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Vicki’s not at her station, so I wander to my desk, dragging my feet. I don’t want to go back in there… Ever. I feel beaten, as if Caleb had ripped up my heart, piece by piece, in front of me.
And he liked it. He derived joy from watching me squirm.
I take my time, opening drawers, looking for the new pen. It’s clear from the giggling coming from the office that they’re going on without me, and Jacqueline is having a grand old time. He’s practically irresistible as it is. But when he purposely pours on the charm, there isn’t a single woman on Earth who wouldn’t succumb.
I imagine him taking her home tonight. Or even worse, bending her over his desk and taking her right there. I imagine her screaming out his name, coming so hard she passes out.
And I want to cry.
At the same time, I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window near my desk.
I look pathetic.
He could’ve just let me go. No, he’s enjoying this, letting me dangle like a fish on a hook.
And I’m letting him hold the pole.
Anger begins to bubble inside me. It ends here.
Forget going back into that office where I’ll be the textbook definition of a third wheel. I throw my pen and pad on my desk, scoot behind my computer, and start to craft the perfect resume to get me far away from Caleb Sterling.
I’m working so hard to tune out the flirtatious laughter coming from the office that I don’t notice the person in front of my desk until he clears his throat.
I look up. It’s David, Sterling Cross’s Director of Marketing.
“Oh, hi!” I say, quickly X-ing out of the screen and leaning casually on my desk. “I didn’t hear you.”
“The unfortunate downside of being a ninja,” he says with a self-deprecating laugh. “I’ll try to thump around a lot more so it’ll warn you I’m coming.”
That’s one thing that’s refreshing about David. He has a goofy sense of humor. “You’re a ninja? How did I not know this about you?”
He nods seriously. “Oh, yes. Few do.” He puts a finger to his lips. “But shh. It’s a secret.”
“Totally safe with me,” I say, trying to ignore the giggle that flares from the other room. “What’s up? Did you come to deliver the latest ad proofs for Sterling?”
He shakes his head. “No. Actually, those are still in proofreading.”
“Oh, then…” I’m out of ideas, so I just stare at him expectantly.
He’s being shy, something that since Caleb, I forgot men could do. “Uh, you see, what are you doing this weekend?”
I shrug, because there’s no way I’m going to tell him what I’m thinking: Moping. Wait. Is he… “Why?”
“I have two tickets to the theater. I was wondering if you wanted to go? Dinner first, then the show?”
“Oh.”
This is a date. A real date. Not what Caleb did, which was forcing me to accompany him to things as his employee and then ravish me, which had decidedly date-like qualities. I guess I’m rusty at the concept of real dates, because I wind up staring at David, speechless.
“Of course, if you’re busy. Or if you don’t like the theater, or food…” he rambles on. Probably because I’m staring at him, deer-in-headlights.
I suddenly feel terrible. Talk about leaving a person dangling. “Oh, no! I love all those things,” I say with a smile, speaking loudly, as if it’ll drown out the sound of Caleb in the next room. Caleb, who will probably be taking that woman home tonight.
I stifle the image of the two of them, locked in an embrace, and say, “Yes. Absolutely. I’d love to.”
