It worked my entire life up until now. Until he told me what I already knew, confirming it and forcing me to face the truth.

“Don’t worry about it.” I give him a tight smile. “It’s got nothing to do with the business.”

“And what about you?” he says, pushing further. “I can’t be worried about you?”

The simple answer I give him is bullshit and he knows it. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, you keep saying that,” he says then turns like he’s going to head back into his office as the phone rings.

“Go get it.” I nod toward his office. “I’m just picking up a reuben from across the street.”

“All right.” He heads into his office but before I make it another two steps, he’s popping his head outside of the door again to ask, “Will you get me a Coke?”

Glancing over my shoulder, I tell him yes as the sounds of everyone else working get louder and louder.

I don’t break my stride as I head down the hall. Our company owns this entire floor of the Rising Falls Building; it’s a tall office building that’s made for businesses just like ours. The second I stepped in here, I knew this was where I wanted to work. There’s clear glass everywhere. So much natural light and impressive views of the city to provide constant inspiration.

Even the cubicles have plexiglass walls.

“Out to lunch?” Margaret asks as I stride past her, needing to shake the nagging feelings that wrestle in the pit of my stomach.

“I’ll be right back.” I nod, again not slowing my pace and head past all my employees to the elevator.

“Yes, sir,” Margaret answers with a light-hearted tone. I’ve never seen that woman not smile. As if being our secretary is the highlight of her day. She’s damn good at what she does too. At first, I was opposed to letting someone step in and take control of scheduling and inventory, but as we grew, I just couldn’t handle it all.

Pressing the button for the elevator, I try to think about anything other than my father. With the button lighting up, I’m reminded of Jules’s text. The irritation and anger nearly vanishes.

Just the thought of what was going through her mind when she messaged back makes me smile. She’s a testy little thing. I didn’t expect that. There’s more to Miss Summers than I thought and I’m definitely intrigued.

I check my Rolex as the elevator dings and the doors slowly open. There’s no one inside, so I walk right in and hit the button for the ground floor. Only six hours until dinner.

My chest feels tight and the small smile leaves me. It’s fucked up in so many ways, but she’ll never know. I’ll make sure she never finds out.

Julia

There are pink macarons and crystal chandeliers everywhere I look. I love this place. It’s a tiny shop and the treats are far too expensive for what they are, but it’s the vibe I truly love. I scoot my silver stool closer to the small round table and unpeel the wrapper on my cupcake as I listen to Suzette.

“I want to know every detail,” she says with barely contained joy. Kat glances between the two of us and so far, she hasn’t touched a thing on the etched tray in the center of the table. I know there’s something there that would make her smile, but she’s not interested. I bet she and her husband had another fight. I wish they wouldn’t; they love each other. It’s been obvious to me since the day she met him.

Clearing my throat, I avoid replying to Sue’s comment. I can feel both sets of their eyes on me, but I don’t look up. It’s too pretty in here to feel this anxious. My eyes settle on the crystal flute of pink champagne and I take a quick sip, tilting my head up to gaze at the carved tin ceiling. Everything in here is pink, silver, shiny and new. So beautiful to look at, but useless in saving me from this conversation.

“How could you not tell us?” Kat’s voice is low but not scolding, more surprised than anything. She’s still standing with her purse on a stool and I don’t think she has any intention of sitting down in the least. Until she does, plopping down with her eyes boring into me. “I want to know who you’re seeing,” she adds with a pout.

The disappointment in her voice makes my appetite for all things sweet and scrumptious vanish. I knew this was coming. You can’t just take off from Katerina Thompson and not have her chew you out later.

“It wasn’t meant as an insult,” I start to tell her. It’s not like I was trying to upset her, she should at least know that for a fact.

“It’s because you would have stopped her,” Sue interjects before shoving a tiny cupcake into her mouth and biting it right down the middle. She has no shame and gives Kat the answer as if it’s obvious. Which it is. If I’m an overthinker, Kat is a second-guesser.

“Of course I would have stopped her.” Her wrath is directed at Sue now and to be honest, I’m grateful. Sue can handle it. She stares Kat right in the eye as she pushes the other half of the cupcake into her mouth with her pointer finger.

Kat justifies her stance. “She was drunk and how many one-night stands have we regretted right after?” She has a point, I’ll give her that.

“It’s not that I was keeping it from you,” I say. There’s a small plea in my voice for Kat to calm down. “I was …”

“You were keeping it from me,” Kat says, finishing my sentence for me.

“Only until it was over,” I say as my face scrunches with guilt and I hide behind my drink.

“Oh hush,” Sue says easily and then nods at me. “Good for you for going out and dusting off those cobwebs.” I snort a small laugh and my shoulders shake from it. “He’s cute too.”

“He’d better be,” Kat says beneath her breath, pulling out a bottle of water from her oversized leather hobo bag.

Sue rolls her eyes and says, “You going to track him down and beat the crap out of him if he isn’t?” A smile forces its way onto my face and I try to make it go away, but it’s not happening. Kat side-eyes Sue for a moment before returning to her water and taking a sip. With that, the tension vanishes. Kat gets why I didn’t tell her, I know she does. And I get why she’s upset. It’s a simple squabble that’s over the moment Kat reaches for her own cupcake.

“So, your first one-night stand. How does it feel?” Sue asks.

I could write a whole book on the effects I’m feeling right now. The guilt, the anxiety. But the other things, the bit of liveliness and … is it pride? Is that what it is? Knowing that I was wanted and desired like that by a man like Mason. And that he still wants me. Yeah, that’s a bit of pride, which is odd to be feeling over this.

“He texted me this morning.” I sway a little in my seat, picking at the hem of the tablecloth. “He wants to go out tonight.”

Sue’s eyes go wide. “Really?” She grins in slow motion and then makes a face as she wipes her fingertips on her napkin.

“What’s that for?” I ask her.

Sue shrugs and says, “Nothing.”

“That’s not a nothing look,” I tell her right back. “That’s a something look.”

Kat reaches for another cupcake, listening intently.