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“Ooh. You don’t hate him. You loooove him.” She was dancing around. I could hear her cracking ankles.
“Go away.”
“But seriously, don’t you wonder if he’d be a good kisser? I should ask Lauren for you.”
“Lauren’s married now. And you’re getting married. Stop talking about Denver like that. It’s gross. Besides, you can just ask Makayla. They were dating like five minutes ago.” The thought depressed me. Not that I was ever telling Jenny, but for a moment there, I had wondered if Denver might kiss me. I’m not sure I would have stopped him. He’d had my face cradled in his hands, looking at me like I was the only person in the world.
Well, I was not. I was one person in a line of many. So yeah, I wouldn’t be finding out if Denver was a good kisser or not. Even though he probably was. Dang it.
Chapter 20 – Denver
It felt great to have my first successful BFF assignment on the books. Hector and Jennifer were officially dating, and he felt comfortable enough to continue on without me.
I was happy for them and sad for me. The company had a strict no-contact policy once secret BFFs were done with their assignment. I was supposed to be a ghost. In and out, like it never happened. It was just sort of ironic for them to call my position a Best Friend Forever, and yet make me cut all ties. What if Hector and Jennifer lived happily ever after and got married? I wouldn’t even know.
Sadie nudged me out of my musings. “Are you still sulking about Hector? He’s fine.”
“I know he’s fine. I just miss talking to the guy, all right?”
“All right.” She went back to ignoring me, which was for the best. I didn’t want her reading my moods when it was so hard to read hers right now. After our date, she’d retreated from me in every way possible. She even given up on making me her target in dodgeball. I was a pesky coworker, nothing more. It was almost to the point where I wasn’t sure if I remembered our date correctly.
No. I hadn’t imagined the chemistry between us, despite our best efforts to squelch it. Misinterpreting things wasn’t the problem. The problem was the ice-cold blast of Sadie I’d gotten afterwards, starting with her darting out of my Jeep the second we reached her apartment complex and ignoring my text checking in on her. I didn’t know why I cared so much. I was taking a break from dating—a much needed one.
My extension rang, and I picked it up. “This is Denver.”
“Hey, it’s Marcel. Do you have time to talk?”
“Of course.” I hung up and headed to his office, relieved that he hadn’t mentioned bringing Sadie along. The question that had been needling me from the moment Marcel brought me in to work with her couldn’t wait another minute.
I shut the door behind me when I reached his office and dropped in the chair across from Marcel’s desk. “Can I just ask, why Sadie? Why did you put the two of us together?”
Marcel looked up and studied me for a long time without answering. “How bad is it?”
“It’s…” I rubbed my hands along the leather arms of the chair. “You know how she is.”
“I know how she is with surface people.”
“Well, I’m back to being a surface person for her.”
“Back to being one? Did you two have a falling out?”
“You don’t have a falling out with Sadie. She just decides you’re not important enough to talk to anymore.”
“You got too close, and she retreated.”
“Yes.”
“How close?” Marcel sighed. “I hate to ask that, but I have to. It’s why we make you guys keep us updated on your relationship status. We’re not going to send you out on blind dates with other people if you have a serious girlfriend.”
“I understand that, and I don’t mind you asking about me and Sadie. I’m the one who brought it up. So, yeah, there’s definitely been moments, but nothing’s happened. And trust me, nothing will happen.”
Marcel eyed me. “You don’t have to make promises like that. Just respect her boundaries and be professional, no matter what. That’s all I can ask of you. And if something does happen, let us know. Whether you’re single or not, or getting along or not, we will have work for you both. If you need a reassignment, tell me. Are you asking for a reassignment?”
My knee-jerk reaction was to say yes, but I couldn’t get the words out. Dang it, I liked working with Sadie. I just wanted the Sadie she only gave me glimpses of. The one she hid so carefully. For someone who loved the truth so much, she sure was stingy with it when it didn’t suit her purposes.
Marcel gave me a sympathetic smile. “You asked why I paired the two of you. Behavioral science is kind of my thing. It was even before I got a masters in it. I knew you two had the potential to work well together, but I sensed it would be temporary. I just wasn’t sure how temporary. I thought I’d give it a shot.”
“Why temporary?”
