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He’d been here several times over the last few weeks to sign papers solidifying our business agreement. It’d been the easiest place to do things because this was my office.
Now I felt a little bad, thinking his fiancée might not like him coming over here so much. I hadn’t even thought of her before, having faith in my undying professionalism.
So much for that crap. I’d failed miserably.
A knock sounded on the door.
I froze. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to talk about my misgivings like a rational adult. I just wanted it all to go away!
None of this was going to evaporate into thin air, so I did the only thing I could do and opened the door.
Only, Marco wasn’t standing there. Yasmine, his fiancée, was.
My mouth literally tumbled open in shock. I was too startled to form coherent thoughts.
“Hello, Eve.”
“Um, hi, Yasmine. Nice to see you.” We’d met a few times, including seeing each other last night. We hadn’t exactly had a conversation, but we had exchanged pleasantries.
I shuffled back, allowing her to enter my apartment. Once inside, she made her way into my living room. I followed, eyeing her uneasily.
This couldn’t be good, could it?
My heart was beating a million miles per hour. It felt like it might burst out of my chest like a thoroughbred crossing the finish line at the Kentucky Derby.
She glanced around. “Well, this is…adequate. I pictured you living in a much nicer place. You’re always so put together.” She seemed disappointed, which was strange.
“Yeah, it’s not exactly fancy.” I cleared my throat, trying to find the appropriate words to string together to make an intelligent sentence. “The rent here is cheap. It’s allowed me to save money.” I shrugged. “It’s been worth it.”
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here instead of Marco.”
I was wondering exactly that.
In response, I nodded.
“I texted you from his phone. I know about the two of you.”
For a hot second, I said nothing.
Then I began to stammer, trying not to clutch at my neck or begin a rapid-breathing cycle that would bring on a bout of paper bag-worthy hyperventilating. “We aren’t… We didn’t… I mean, we…” My shoulders slumped. “I’m so sorry, Yasmine. It was wrong of us to sneak off together last night. I was going to tell him that today. It was only a kiss. I swear to you it’ll never happen again.” I held up my hand like I was readying to swear an oath in court. All I needed was the Good Book to be placed in front of me. Or for someone to hit me in the head with it. “I’m extremely ashamed of what we did. Nothing more has gone on between us. You have my word. We’re not…having an affair or anything like that.” It was hard to get the words out, but it was incredibly important that she understood where things stood.
She swished a perfectly manicured hand through the air.
Her long, cherry-red nails matched her wool trench perfectly. She looked radiant and utterly confident in her right to be in my living room talking about her fiancé. “I know you’re not sleeping together. I’m aware of everything. Marco’s been upfront with me about his feelings for you as they’ve grown. I knew last night was a possibility.”
Marco told her about me? What does that mean?
“I’m here, not because I’m upset or angry, but to explain a few things. Then I have a proposition for you, because without your help, I’m not sure I can pull it off by myself.”
My knees basically gave out.
A proposition?
Luckily, I was in front of a chair. I collapsed into it with an unladylike thump. “Okay,” I croaked, aheming to clear my airway. “I’m listening.”
She unbelted her coat and tossed it over the back of the sofa. Her long, dark hair tumbled down around her shoulders, highlighting a seafoam-green sweater paired with black jeans. She took a seat directly across from me. “Just so you know, my relationship with Marco was arranged by our families. It’s why we’re together. I don’t think he’s shared that information with you, has he?”
He hadn’t.
