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On a personal level, she knew it would have been better never to see him again.
On a professional level, he’d taken the job she wanted.
She resented that he’d invaded her life and turned everything topsy-turvy. Yet she couldn’t stop thinking about him, even now as she gave all she had to the elliptical machine. Monica was to her right, Suzie to the left. All three of them had worked up a sweat.
“What is it you want, Natalie?” Suzie insisted when Natalie didn’t finish her comment.
To forget Miami and her career goals so she could join the ranks of her coworkers, ecstatic that someone of Matthew’s caliber had joined their team.
Wasn’t going to happen, but it would help if she could.
Looking at him did wacky things to her insides. Like throw her heart rhythm and make her lungs forget how to diffuse oxygen. As much as she’d like to blame Miami, how her body reacted to Matthew was instinctive rather than a Pavlovian response.
Although memories of Matthew’s kisses, his touch, his... No, no, no. She sped up the movement of her legs as fast she could go, faster, faster, faster. Forget Miami.
Obviously he had. Not once had he made one untoward move around her. Other than their first few encounters at the hospital, he’d been professional and, if anything, a bit aloof, as if he didn’t want there to be any misunderstandings of his intentions.
“In case you’ve forgotten,” she huffed out as she struggled to maintain her crazy pace, “I haven’t been on a date since Jonathan and I broke things off. Not counting Miami—and Miami doesn’t count.”
“Speaking of the ex, did you hear that the bimbo he was messing around with is wearing an engagement ring?”
Monica’s question curled Natalie’s nose. “Better her than me. I don’t want the man or the ring.”
Monica smiled. “I’m so glad you’re over him.”
Sadly, she was over him before it was over. She’d cared about him, but she’d never needed him. Or craved him. Or thought about him all the time.
“What are you going to do about Matthew?”
Ignoring the sweat running down her brow, Natalie kept moving, pushing harder and harder against the elliptical. “Absolutely nothing. He was supposed to be just a pleasant memory, but I didn’t get that lucky.”
“Some would say him showing back up in your life makes you lucky,” Suzie pointed out.
“Yeah, well, I’m not a girl who wants to be face to face with a man she thought she was only spending a weekend with.”
“Maybe you need to rethink that.”
“Rethink what?”
“Just spending that one weekend with him. Monica and I are going to dress you up for Friday night’s party and you should go for it.”
“For old times’ sake,” Suzie added.
“Uh-uh. Getting involved with Matthew, my boss, is the last thing I need to do.”
“Why?”
“Shall I count the reasons?” At her friends’ expectant looks, Natalie continued. “One, he took my dream job.” Her friends didn’t seem impressed at the gravity of just how devastated she was. “Two, he’s my boss.” Again, her friends didn’t seem to understand what that implied. “Three, he has a kid.”
“I’m not seeing a problem,” Suzie said.
“The last thing I’d want is to get involved with a man who has kids.”
“What’s the deal with this kid, anyway? He never mentioned her in Miami?”
“No, and I don’t know.”
“You should ask him.”
