AllFreeNovel
Share Us
***
“Farren?” Dallas’s voice came through the small crack in her office door.
She looked up, trying her best to keep from rolling her eyes.
“What’s up, Dallas?”
He looked around him up and down the hallway, probably to make sure no one was watching, before pushing his way inside and closed her door.
She knew he wouldn’t have been there, risking his hide with Rayner to talk to her, if Rayner had been there. Unfortunately, Rayner had seemed to be spending more and more time outside the office these last several weeks since they’d returned from their business trip.
She thought that was probably for the best, even though she could sense his absence deep in her chest, like an almost tangible void of overwhelming disappointment. She missed him, but she’d never admit to it.
“What do you need, Dallas?” she asked, getting straight to the point so he could be on his way.
“I don’t need anything. I just came by to invite you out for a drink tonight after work. What do you say?”
He eyed her with an arrogant look of triumph, as though he couldn’t fathom her turning down his offer.
She gave him an incredulous look for a few seconds before she turned her head back to her work. “No thanks,” she mumbled, hoping he’d get the picture and leave her alone.
“Come on, Doll. No one would have to know,” he urged.
What was this, an episode of the Kardashians? She chuckled to herself at the thought of Dallas’s resemblance to Scott Disick, at least in his personality if not his looks.
“I’m good, thanks,” she said with disinterest.
“Come on, Farren, loosen up a little. What harm could one drink do?”
He leaned his hands on the edge of her desk and watched her, awaiting her response.
She turned back toward him with impatience now. “I’m actually busy at the moment, and I already have plans after work.”
He stood there unmoving for a moment longer, but finally conceded defeat. “Another time, then,” he said.
She didn’t give him so much as a nod, just stared at him until he straightened and moved back toward the door.
“Let me know if you change your mind,” he called to her, just before the door clicked shut behind him as he left.
When she was alone again, she heaved a sigh. Things just hadn’t been the same without Rogan… Rayner… here. She wondered what he was doing, anyway, and why he had her wasting so much time on stupid busy-work. At least she still had a job, she thought, and knew she couldn’t complain.
She finished up some tweaks to a program she was working on, then gathered up her things and headed home. It was another long week behind her, and she looked forward to the weekend. Tonight, she had a hot date with a book, some popcorn, and a blanket on the sofa at home with Gramma.
***
“Farren, it’s Friday night. Aren’t you going to go do something with Shea?” Gramma asked.
“No, I was planning to stay home tonight,” she answered, offering Gramma the bowl of popcorn.
“You’ve been staying in a lot lately. Ever since you got back from your trip abroad,” Gramma stated in obs
ervation. “Is there anything you want to talk about?”
Farren felt a little uncomfortable with the question. “No, nothing to really talk about. Just not much going on lately.” Farren shrugged, stuffing a handful of popcorn in her mouth and pretending to shift her attention back to the page on her e-reader that she had read for the tenth time in ten minutes, unable to recall a word.
Gramma nodded as though taking Farren at her word. “Okay. I just thought maybe something had been bothering you.”
Farren looked back up at her. “Why would you think that?”
