Victor: Did something come up?
I tap my phone against my chin. I could just ignore it. But I have my read receipts on, so he’ll see that I’ve read it. I could lie and say yes. My thumbs hover, ready to say yes, but I can’t lie.
Victor: Olivia?
I scowl at the name. I wish he would call me Liv; I hate Olivia.
Olivia: I’m super busy at work.
It’s not really an answer, but it’s safe.
Victor: Did something come up between last night and this morning?
I don’t know how to respond. Why did he have to ask that? I could go to lunch with him, but I’m not ready. Not yet.
Victor: I understand when work gets crazy. I’ll bring you something to eat if that’s okay with you. Where do you work?
I read his text multiple times. He’s letting me out of this, but he’s still bringing me lunch. I swallow.If I tell him where I work, will he tell Donovan?I still don’t know about their relationship.
Victor: I promise. I haven’t spoken to him and I won’t.
How the hell did he know what I was thinking?
Olivia: I work at the Holloway building.
The Holloway building belonged to Lincoln’s dad. That’s where he had his practice before he died, but in the will he only left a portion of the building to Lincoln because Lincoln refused to join him. It said he could have it all if he decided to become a lawyer, since he didn’t the other floors were given to other people his dad knew.
Victor: Thank you for trusting me. Please meet me in the lobby at noon.
My throat tightens reading his acknowledgement that it’s a big deal I’m trusting him and my heart skips a beat at the fact I’ll see him today.
Olivia: Okay. Thank you.
Victor: I’ll see you at noon.
I lick my lips before walking to the kitchen and pour myself a to-go cup of coffee. I gaze out the kitchen window and fight the urge to walk the perimeter of my backyard. Turning, I grab my purse, set my alarm, and walk out the door, making sure it’s locked.Maybe I could get some security cameras.
Chapter eight
Olivia
Lincoln already has the next client lined up. It’s not unusual, but he usually waits around six weeks to make sure there aren’t any big bugs that need to be worked out. I know it has to do with Ansley being in Atlanta and him trying to keep his mind busy. Caroline will be the lead on this project. I take a look at the project board to see what responsibilities they assigned to me.
The usual ones, but it’s something to keep my mind busy and not think about Victor bringing me lunch later. There’s a knock on my door, so I glance up.
“Hi, Lincoln.”
He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the doorframe. He’s in his usual suit. I offer him a small smile that he doesn’t bother to return. Part of me feels bad for him, but another part of me wants him to man up and go after what hewants. He does it in every other aspect of his life. Why is Ansley any different?
“This new application we’ll be building. Well, mainly you.” He chuckles and I shake my head. “It’s going to be for the city.”
I squint at him. “Really? Did the city council approach you?”
He pushes away from the doorframe and walks further into my office. “No, they announced it at the city council meeting. They said they wanted it to be a local company and would accept submissions.”
I nod and close my laptop, so I can take it into the meeting. “What kind of app do they want?”
We walk out of my office and toward the conference room. “They want it to be interactive. On historic landmarks, there will be a QR code people can scan and be shown a short history video or give them an article of what happened in that spot.”
