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But, the truth was that there was no awkward phase, and this weekend had cemented his declaration that he wasn’t hanging around strictly for our daughter. He’d fucked me like it was our last weekend on this Earth—like there was nothing more important to him than getting me off. Even when he was rough, when the tears started flowing and my moans turned to hissing rasps, he spent every ounce of energy on me.
This was just another display of how far he was willing to go to step up, and now, it was my turn.
“Okay—” Clapping my palms on my cheeks, I shook my head clear of those thoughts with a huff. Flopping forward, I set my fingers against the keys and switched on my ‘work’ mode.
“I’m at work. This is where work is done. No home at work, no work at home.”
The hours passed by uneventfully until noon, and the little alarm clipped to the edge of my dividing partition trilled into life. Smiling at the spreadsheet that splayed across the screen, I wiggled around my mouse to lock my computer before slowly standing from my rolling chair. Stretching my arms over my head, a groan lodged in my throat, and I waved my hands absently.
“Are you going to lunch with your sisters, Hailey?” Sally poked her head over the partition, and I shook my head at the curiosity in her eyes. “Want to come with me and this lady from accounting?”
“Uh, no. I’m actually going with my… boyfriend…” Faltering slightly, I furrowed my brows even as Sally’s shot up in surprise. “It’s hard to explain. So, I’ll see you after lunch, Sally.”
“Yeah… okay.” My ears twitched as I stepped out of my cubical, and my heels clicked to drown out the very noticeable disappointment in Sally’s tone. Pursing my lips together, regret instantly slithered around my heart even though I didn’t want to lie. It wasn’t a secret that I was a single mother, but I didn’t want to give anyone any more reason to gossip.
After all, someone—somehow—found out that Mark had been in the delivery room but wasn’t Antonya’s father. The las
t thing I needed was some ‘lady from accounting’ telling her little squad about someone she’d never even met.
Digging my phone out of my purse as I stepped into the elevator, I made the short journey down and my call to Anthony simultaneously. He answered on the fourth ring, and Antonya’s baby garbling created a backdrop for his deep voice.
“Hey, I was just about to call you, babe. I’m just getting Antonya in the car now.” Heat crept up my neck at the pet name, and I reached to rake my hand through my hair as the line crackled. “How’s work?”
“It’s fine… going by fast. How’s she doin’ so far?” The elevator pinged, and I fished for my car keys absently as I stepped out of the metal box. For a moment, Anthony didn’t answer, and I strode across the lobby and towards the glass front doors with a wiggle of affection burrowing in my chest.
“Ah, she’s doing okay. She wouldn’t take a bottle about 20 minutes ago, so you’re gonna have to do your thing. She’s stubborn today.” A small laugh escaped me, and I emerged into the bright, warm day with a slight shake of my head. “I’ll see you in a minute, okay?”
“Yeah, see you in a minute.” The conversation was quick, and we hung up while I weaved through the throng of people walking the sidewalks towards the employee parking lot.
“Excuse me! Miss!” Pausing just at the security gate, I twisted to watch a man I didn’t recognize flag me down, and he slowed his jog to smile brightly. “Hey, sorry to bother you, I was just wondering if you could tell me where this restaurant is. I was in the area, and my friend Anthony texted me yesterday to meet up, but I can’t find it.”
Alarm bells shrieked in my head, bouncing harshly off my skull, but the man either didn’t notice or didn’t care as he dug in his pockets. So many questions raced through my mind that I could barely keep track of them all, and I could only watch dumbly while he unfolded a small piece of paper.
“Uh… it’s called The Speakeasy. You know it?”
That’s where we’re going for lunch with my sisters.
I was only barely able to hide my surprise, and he watched me with expectant eyes as my heart thudded against the bars of its cage. There were a hundred other people within ten yards of us, so the fact that he asked me was one Hell of a coincidence.
“Uh, yeah… I know it. It’s down—” Pointing the opposite way of the Speakeasy, I thanked any deity that would listen that my voice didn’t tremble, “—that way about eight blocks.”
“Oh, thanks. I appreciate it.” Watching him walk in the direction I had told him to go, I narrowed my eyes as a myriad of scenarios raced through my mind’s eye. The fact that a man I didn’t recognize knew where I was, where I was going, and Anthony’s name was just too much for me. Rushing past the gate guard, I found my car at the back of the lot in record time, and my hands trembled as I unlocked the locks.
Someone was following me.
Someone knew where I worked—where I went to lunch with my sisters.
Someone knew Anthony and I were together.
And Anthony surely didn’t text that person, because he didn’t have any numbers in his phone but mine, Kelly’s, and his therapist’s.
Which means he was lying.
Chapter 19
Anthony
“Wait, wait, you were being followed, and you still came to the place you’re being followed to?” Anger prevented me from speaking, and I stared at Hailey through narrowed eyes as she frowned at Marissa’s question.
