rock and bounce around, knocking into each other. And sometimes, the people you knock into change
your whole life. For better or worse. But Zach, he’s a good guy. I don’t know him as well as some of
the others, but he’s always been truly kind. He won’t fire you for kissing him, especially since he
crossed that line, too. But I have to be honest, I’m shocked as shit that he ran after the car. From
everything I’ve seen, he’s very much…a man whore.”
I flinch back, and Bree grimaces. “I don’t mean it like that. Well, I do. But I have a point. Just
stick with me for a second.” I give her a tiny nod, and she smiles. “Ok, so I’ve worked in bars for
years. My sister Cara owns a club. I don’t think you knew that, did you?” I shake my head because,
no, I didn’t know that. She’s younger than me, and she’s built so much for herself. How did I let
myself get so behind?
“Right. Ok, so her club is hot, and Zach, I’ve seen him in action. He’s so smooth, he’s like butter.
All the women flock to him, and he knows exactly what to do. Nothing gets to him, nothing flusters
him. But Maya, he looked pretty damn flustered just now.”
I make a non-committal sound because, yes, he did look flustered. But it probably doesn’t mean
what she thinks it does. That’s the only thing stopping me from getting on a plane today and vanishing.
“Bree, thank you. That helps a lot. It was a mistake, and that’s it. He’s experienced in these things, and
he probably didn’t want me to get the wrong idea. I’ll talk to him later and apologize, and I’m sure it
will blow over.” I nod to myself because it makes perfect sense, but when I meet Bree’s eyes, she
doesn’t look convinced, but she doesn’t correct me.
“I’m sure it will all work itself out,” she reassures me. “Talking to him is a good idea, actually.
The sooner, the better. You don’t want to go to work on Monday with it unresolved. Can you imagine
how awkward that would be?” She laughs, and a little pool of unease settles in my chest. Because
yes, I can imagine exactly how awkward that would be. “The smartest thing would be to knock on his
door when we get home, so you can hash it out face to face.”
“I could just send him an email,” I say hopefully. She shakes her head and gives me a gentle smile.
“There’s a lot of nuance that’s missing from an email. In-person is better. You can do it, Maya, I
have no doubts.”
Her confidence reassures me a little. If this strong woman thinks talking to Zach in person is the
way to go, then I have to believe she’s right.
“Ok,” I say with a heavy sigh, because yes, I’m a strong, capable woman, but today’s been a lot.
