AllFreeNovel
Share Us
To redirect the conversation, I pointed at the bag she was carrying with her purse. “Did you bring leftovers?”
“Yes. They gave me way too much. It was a sweet gesture, but I don’t like wasting food.”
I got the feeling that wasn’t the whole story. Even while we were standing around waiting for the elevator, I heard the whispers as people walked past us. She was probably going to avoid the cafeteria for a little while. No one would blame her for that and if she needed me to grab her some food, I’d do it without question.
“If you need help to eat it all, you can text me,” I offered.
She shot me a grateful smile, and I felt the tension leak from my shoulders. It was just like before. I just had to not think about what it felt like to hold her in my arms or the feel of her lips pressed against mine. I could do that. Maybe.
There were fewer people on the top floor, mostly the legal team and Grayson’s office. No one was here yet but Grayson. Julie liked to beat him here in the morning, but he got here before dawn since he expected her not to show up. I felt a little like a lost puppy following her around, but I couldn’t help myself. Three days without her around felt like forever, and I didn’t want to lose any time with her if I didn’t have to.
While she got comfortable at her desk, I looked for Grayson. He wasn’t at his desk like usual. He was standing a few feet away, frowning out the windows. He did that when he was stressed. I thought about going to check on him, but he was just as annoyed with me as he was with Luka, and I didn’t want to make things worse. I took a step back, trying not to grimace at Julie.
“I’m really glad you’re back. If you need anything, I’m close by.”
She looked up and when she smiled softly, it didn’t feel like it was forced. I smiled back, a little more hopeful than I was yesterday. Now I just had to figure out how to avoid running into her ex because if I ever was alone with him, I think I’d punch him in the face.
Chapter Fifteen
JULIE
Aside from a few errant whispers, I managed to get all the way to my desk unscathed. I think a part of that was because of Bennett. He didn’t bring up what happened last night and stuck to friendly conversation, which I appreciated. I still didn’t know what to say about their suggestion. Especially not after what I heard them yelling in the hall. They almost seemed like they were fighting over me, and it was too crazy to think about.
I couldn’t say I wasn’t interested. They were both very handsome and sweet. But it felt way too soon for any of that and I didn’t want either of them thinking they were some kind of rebounds. I was worried when I came back that they’d fixate on it, but the conversation with Bennett was reassuring. I wanted things to be normal for a bit before we revisited the conversation.
The phone rang, and I picked it up quickly, putting on my best client interaction voice. I was proud of myself that it never wavered and I fell into my role without any difficulty. When I hung up, I smiled to myself.
“I didn’t think you’d be back already.”
Surprised, I jerked my head up. Mr Andrews was leaning against the doorframe to his office, studying me with narrowed eyes. I lifted a shoulder.
“I figured I could use the distraction. I didn’t want you to have to do it all on your own anyway.”
He gave me a half-smile and nodded once. “I appreciate it. Was the call anything important?”
“No, just a courtesy reminder from Mr Peterson’s assistant that the meeting has been rescheduled for Monday at three.”
He drew in a deep breath. “Right. Is that going to work out?”
Bringing up his schedule on my computer, I scanned it carefully. “Yes, it’s fine. You have a phone call with someone named Laurent–”
“Cancel that.”
My eyebrows flew up. The phone call had been scheduled for months, well before I arrived, so it was surprising that he canceled it so quickly. “Are you sure? I can just reschedule–”
“No, it’s fine. Just cancel it.”
He disappeared back into his office before I could question him any further. I stared at his back for a moment before shaking myself and focusing on my work. It wasn’t my place to question him. Even if I’d agreed to the relationship Bennett and Luka were suggesting, Mr Andrews said he wanted nothing to do with it. Given how fragile I was, it stung a little, but I tried not to take offense to it.
Picking up the phone, I dialed the number in the contact book for Laurent so that I could cancel the meeting. The phone rang a few times before someone picked up, speaking to me in French.
“Hello?”
“Hello. This is Julie, calling from Mr Andrews’s office. I’m sorry to say that something came up and–”
“He’s canceling the meeting, isn’t he?”
The woman’s voice sounded put out, but also a little hurt. I wished I had more backstory because I felt really bad for her.
