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“And I don’t need it. Go.” When the woman slams out the front door, Ben turns to Lisa. “I don’t know who that is, but cancel her membership and refund her money. She’s done.”
“You got it,” Lisa says, already typing on the computer.
“Come on.” Ben holds out his hand for mine. “Let’s get out of here. Merry Christmas, Lisa.”
“Merry Christmas, guys!”
We climb into Ben’s SUV and pull out of the parking lot, and I still haven’t said anything.
“Is that how I act?” I ask aloud. “I don’t think I flirt with Zane.”
“You don’t,” he assures me. “Whoever that chick is, she’s jealous.”
“I suppose.” I stare out the window and watch big flakes fall to the ground. “Will this snowfall really shut the city down?”
“If it sticks, it will. It’s not cold enough right now to freeze, but it could overnight. Seattle isn’t exactly equipped to deal with harsh weather. I don’t really have anywhere specific I want to take you. I just wanted some alone time with you.”
“Well, that doesn’t hurt my feelings.” I smile over at him. “I know Zane being here sort of threw a wrench in things, but in my defense, when we agreed that he’d come for Christmas, I didn’t know that you and I would, well, do whatever it is we’re doing.”
He grins. “It’s fine. I like him.”
“Me, too.”
My phone pings in my pocket, so I pull it out and see a text from Melanie. Expecting a Merry Christmas, I open it and scowl in disbelief.
Mel: Are you and Zane together? Like, a couple?
I shake my head and type a reply.
Me: You know better than that. Of course not.
A sinking feeling sets up residence in my belly as I watch the three dots bounce as Mel types her reply.
All she sends is a link.
I click on it, and a website appears with the headline Zane and Sabrina: Reunited!
I briefly skim the article, which goes on to say that Zane and I are cuddled up in Seattle, secretly engaging in a torrid affair. That the rumors from all of these years must be true.
“Take me home,” I say immediately.
“What’s wrong?”
I’m staring at the photos. Zane and I are in the gym, just this morning, laughing and talking. In one shot, he takes my hand and helps me up off the floor, and then I’m leaning against him, laughing at something he just said.
It looks intimate.
Something at the side of the photo catches my eye.
“Rina? What is it?”
I enlarge the photo and feel my blood run cold. It’s Ben, from behind, on the other side of a wall that separates that part of the gym from the reception area. A woman has her arms around him, her fingers in his hair, and he’s kissing her passionately.
What in the actual fuck? The thoughts in my head swirl, and my heart hurts. I just want to go home and hide.
“Rina.”
“It seems someone enjoyed taking a lot of photos at the gym this morning,” I say at last and flash the screen at him, with the headline showing. “Zane and I being together is all over social media. Mel sent this to me.”
“That was literally an hour ago.”
“Word spreads fast in the age of technology,” I remind him. “I’m such an idiot. Zane’s going to be so pissed.”
“This isn’t your fault,” Ben says.
“Actually, you’re right.” I turn in my seat to face him. “It’s your fault. How could you let this happen, Ben? We were supposed to be safe in your gym.”
His gaze bounces up to the rearview mirror, and he curses.
“This car behind me has been on my ass since we left the gym.”
I glance back, but I don’t recognize the driver.
“It could be a paparazzo.”
Ben shakes his head. “There’s no way they could get here that fast.”
“You have no idea what they’re capable of,” I murmur and sit back, silent as Ben turns into my driveway.
I hurry out of the car and see a man jump out of the vehicle that was following us.
“Sabrina!” he yells. “Can you confirm that you and Zane are getting married?”
“What is wrong with you?” I demand, turning to the reporter. “Of course, we aren’t. We’ve been friends for more than twenty goddamn years, you piece of shit.”
“Get out of here before I call the cops,” Ben growls and leads me to the door. When we’re safely inside, and Ben has locked the deadbolt behind us, I round on him.
“This is fucked up, Ben.”
“Agreed.”
“What’s going on?”Chapter Nine~Ben~Zane comes hurrying down the stairs. “Why are you yelling?”
“You’re not going to like this,” Rina says but taps on the screen of her phone, then passes it over to him. “Security breach at the gym.”
I’m totally calm on the outside, but inside, I’m seething mad. I want to know who the fuck did this, and I want to know now. But before I charge back into work to get some answers, I need to make things right with Rina first.
