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3:21 p.m.
“Brendan, are you okay?” Leaning over the conference table, Melanie looked at him with concern.
“Yes.” Brendan gave her a strained smile. If he heard that question one more time…
His eyes flicked to the window of the Senate office and the shimmering heat outside. He, Mel, and Pete were sitting in the same meeting room where Sonia had role-played with him, kneeling under the table. As long as he distracted himself with the whirlwind of duties for Senator Wilson, he was just fine.
Melanie pulled her cardigan around her shoulders, trying to rub away the goosebumps on her skin. “They really need to turn down the AC in here,” she muttered. “It’s like a walk-in freezer. You sure you’re all right? You don’t seem like yourself.”
“Yeah, you’ve been mentally clocked out all day,” Pete said, reaching for his cup of coffee. “You pulled up contacts who don’t even work atThe Postanymore.”
“And you haven’t told us about your brother’s wedding,” Melanie added.
Brendan sighed. “It was beautiful. I’ll show you a picture.”
He pulled up a photo of Ian and Diana on his phone, holding hands and running across the lawn outside the wedding venue. Diana’s veil floated behind her.
“They’re a gorgeous couple,” Melanie agreed, glancing at the screen. But the photo didn’t distract her like Brendan had hoped. She was eyeing him again with that irritatingly worried expression.
“I had a breakup yesterday,” Brendan said quietly. “She left. It was my fault. So yeah, I’m not at my best today.”
“Oh Brendan, I’m sorry.” Mel looked abashed. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”
He shrugged. “Didn’t last long.”
Ten days. That was all. He wished he hadn’t gotten so close to pure happiness, because now he knew what he was missing.
Pete shook his head. “Damn, O’Brian. Never thought I’d hear you say a woman dumped you.”
“Well, this one did.” Brendan opened his laptop.
“What happened?” Mel asked tentatively. “I know it’s none of our business, but the way you look— Pete and I are concerned, that’s all.”
“Hey, if my breakup united you guys, I guess it was worth something.” Brendan tried to laugh, but the sound stuck in his throat. Pete offered him the box of doughnuts on the table. Brendan took a chocolate glazed and studied it like it might have the answers. “She has trust issues. I lost her trust.”
“Then get it back.” Pete looked at him incredulously. “Do something to prove she can trust you.”
Brendan expected Melanie to make a snide remark about Pete’s relationship skills, but she was nodding in agreement. “Pete’s right.”
“You can’t just make someone trust you,” Brendan protested. Least of all Sonia.
He wanted to forget. To return to his old life, bury himself in work, find other women.
But he knew that wouldn’t be possible.
If there was just something he could do, like Melanie and Pete seemed so sure about. Some move to make, some string to pull, so everything would turn out all right.
But there were no moves. No strings. Just people and emotions and a mess he couldn’t clean up.
“I know you, O’Brian.” Pete wagged a finger at him. “You’ll think of something. Just figure out what she wants, and give it to her.”
“She wants me to leave her alone,” Brendan said.
But Sonia wanted more than that. He’d made a promise to her before the wedding weekend. That, at least, he could fulfill.
As soon as he finished meeting with Melanie and Pete, he stepped outside to make a phone call.
36
