call, a sense of finality lingering in the air.

She touched up her makeup, threw on a professional outfit, and stepped out the door, her mind racing with the day’s impending challenges.

Before sliding into her car, she checked her messaging app, noticing Daron still hadn’t replied to her texts from the previous night. He must still be asleep, she mused, a smirk creeping onto her face at the thought of the AI outsmarting him.

Navigating through the city, she drove towards the Zamora Group branch, her heart pounding with anticipation. As she approached the building, her eyes caught sight of Lavern’s car parked downstairs.

Her grip tightened on the steering wheel, anger bubbling within her.

Lavern spotted her and leaped out, striding over with an eagerness that only fueled her irritation.

Marina took a deep breath, steeling herself for the encounter as she parked.

With a grin plastered across his face, Lavern positioned himself by her door, opening it with an exaggerated flourish. “Marina, I’ll head up with you and apologize to Mr. Zamora too. I went overboard last night; honestly, I have no clue what came out of my mouth.”

She noticed the slapdash gift box he clutched in his hands, and disdain flickered in her gaze. “Lavern, if you’re trying to sabotage this deal, just come out with it. Who do you think Mr. Zamora is? Showing up with that pitiful little box—don’t you feel ridiculous? After all these years together, you still can’t ditch those trashy habits you got from your mom?”

Lavern flinched at her biting words, the contempt in her voice cutting deep. He tightened his grip on the gift box, the veins in his hand standing out starkly against his skin. “Marina, I threw this together last-minute; of course it’s not as good as something I’d planned ahead. But even if you hate it, you don’t have to bring my mom into this. She raised me on her own; it wasn’t easy for her, so…”

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