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“Hey, don’t panic,” she said, her tone soothing. “We can find someone else.”
“It was already hard enough to find him,” I said.
“We’ll try harder. This isn’t what’s going to break us, okay? Just breathe.”
I took her advice and took a few deep breaths in and out through my nose.
After I had calmed enough to relay the issues to her, she nodded and pulled out her phone to take notes.
“Sounds like we know what we need to fix and we know what to look for next time with communication. Honestly, Char, don’t worry about this. At least he showed his incompetence early on. We’ve hardly invested any money in him at this point. It could be way worse.”
Her comforting words already had me feeling better. I knew I was right to call her. We were a great team like that. When one of us panicked, the other one took on the role of the levelheaded one. Although typically I wasn’t the type to panic, I think all the pressure of quitting had my brain doing somersaults.
It didn’t help that after the whole Nathan fiasco, I was now feeling incredibly uncomfortable in my own skin at work. Usually, I waltzed through those hallways like I owned the place. Now I dreaded going in each morning and constantly feared running into him in the hallways. I had even avoided a few meetings by sending a manager in my place. Nathan hadn’t said anything regarding it which made me certain he appreciated not being stuck in a room with me.
“You seem a little strung out,” Lila said carefully.
“So? I have a lot on my mind.”
“Right.” She pursed her lips and stroked Edward who had curled up in her lap. I could tell she was holding back.
“Just say it,” I said.
“Does this added stress have anything to do with seeing stupid-face in the office every day?”
I rolled my eyes even though she wasn’t far off. “Come on. Give me more credit than that. I can handle seeing him.”
“I swear it takes everything in me not to step on his perfectly polished shoe every time I see his smug face.” Her eyes narrowed. “The nerve of that asshole to sleep with you and then pretend like it never happened.”
“We both agreed to it,” I pointed out.
“Right, but what were you supposed to do? He’s your boss and he all but stood there silently. He should have owned up to it—said something. The fact that he could just stand there and then go on ignoring you sickens me.”
I rubbed my forehead, hating that we were having this conversation again. I told Lila as soon as I got home. I'm prettysure she had been more disappointed than me to find out that Nathan was not going to be my next great love story. She knew I had a crush on him and she harbored hopes that we’d get together. She believed in romance and true love more than anyone else I knew.
Now she brought him up every time we talked just to complain about him. She was loyal, almost to a fault. I loved her for it, but I would also love nothing more than to forget that night ever happened. Which would likely be impossible since I could practically still feel Nathan’s hands on my body.
“Can we stop talking about this, please? It’s already awful enough to see him in the office. He’s so cold and nonchalant. I can’t even believe he ever touched me the way that he did. I’m such an idiot for letting him.” I shuddered.
“No, you’re not,” she said softly. “Sorry for even bringing it up. You know I can get worked up.”
I stood up and moved to my modest kitchen, desperate for some comfort food. “I know and I appreciate you, but I need to move on. He clearly has.”
“You know who would be all too happy to help you with that.” Her smile turned wicked before my eyes as I looked at her warily.
“Liam?” I guessed.
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Let him take you out already.”
I considered this as I dumped a bag of chips into a bowl. I really had no reason to turn him down. He had put himself out there enough. Maybe it was finally time I asked him to dinner.
“Maybe,” I relented.
“One night with Liam and you’re bound to forget about what’s-his-face.”
I plopped down next to her on the couch as she plotted what I’d wear on my hypothetical date with Liam. Smiling, I nodded along as she rambled on.
I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was going to take a lot more than one date to stop thinking about Nathan.
