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“Hello, do you have an appointment or question I can help answer?” I asked politely, hitting the button and speaking through the intercom.
I heard a huff and then saw the woman scowl, looking impatient. “I need to speak with Kace Anderson, is he here?”
There was no please and her tone wasnotfriendly. The woman put me on edge right away but I didn’t know exactly why, although something was telling me it wasn’t just her snotty attitude. I wasn’t sure if what she needed to speak with Kace about was personal or business but the way she had said his name, I was leaning toward personal.
That was confirmed seconds later.
“I’m sorry, Kace is not in the office right now. I can leave him a message and have him call you if you would like?”
“How about you just buzz me in and I’ll wait for him. I didn’t drive all this way to see him just to stand outside.”
So she did know him and although she didn’t seem friendly, I didn’t think she was going to hurt me. Knowing she had also driven what sounded like a good distance, I hit the button and let her in.
She marched in and straight toward my desk, a glare on her face as she approached. She was cute, blonde, and had a girl next door look about her, but her facial expressions were opposite from all that. They looked mean and bitchy. I thought maybe it was the drive or whatever was going on that she needed to talk to Kace about that just had her irritated but I wasn’t sure.
No pleasantries were exchanged when she reached the desk and rudely asked when he would be back while eyeing me up and down. Was that a question I saw in her eyes when she caught sight of my stomach? Who was this lady? The answer I got was not what I had been expecting at all.
“He should be back soon but I could call him and let him know you are waiting. Who should I say is here?” I was doing my best to be nice, this was my job and I wanted to keep it.
“Yes, you do that. And let him know that his fiancé Bridgette is here to see him.”
After dropping that bomb she walked over to the couch on the other side of the room and sat down.
Kace had a fiancé?
So many different emotions rapidly fired through every cell in my body.
First, jealousy coursed through me and I didn’t have a clue why. I had never experienced that emotion before. Not when it came to a man at least. Thad had been the only guy I had ever been with and even when we went to a few of his work functions and ladies would flirt, I never seemed to care. By the time I had attended one, I knew what kind of man he was.
The jealousy subsided and anger took its place. The thought of Kace having a fiancé and never telling me pissed me off. And what about everyone else, why hadn’t they said anything? Sure I was married, even if in my case I considered myself separated and I had never told anyone about Thad, but under the circumstances I was hiding. I had to keep it a secret.
But why would Kace hide something like this?
Then, confusion set in, and the anger dissipated. I tried not to think about the immediate connection that Kace and I had when I met him that first day, but there was something there all the same. Was I misreading that feeling or the look I would see in his eyes that said he felt it too?
And with the confusion came hurt and worry. Both took root because I thought maybe I was about to lose a friend I had just gained, as well as someone who I thought would be there to protect me if I needed it.
With all that swirling around in my mind and my heart, I felt the first signs of panic setting in again. I had been standing when the woman approached but as dizziness kicked in, I plopped down in my chair and placed my hands on my stomach. I couldn’t keep letting myself get like this when it wasn’t good for my child. Taking deep breaths in and out, my vision blurred, and I was startled as the chime to the door went off again letting me know someone was outside.
Placing my hands on the desk, I pushed myself out of the chair and looked out thankful to find Alley standing there. I hurried to push the button and let her in. She rushed over after taking a look at me, clearly realizing I was having another panic attack. It was so embarrassing but I was happy she had shown up.
“Hey, sit down and just take deep breaths,” she said standing to the side of me, rubbing circles on my back, softly.
Doing as she said, I listened to her quiet, soothing words, as she told me everything would be okay. Just as I started to calm down, Bridgette chose that moment to approach.
“I thought you said you were going to call Kace?” she snapped.
Both mine and Alley’s eyes shot her way. It was clear from the shocked look on Alley’s face she hadn’t even realized someone was in the room. After she took Bridgette in, she turned back to me. Still trying to take deep breaths in and out, I looked at my friend and wondered what in the hell was happening.
She didn’t seem to know Bridgette at all. Wasn’t that odd when she was so close to Kace? It felt like something was off about this woman now and I wasn’t sure what to do about it but hoped maybe Alley could help.
“This is Bridgette,” I told Alley. I didn’t get anything else out before Alley was rounding the desk, no longer by my side, and standing in front of the woman with anger seeping from her pores. And if looks could kill, Bridgette would be lying flat on the ground right now, because Alley was shooting daggers from her eyes right at the woman.
Before things could escalate, the door opened and Braxton, Gyth, and Kace walked in. They had a code, so they opened it themselves and were talking so they hadn’t looked over at us yet. When they did, Braxton and Gyth kept moving our way, but Kace stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze landed on Bridgette and so many of the same emotions I had been feeling moments before flashed in his eyes.
Then he looked my way and Bridgette was forgotten for a second as he realized I was struggling. He ran over to me and was kneeling in front of me quickly.
“You okay, honey?”
