Perfect.
Just perfect.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand. I grab it, squinting at the screen.
Gretchen: Coffee. Now. I need details about this mystery sex bar guy.
I groan. Gretchen has a sixth sense for disaster. She probably smelled the chaos radiating off me through the phone.
Me: Luna’s in thirty?
Gretchen: Make it twenty. I’m dying here.
I drag myself out of bed, shower on autopilot, and throw on jeans and a sweater. My reflection in the mirror shows dark circles under my eyes and a tension in my jaw I can’t seem to release.
Yesterday keeps replaying on a loop.
Daniel’s handshake was too formal for my liking. Nothing in his touch suggested he’d had those same hands all over me a week ago. I hated the distance he maintained, never standing too close or letting our eyes meet for more than a second.
Most of all, I hated how conscious I felt in his presence. Suddenly, my makeup was too light, I'd picked the wrong dress, and I probably shouldn't be laughing too loudly and stuffing pies in my face.
The feeling lingers, so I grab my keys and head out before I can spiral further.
***
Luna’s Coffee is packed with the Sunday brunch crowd. Gretchen has already claimed our usual corner table and is waiting with two lattes. She takes one look at my face and her eyes go wide.
“Oh my God. Spill. Now.”
I sink into the chair across from her. “Remember the bar guy?”
“Sex stranger? How could I forget? It's the wildest thing you've ever done. I need to know if it was worth it.”
“He’s my boss.”
Gretchen’s mouth falls open. “What?”
“The new job. Williams Ventures. Daniel Williams is the CEO.” I take a long sip of coffee, burning my tongue. “I walked into his office Monday morning and nearly had a heart attack.”
“Holy shit.” She leans forward, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Did he recognize you?”
“Immediately.”
“And?”
“And nothing. He pretended we’d never met, called me Ms. Rodgers, critiqued my work, and was a complete asshole.”
“But you slept with him.”
“I’m aware.”
“Like,recentlyslept with him.”
“Also aware.”
Gretchen sits back, processing. And then a slow smile spreads across her face. “This is insane. This is a romance novel. This is—”
“Shut up. It's a nightmare.”
