Page 53 of Tell Me What you Think

"Would dating a woman be a problem for you?" Andrea asked.

"No, it's not that," Marina said, shaking her head. "It's just — now I'm going over everything, replaying my whole life trying to find the signs I apparently missed."

"I think you're overcomplicating this way too much, Marina. It's not as hard as you're making it."

The vice president's eyes went wide, and she leaned in to listen.

"I understand you're surprised and a little thrown, because you weren't expecting this — but liking Olga doesn't mean you need to go hunting for signs. Maybe you were never attracted to a woman before simply because you never crossed paths with one who caught your attention that way. That doesn't mean you didn't enjoy your relationships with men, or that you won't fall for another one someday. You like men and women. That's it. Don't overthink it."

Marina's chest swelled like a balloon, but she felt a little calmer as she let the air out slowly through her nose.

"When you put it like that, it sounds easy," she murmured with her crooked smile.

"It is. We're the ones who make it complicated."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"And with that said—" Andrea raised both hands, amused. "Just so we're clear: I'm stepping back. I'm not going to ask Olga out, so relax and quit dreaming up ways to make me disappear."

Marina bit her lip and let her eyes drift for a second.

"I didn't tell you any of this so you'd back off. Olga's a free woman. She gets to decide who she wants to go out with."

Andrea took a sip and held the wine in her mouth a moment while she shook her head with conviction.

"I agree she's free. But I don't feel anything for her past physical attraction. I wanted a dinner date and… well, you know what I mean."

Of course she did. And if she hadn't, that burning in her chest would've spelled it out.

"It's a dinner that never happened with a woman I barely know. That's nothing next to a friendship of more than twenty years." She smiled, a little mischievous. "Besides, I know how to lose gracefully — that's a rare quality in a lawyer, so make the most of it."

A short laugh escaped Marina, and she signaled for two more glasses as the server walked by.

"So has anything happened between you two, or is this still in that phase of controlled sexual tension?"

Marina's mouth went dry, and her thighs started to tremble out of nowhere.

"Nothing's happened, though it's come close a couple of times," she admitted, thinking her cheeks probably looked like Olga's did when Olga looked at her. She decided not to mention the kiss Olga had given her — she considered that something deeply personal, especially for her assistant.

"God, why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?" Andrea asked, stunned.

The vice president shrugged. How could she have told her, when she'd barely known it herself? It was as if she'd realized it all at once, as if in the space of a few days she'd tumbled off the edge of a cliff that dropped her straight into Olga's arms.

"What does she say? Have you two talked about it?"

Marina's crooked smile spread across her face, guilty.

"I'm afraid if I don't bring it up, she never will. She nearly dies of embarrassment every time she looks at me."

Andrea laughed softly through her nose.

"That's very Olga. It's part of her charm."

"Yeah," Marina murmured, thoughtful, with a smile she didn't even know was there.

Chapter 22

"Come in, sit down. Do you want coffee or water?" Andrea says when Olga walks into her office.