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“No, no. I just told her it was true, and I walked away. They couldn’t say a word.”
“Why, though? Why would your boss tell Sara that? Does he want to go with you so bad he figured the best way was to tell others?”
“To be honest, I don’t know. But who cares? I got to see a bewildered Chris. He surely deserved it.”
Abbie laughs so hard she coughs. The coughing gets serious, and I rush to her. I help her lie on the couch. I flinch when I touch her neck. She’s burning up.
“You have a fever, Abbie. And you’ve shrunk. Aren’t you eating? You need to eat so you can take your medication.”
There’s a weak smile on her face. My brows wrinkle.
“I’ll be fine, Noelle.” She coughs. “I just don’t have an appetite today.”
“I’m worried, Abbie, You need help. We need to visit the hospital.” I hold her hands in mine.
She shakes her head. “No. I’m okay. You can get me something for lunch if that makes you happy.”
Sighing, I head for the kitchen. As I fix some lunch for Abbie, tears sting my eyes. My best friend needs help, and I’m powerless to do anything but watch.
No matter how hard I try, I can’t shake off the feeling that something’s wrong.
And it’s way bigger than a loss of appetite.
Chapter Ten
Maverick
“Lookingforsomething?”
Noelle whirls around and exhales in relief. “Oh, God, you startled me.”
“I’m sorry.” I chuckle and close my office door. I haven’t seen her since I told Sara she was my date and I was kind of dreading this moment, but we need to talk about this. “I just didn’t expect anyone to be here. Are you busy?”
She looks down at the files in her hand. “Oh, no, I was just stacking up these documents. It’s, uh, it’s for work. If you’ll excuse me.”
She crosses the room and sidesteps me. Instinctively, I reach out and grab her wrist. Her lips part in surprise and she gazes up at me, startled at the abrupt gesture. I can’t let her get away from me yet. She needs to understand that it is more than just being my date to the event. She needs to make it look like we are dating. I just hope she doesn’t kill me or throw me under the bus. Lowering my head, I whisper in her ear, “Stop avoiding me.”
Noelle’s face flushes and she jerks her hand back.
“I’m not.” Beyond my unconvinced gaze, she averts her eyes and clears her throat. “I’m not. I’ve just been really busy.”
Leaning closer, I graze the nape of her neck with my lips and she shivers which delights me beyond words. “What you’re busy with is more important than me?”
“Considering it’s work, then yes. I have to get these files to the marketing unit before the day ends.”
“It can wait.”
“Mave—Mr. Thatcher, I really need to get to work. The PR event is something we can’t afford to ruin. It’s a big day for all of us.”
Laughing, I brush a strand of hair from her flushed face. “Don’t worry. Chris says you’re one of the best minds on the team. I’m reassured you’re not going to ruin anything.” I tilt my head, eyeing her curiously. “Speaking of PR events, did you receive the gift I sent?”
“I did.” Her eyes don’t meet mine. “Thank you.”
“Did I get the fit right, then? I was unsure of your size.”
“The dress is perfect, Mr. Thatcher. Thank you.”
I frown a bit, taken aback by her frosty tone. Withdrawing my grip from her wrist, I tilt her chin up. Her eyes are cloudy. “Is something wrong, Noelle?”
