I’ve obviously been silent too long. “Well?” they prompt.
But they deserve a chance to present themselves. What harm could one date do? As Scarlett giggles again, I make my decision. “I can only do Sunday afternoon. And I may have to cancel at short notice if my ex doesn’t pick up our daughter.”
“I get it,” they say.
“I’m sorry. I have to be careful because of Effie.” The explanation is unnecessary, but I make it anyway. It’s better if my priorities are clear from the start.
“You can set the pace. Whatever you need.” They look so sincere and earnest, I almost backtrack. What if I end up breaking their heart?
The door to Anders’s office opens. Steve glances toward it and then back at me. “So, Sunday? I’ll text you a location.”
“Looking forward to it,” I say with more enthusiasm than I feel.
Scarlett emerges as Steve heads to their own desk. I watch them rather than the simpering show going on beside me. Was that an air punch? Did Steve just punch the air? What have I done?
I turn and wish I hadn’t. Scarlett is getting more brazen. She’s touching Anders, her hand resting on his bicep. It feels deliberate. My eyes flick to Anders but he’s impossible to read. I can’t tell if he’s uncomfortable or unaffected. I feel my jaw tightening.
One moment he’s proposing to me, and the next he’s flirting with her. Suddenly I’m glad I accepted Steve’s invitation.
I pull a paper from the pile on my desk and thrust it in Anders’s face. “This is what you asked for,” I tell him shortly.
He recoils a little to avoid a paper cut on his nose. Scarlett’s hand drops away as he flinches.
“Ah, thanks.” Anders looks from me to Scarlett and back again before giving a slight nod. “Can you give me the TLDR?”
I blink. “It’s four graphs. You can’t get much shorter.”
His eyes fix on me. I steel myself and stare right back. Scarlett steps away from us, edging around my desk.
“Try,” he growls.
“Fine. Your testing schedule will overrun. Every time.”
“Shit,” he says, and takes the paper I’m brandishing in front of his face. Behind me, I hear the clatter of Scarlett’s ridiculous heels as she totters away.
Anders breaks our eye wrestle and ducks back into his office. I win.
I’m grumpy all morning and I can’t seem to shake it. When lunch comes around, I hurry into the break room, praying Rob is too busy to leave his desk because I really need some girl-talk. Ginny is there before me. Since her split with Piotr, she minimises time at her desk.
“I think I’ve done something stupid.” I drop into the chair beside her and put my head in my hands.
“Whatever it is, it can’t be worse than dating your arsehole boss.” She gives a long sniff.
“I agreed to a date with Steve.”
Ginny's face is expressive. Surprise is followed by cautiousness. “Good for you. But I didn’t think you liked them that way?” Then her brow furrows. “And why is it stupid?”
“I do like them but I’m not sure. I’m worried they’re keener on me than I am on them.”
She leans forward. “Better that way around than the other. Believe me.”
“You two look like you’re plotting the overthrow of a small country.” Nur pulls out a chair adjacent to me and Chloe sits opposite.
“Cora’s got a date.” Ginny’s eyes shine as she delivers the news. I guess it must be good to have the gossip cannon pointed elsewhere for a change.
“Who with?” Nur asks.
Ginny looks at me. “Steve,” I sigh and Nur claps her hands together.
