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As Maria and Tyler leave to set the dining room table, Jared and I find ourselves alone in the kitchen, holding our glasses of wine.
"I've missed you," Jared says softly, his gaze filled with tenderness.
"You saw me just a few hours ago. I hope you haven't forgotten that I'm your assistant," I reply with a smile, taking a small step closer to him as I bring my wine glass to my lips.
"Exactly. A few hours can feel like a long time," he murmurs, his eyes alternating between my eyes and my lips.
As much as I yearn to lean in and steal a kiss from Jared's lips, I know it's far too risky to do so in this setting. Tyler and Maria are just a short distance away, the clinking of dinnerware confirming their proximity.
"I didn't expect you to be here tonight," I tell him with a touch of seriousness, my worry seeping through my expression.
He releases a deep sigh, understanding my concerns. "I know. Tyler invited me last minute, and it didn't occur to me to mention it to you. Although, I must admit, I was thrilled at the idea of seeing you again."
I can't help but emit a giggly sound, reminiscent of a schoolgirl, despite being a twenty-five-year-old woman. "Well, I believe it's best to keep things casual duringthisdinner."
He smirks, understanding which dinner I’m referencing. As much as I would enjoy getting fingered at the dinner table again, it probably isn’t the best idea for tonight.
"Agreed. I think it's wise to create a little distance between us to avoid temptation.”
Maria's voice breaks through, instructing us to join the others.
We make our way to the dining table and find that Archer, Lyla, and Caden have already taken their seats. Tyler and Maria make swift trips to bring out the food before joining the rest of us.
Tyler occupies the head of the table, with Maria on one side and Jared on the other. I settle in next to Maria, while Archer takes his place beside Tyler. Lyla and Caden sit together at the opposite end of the table.
As much as I desire to be seated next to Jared, having a table between us does help maintain a sense of propriety.
"Well, folks, my wonderful wife has outdone herself once again," Tyler announces as everyone begins loading up their plates while the food is passed around.
"She certainly has," I reply, savoring a bite of the pot roast, the tender meat melting in my mouth.
So, what has everyone been up to?" Maria asks.
"I went to the aquarium!" Archer exclaims with delight.
My eyes widen slightly at the mention of it. Jared and I hadn't yet discussed what to say if Archer were to bring it up. Suddenly, I realize it was an oversight on our part, and that we should have come up with a plausible explanation for why I went with them.
I glance at Jared, who wears a similar concerned expression. Hopefully, we won't have to answer too many probing questions about the outing.
Maria smiles at his exuberance. "Oh, really? Did your Daddy take you?"
"Yes! Monica came, too," Archer proudly declares, oblivious to the can of worms he just opened.
Not that he would have any reason to believe he shouldn't share this. It simply astounds me that, despite our efforts to keep our relationship a secret, this is where we've managed to slip up.
"Monica came?" Maria asks gently, her voice tinged with confusion as she tries to comprehend why I would accompany them.
"Yes. We all went together and saw sharks, octopuses, and turtles," Archer lists, as if he's transported back in time to our little adventure.
"How come Monica tagged along?" Tyler finally interjects, his smile remaining, but his voice revealing his puzzlement.
Jared hesitates. "Well, we thought it would be nice for Archer.”
At this point, all we can do is improvise. They can think whatever they want, as long as it's not that we're seeing each other.
"Oh, really? You two willingly spent free time together?" Tyler asks, as if the mere thought is a complete joke.
"Believe it or not, working together has lessened our disdain for each other," I reply, forcing my voice to be as steady as possible to avoid giving us away.
