To make matters worse, somewhere between trying to find dirt on Brian and the stress of everything, Becca and I hadn’t had a lot of real time together. We’d been so distracted that we hadn’t had a chance to slow down and hang out. We’d settled on passing moments and brief text messages. The only time we were really together was when we were lying in bed at night, half asleep. It wasn’t nearly enough. Not even close.
I missed her.
I knocked on my office door, which was now hers. Well, not really, but it felt that way.
I poked my head inside, leaned against the frame, and crossed my feet at the ankles. She had on a pair of black reading glasses, sitting halfway down her nose, while her fingers flewacross the keyboard. Her brows were bunched together, and her lips were pressed tight in concentration.
“I ordered Chinese,” I said, getting her attention.
She looked up from her computer. “Okay. I’ll be done soon.”
“Why don’t you call it a night? I’ll pour you a glass of wine, and we can binge-watch one of those reality dating shows you find entertaining.”
She shook her head. “Eat, yes, but no TV. I have too much to do.”
I shook my head, pushed off the doorframe, and walked over tomydesk. I peered over her shoulder to see what she was so fixated on. She had ten tabs open on her laptop and sticky notes scattered all over. I placed my hands on her shoulders, which were tense, and started rubbing my fingers along her tight muscles.
“You haven’t moved or eaten all day. You need a break.”
She dragged a hand down her face. “I ate.”
That was a lie. A banana and a handful of nuts didn’t count.
I reached down, pushed her computer away, and pulled her out ofmychair. “You are done working tonight.”
“Nate, what the heck?” She gasped.
“I’m going to load you up on sesame chicken and fried rice, and we are going to watch some ridiculous reality shows together.”
She took her glasses off and set them on the desk. “If you are going to bribe me with Chinese, you better have remembered my fried dumplings.”
“Of course I did.”
She stretched her neck from side to side, looking like she was ready to argue with me, but hesitated. “Maybe I should take a break and rest my brain. I’m trying too hard and finding it hard to focus.”
“Atta, girl.” I smacked her ass and led her out to the living room.
I grabbed all the containers from the kitchen and laid them out on the coffee table.
“So, what did you find?” I handed her a pair of chopsticks, dropped down next to her, and started digging into my chicken and broccoli.
She grabbed a container of rice. “Nothing solid yet, but I have a few colleagues who have agreed to talk to me. So, that’s a start.”
I leaned back into the couch. “I’ll be glad when this is all over. I’m sick of this hanging over our heads.”
She pulled her right leg up. “It feels like we’re drowning in quicksand, which is frustrating because I know there are stories out there.”
I wiped my hands on my napkin. “I met with my attorney today. He thinks I should hold off for a few more days before I approach management. It will give us time to gather whatever we can, so I don’t walk in unprepared.”
She nodded in understanding.
I shifted forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I’m totally prepared to own up to what I did and face the consequences. But I don’t want to go in there and give him an opportunity to drag your name into this.”
I was doing everything in my power to protect her. That was why we needed to confirm these rumors and take away Brian’s leverage. If this went sideways, it could all blow up in our faces.
She ran a hand through her hair, rougher than necessary. “I talked to Daphene and HR earlier. I didn’t want them blindsided. I need to be prepared.”
“How did that go over?”
