Page 25 of Not Safe for Work

I wave a hand. “Yeah, I’m sure they’re just having a rough patch and will figure it out.”

“Tris,” Molly replies. “It’s been at least several months, according to my notes. They aren’t getting back together.”

I snort a laugh. “Stop it. You don’t have notes.”

Molly’s smile is wide. “Okay, well, I’m glad you haven’t killed him. This Andy guy sounds nice.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

That earns me an impatient sigh. “Tris, I don’t care who it’s with, but it’s been over a year since your last date. That’s not normal at your age. You have to let the past go and allow someone in.” She peers into the screen, giving me a somber blink of her eyes.

I huff out a laugh. “Shut up. I’m not abnormal.”

“Your virginity is growing back at this rate. You’ll be a religious miracle. Disciples will make pilgrimages to wash your feet.” I snort and roll my eyes, glad I thought to put in my headphones. Still, I dart a cautious glance around the room, but I’m safely distanced from eavesdroppers.

“It’s not that bad,” I protest. I know she’s right, and I’m met with a wall of judgy silence. I roll my eyes. “What would I do without you to worry about me?”

“I have no idea.”

“I gotta go,” I say, checking my phone. “I need to be upstairs in ten minutes.”

“I’m expecting hot sex stories,” she says, and I huff.

“I’ll talk to you later.”

We say our goodbyes, and I head out of the dining room, checking the WMC event app as I walk. My schedule includes a half-day session called “Leadership I: Inspiring the Change You Want to See in the World” and then everyone is invited to a boat cruise departing midafternoon. Pushing all thoughts of Rafe to the side, I focus on the positive. A boat ride sounds amazing, and maybe I’ll learn something this morning.

I enter the conference room to find a nondescript square with grey walls and scratchy carpet filled with tables arranged in large U shapes. Half the attendees were assigned to this room and the rest to another. Lan waves me over, gesturing to an empty seat between her and… Rafe.

Why did I think I’d spend the next three weeks avoiding him?

I hesitate, scanning the room for other options, but it’s hardly fair that he gets to chase me away from my new friend. As I make my way over, I feel the tactile rake of his gaze. It drags up from the tips of my toes, and I can’t be sure, but I swear he pauses on my mouth before finding my eyes. My lips tingle, and I roll them together.

Dark circles shadow his eyes, suggesting the couch probably isn’t that comfortable. His hair is artfully disheveled in that way where it looks like he wasn’t trying, but he probably was. He’s wearing dark grey pants and a pale pink dress shirt. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and I’m convinced he must be testing me. His muscles give a sexy little flex as he squeezes his pen.

Not sexy. Just… regular.

It’s a totally platonic and uninteresting flex. It’s not affecting me at all.

What’s really weird is that we kind of match in our pink button-ups and grey bottoms.

As I drop into my seat, his gaze tracks over me again, and the corner of his mouth ticks up while the barest crinkle hugs the corner of one eye.

My breath flutters, and my heart skips.

That wasn’t a smile, not exactly, but it wasn’t nothing.

“Tris, meet Gabrielle,” Lan says, pulling my attention from Rafe.

Gabrielle smiles and reaches out a hand. “Nice to meet you.” She’s a Black woman with deep brown skin, high cheekbones, and short curly hair. She’s super stylish in a yellow short-sleeved sweater and cropped black pants.

“Tris,” I reply. “Great to meet you, too.”

“What happened to you last night?” Lan asks. “You were talking to that cute guy one moment, and the next, you were gone.”

“Yeah,” I say, conscious of Rafe leaning towards us. He’s not even pretending he isn’t listening. “I suddenly developed this giant pain in my ass, and I wasn’t really in the mood for conversation anymore.”

Lan and Gabrielle both frown, and I hear Rafe snort. My fists ball in my lap.