“Gay?”
“Yes. Alex’s soon-to-be ex-husband is gay.”
“Is this like a new thing?” Jordan tried to clarify. “Like he realized after all his years of being around strapping young recruits that he was attracted to them?”
“Oh, no.” Sam realized she hadn’t explained it very well. “He was gay the whole time.”
“Gay?”
“Yes, gay.”
“The whole time?” Jordan squinted at her, still sounding confused. “You mean he was always gay? Being married to Alex didn’t turn him gay?”
“You, of all people, should know that’s not how it works.” Sam shook her head in exasperation. “Yes. He was gay the whole time. He and Alex became friends at college. They met through some church thing. Scott confessed to Alex that he was gay, but his dad was a big deal in the Army and was super conservative. So, she pretended to be his girlfriend. I guess they were each other’s beards.”
“And then shemarriedhim?” Jordan went wide-eyed with disbelief.
“Apparently.” Sam shrugged.
Jordan stared at her expectantly. “What about Alex?” Jordan finally asked. “What was in it for her?”
Sam paused, trying to formulate her thoughts. “She said she did it to try and regain some legitimacy with her family and to reconcile with her mother,” she finally answered. “And she really wanted children. So, she also got Sophie.” Her voice trailed off. “I don’t know, Jordan,” she finally whispered. “The more I get to know her again…”
“The more you get to know her again, what?” Jordan prodded after giving her a minute. “Are you thinking you might be catching feelings again?”
That’s exactly how Sam was feeling. She just didn’t know if she was ready to admit it to anyone yet. “I don’t know,” she finally answered. “What am I supposed to do here?”
“Maybe just keep hanging out,” Jordan suggested. “See where it goes?”
“It can’t go anywhere, Jordan,” she said firmly. “My life is in Boston. Hicksville is only supposed to be temporary.”
Wednesday was the day Sam had been dreading. It was presentation day. She was a senior marketing manager at a mid-sized agency and had been angling for a promotion to director for some time. A promotion meant more high-profile clients, revenue sharing, and a step closer to making partner. She had been working toward this for six years, and she didn’t want to blow it. She knew that she deserved the promotion more than her two other colleagues. She just had to convince the rest of the team.
As she hit save on the presentation, her phone chimed with a text.
When do you get back to Hicksville again?Alex. Sam was surprised that she hadn’t heard from her sooner, but then again, she had been super noncommittal before and had told her she had a lot of work. Maybe Alex was respecting that and giving her time to think.
She thought back to her conversation with Jordan. Alex clearly still wanted to be part of her life. What harm could come from spending a bit more time with her? Nothing had to happen, right? Just two friends getting to know one another again.
Tomorrow evening.She stared at her phone, waiting for Alex’s response.
Perfect.
Sam waited another beat to see if Alex would say more, but when no additional response came, she silenced her phone and put it down. She heard rapping on the door and looked up to see Stephanie, her boss, standing in the doorway. Stephanie looked impeccable, as usual. Sam looked down at her three-year-old gray suit and wished she looked half as put together. If she got the promotion, the first thing she needed to do was go shopping.
“They’re ready for you,” Stephanie said softly. Sam was the final presenter of the day. She searched Stephanie’s face for some indication of how the other two had done, but as usual, her mentor’s impassive countenance gave nothing away.
“I guess it’s now or never,” Sam muttered. She hit save one last time for posterity and pulled out the USB drive that held her presentation. She grabbed her portfolio and headed toward Stephanie, who held the door open for her.
As Sam made her way past her boss, Stephanie opened her mouth to speak. “You got this.” Sam looked up and met clear blue eyes. The older woman tipped her head encouragingly. That was all the indication Sam needed. She just had to make it through the next hour. The promotion was hers to lose. She would deal with the ramifications of what that meant—longer hours, a larger team to manage, and a lower margin for error—later.
Chapter Ten
As Sam pulled her car into the driveway back at her mother’s house, she couldn’t remember ever being so exhausted. Fitting what should have been three weeks of work into three short days had been the first challenge. The stress of the presentation had been another beast entirely. Sam had crashed hard on the plane, catching up on some much-needed sleep. She smiled softly as she put the car in park. She was totally sure that all her hard work had paid off, and she had nailed the presentation. In a few weeks, she could be a director.
She got out of the car and grabbed her backpack and computer bag from the trunk. Looking up at the house, she noticed a fan in the window. Sam thought back to Sunday when she left and was reasonably certain that she hadn’t been the one to put it there. Had Melissa come by the house while she was gone? No. Sam shook her head. Melissa would have texted her. Sam racked her brain, trying to remember details, but was so tired that she honestly couldn’t at that point. She needed a shower. Maybe food? And sleep—lots of sleep.
Sam unlocked and opened the front door, only to be immediately assaulted by the smell of fresh paint. “What the…” Her voice trailed off as she hit the light switch in the hall. Her eyes opened wide as she took in the scene in front of her. The entryway had been painted a soft cream color. It looked amazing.
