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“Okay.”
A sudden wave of emotion clogged my throat, preventing me from saying anything more. I couldn’t really pinpoint if it was due to the prospect of finally having a cat of my own or that Luca wanted to come with me.
What I did know was there was something big blooming inside me. Something new and unexpected I never would have had without Luca Rossi.
Chapter Thirty-one
Saoirse
“Hey,Niddhi.”
Niddhi looked up from her computer and smiled. “Hey, Sersh.”
I swirled the iced latte I’d picked up on the way back from the Davenport. “I feel like we haven’t caught up in forever. Are you doing anything fun this weekend?”
She lifted a shoulder, her eyes darting to the side. “I have a date with a guy I met on Hinge. It’s a second date, actually.”
Despite the piles of work waiting for me, I sat down in the chair beside Niddhi’s desk to get the scoop on this guy. Ever since Luca and I had started our lunch dates, I hadn’t been as in touch with my coworkers as I had in the beginning.
It didn’t help that there hadn’t been a happy hour for a few weeks. Every time I asked about them, Niddhi explained too many people hadn’t been able to make it, so they hadn’t been happening.
Disappointing but understandable.
I’d been asked to temp for another month, so hopefully, happy hours would start up again because I missed the combination of camaraderie mixed with alcohol.
After work, I settled in the den at home. With my laptop on my legs, I absently scrolled through Insta, and that was when I figured out what happened to happy hour.
I’d clicked from Niddhi’s account to Charlie’s, then Amelia’s.
My heart sputtered when I viewed Amelia’s story.
Happy hour hadn’t stopped.
I hadn’t been invited.
The proof was on my screen. Amelia, surrounded by most of my coworkers, all holding their glasses up and smiling. I could picture their waitress telling them to say “TGIF.” before snapping the picture.
I’d been stupid to think happy hours had simply stopped. Of course they were having them. They just didn’t want me there.
Tears welled in my eyes, which was ridiculous. They weren’t my friends. Only my temporary coworkers. But I couldn’t help my feelings being hurt. I couldn’t remember a time I’d felt so excluded.
“Good evening, pretty girl. I was able to break away early, and I thought we could grab dinn—” Luca broke off when I looked up at him, his brow immediately dropping. “Why are you crying?”
I swiped my eyes with the backs of my hands. “I’m not. It’s nothing.”
He sat down next to me, glaring at my computer as if he could find the source of my sadness and destroy it.
“It can’t be nothing if you’re crying. Tell me what it is, Saoirse.”
“Please, Luca. I’m overreacting over something silly.”
He took my hand in his. “Tell me anyway. I won’t think it’s silly.”
I sniffled and clicked on Amelia’s story again, turning the screen so Luca could see. “They had happy hour without me.”
His eyes darted over the picture, taking it in. “These are the people who work in your department?”
“Yeah. Niddhi said there hadn’t been a happy hour in a while, but she was sparing my feelings.” I sucked in a shuddering breath, hating myself for being so sad about this. “They don’t want me there.”
