She’s not wrong. Heisthe best. In the short time I’ve been working for Luke, I can see how talented he is at managing money. And it reallyisa talent. It’s more than understanding the market and being able to move on trends. It’s about justknowingand being able to manage your clients and their expectations just as well. Luke can do that.He has an impressive track record, and—it doesn’t matter.
I shake my head.
“Hear me out,” Tessa says. “Heisthe best, and you’re already here.” She talks quickly, not giving me a chance to object. “Besides, he was just saying how good you are and how much you’ve helped him in such a short time.”
“That’s different,” I say quickly. “This is just a temporary thing. We agreed?—”
“Maybe you could agree to something different,” she cuts in softly. “Sometimes life has a way of showing you what you need. And it’s rarely what you planned in the first place.”
She looks so certain, for a moment, I envy her. Tessadoeshave it all figured out. She’s writing and following her dream, engaged to a man who worships her, with a baby on the way.
But I’m not Tessa.
This thing with Luke isn’t real. It’s not like what she has with Holt. Not even close. Not even if more than once lately, I find myself wishing it were.
Reluctantly, I shake my head. “I wish it were that easy.”
“Think about it.” She gives me a littleshrug. “I mean, why rush out of something that’s already working so well?”
Itisworking well. On so many levels.
Before I can let myself go down that particular train of thought, Tessa speaks up again. “Besides,” she says, a little lighter now, something knowing flashing in her eyes, “it’s not like it’s just about the job, is it?”
My breath catches, and I swear my heart stops beating for a moment.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She smiles. Not teasing, not pushing, just…watching.
“‘I don’t,” I insist. “I mean…Sure, I like the mountain more than I thought I would, but I don’t think that’s a real reason to stay and?—”
“I’m not talking about the mountain,” she stops me. Her expression shifts, and that’s when I know she knows.
I don’t knowwhatexactly she knows, but I can make a pretty damn good guess.
“I haven’t seen my dad look at anyone the way he looks at you,” she says quietly. “Not even my mom.”
Heat floods my chest, my stomach twisting in a way that has nothing to do withpanic anymore and a whole lot more to do with the reality of whatthatmeans.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” I say more to convince myself than my friend. “It’s just that we spend so much time together,” I add, quickly. “It’s nothing.”
“Maybe,” she says with a little shrug, glancing back to the kitchen before looking at me again. “Or maybe it is.”
Luke
I have to hold myself back from following Lilly out into the living room and—what? Consoling her? Offering to beat up her ex? Holding her in my arms and telling her it will be okay? Kissing away the concern and distracting her until she’s not upset anymore?
Yes.
Those areallthe things I want to do.
But there’s no way I can go out there and show everyone that we’re more than just a boss and assistant. We’re…well, I don’t know what thefuckwe are. But I sure as hell know it’s not simpleanymore.
So, instead, I force myself to focus on cleaning up the dinner dishes.
Holt doesn't say anything right away. But I hardly notice, I’m so wrapped up in my concern for Lilly.
It’s not until we have a stack of dishes on the counter, the water running into the sink, that he finally says, “You’re not subtle, man.”
