Page 112 of Last First Date

“I have to go back,” I said. “I can’t hide forever.”

“You have a really great offer to model full time,” Janie reminded me. “You don’t have to go back and face him. Yes, I still think you should talk to him, but you don’t have to work for him. You have a really good job offer. You can start over. You’ll make a ton of money and never have to fetch coffee for anyone again. You’ll have someone getting you coffee.”

“I don’t want to be a model,” I said, sighing. “It is a lucrative offer, but I don’t want the fame. The little bit I had was not great. I don’t want everyone knowing who I am. And besides, I wouldn’t be walking away from Knox. I would be abandoning Richard. He asked me to keep an eye on his business.”

Janie looked at me, her expressive eyes full of understanding. “You have a lot of heart, Waverly,” she said. “That’s why you are loved.”

I gave her a half-smile. “Thank you. I think I’m just going to go in there and tell him I’m there to work and nothing else. Any personal relationship we had is over. I have a responsibility to that company. It’s clear he plans on catching the first plane back to New York. I’ll still be here.”

“What if he does want to talk to you?” she asked quietly. “What if he has an explanation for what Benjamin said?”

“Then he can talk to me as my boss, not my lover. Whatever explanation he has, it doesn’t matter anymore.” I couldn’t keep the bitter sting out of my voice. “The damage has been done. I don’t think I can trust anyone. Ever. I should have known there was no reason Knox would be interested in me.”

“Hey! Don’t you dare!” Janie grabbed my shoulders and gave me a little shake. “You are very worthy of his interest. He’d be damn lucky to have you.”

“Thank you, but I spent time with the people he normally hangs out with. I’m not it. I don’t care. I have a job here. My life is here.”

Janie held my gaze, her face softening. “I just hope you’re making the right choice,” she said. “I still like to think the best of people. I don’t want to believe he’s bad.”

“Maybe he’s not,” I said, shrugging, and it felt like a weight was pressing down on my chest. “But it’s how I feel right now. Like he’s a complete stranger to me. All those moments I thought we were connecting were all a joke. He was playing me. It’s hard to reconcile what I thought I knew with what the truth is.”

“If it is the truth,” she corrected.

“Why would Benjamin just make that up?” I asked. “And with who I am and who he is, it never made sense he would be attracted to me in the first place. So, I guess I’m kind of leaning toward the idea that the bet was real. Benjamin was hitting on me pretty hard. Then I tell him no and Knox pulls me off the party. I have to wonder if he did that to have the advantage in their little bet.”

We were silent for a moment. Finally, Janie sighed. “I just ask you to keep an open mind,” she said gently. “And remember that people can change and own up to their mistakes. I agree there certainly seems to be some signs the bet was real, but maybe it started out that way and changed once he got to know you.”

I gave her a small nod, but I wasn’t sure if I believed that. Everyone always seemed to let me down.

“I should go,” I said, glancing at the time on my phone. “I have to get to work.”

“Just try and keep an open mind,” she advised.

“I have to believe that I am.” I stood up from the cafe table we had been sitting at and slipped my purse over my shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

She nodded, giving me an encouraging smile. “Good luck, Waverly.”

As I walked back to the office, my mind was whirling with a flood of emotions. I pressed my palm against my chest, trying to quell the ache that seemed to radiate from within. Was it possible that Janie was right? Could Knox have started with a bet, only to find himself falling for me?

The thought was bittersweet. Yet the sting of betrayal still clung to my heart like frost. My head was filled with memories of our short time together. Now, each memory felt tainted by the suspicion of deceit. I was looking at every word and gesture and wondering if it was all part of the ruse.

Once he got me into bed, he won, so why all the extra stuff? He didn’t have to buy me a dress and dote on me. He didn’t have to hold my hand and act like a boyfriend. If he didn’t want me, he could have just fucked me and taken his win.

I was so torn.

As I reached the entrance to the office building, I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what lay ahead. My heels clicked against the tile flooring as I walked into the lobby, the sound echoing off the walls. I could feel the eyes of everyone on me.

I wasn’t sure if they were looking at me because of the fame from the runway or if it was because they all knew about Knox and me. It didn’t help that rumors had no doubt already begun to circulate about us. I straightened my back and kept my head high, striving to maintain an air of professionalism.

The elevator ride to our floor was an agonizingly slow ascent. My heart raced with every floor we passed, a cruel mix of anticipation and dread. The silence was punctuated with soft Muzac that only added to my mounting anxiety. When the elevator finally reached my floor, I took a deep breath and stepped out into the well-lit corridor.

My desk was at the far end of the office, giving me ample time to steel myself for the day. I nodded in greeting to a few coworkers as I passed by their desks, plastering on a smile that felt as fake as a three-dollar bill.

I knew most of these people assumed I quit after taking almost a week off. The whispers and judgmental stares from the office left me feeling anxious and squirmy. Benjamin’s cruel words had tainted my reputation. The air in the office felt thick with judgment. It wasn’t even the bet that was bad. It was the fact everyone knew I slept with Knox.

My eyes drifted to his closed door. It had taken all the courage I could muster to drag my ass into work. I had to face him eventually. After putting my things down and getting situated for the day, I went to get him his usual cup of coffee. I was going to play this cool. Pretend we never happened and Benjamin never said anything.

To my surprise, Knox was nowhere to be found. His absence only fueled the doubts that had taken root in my mind. If he truly cared, why would he disappear without a word? The rumors surrounding the bet seemed to gain credibility in my eyes.