Gratitude was the second positive emotion to pierce my numbness that day. “Scotland.” I nodded. “I’ll think about it.”
My best friend smiled. “That’s all I ask.”
After lunch with London, I was supposed to go to a job interview with the Silver Group. The CFO, Ashlyn Waters, had reached out to invite me to interview for general manager at their hotel in Midtown. It was a favor to my parents, I knew that.
Despite the kindness behind the offer, I couldn’t make myself go.
Now that London had planted the idea of Scotland, the thought of burying myself in another job here in Manhattan made me more numb than usual, which was saying something. Instead, I returned to the apartment that belonged to Hugh. The truth was Hugh was different from any guy I’d dated. Confident, more forthright. Arrogant. He was a nepo baby too. Son and heir of one of the biggest automotive brands in the world. Now Hugh was CFO of the electric vehicles division, and once his father stepped down, he hoped to become CEO.
His job meant he traveled a lot. He wasn’t around much.
And maybe that was why we’d lasted as long as we had.
After I lost my parents, I’d seen a caring side to him I hadn’t expected. He’d moved me into his apartment to keep an eye on me and I’d dazedly gone with it despite London’s reservations. My friend had grown quiet over her dislike of Hugh since he’d reintroduced her to Nick whom we knew of in high school. Nick and Hugh were two peas in a pod as far as I was concerned, but London had been dating him for a month and seemed to like him. Despite not liking Hugh. Strange, but true. But I’d seen her sneer today at the mention of my cohabitee.
I’d noted it.
I’dnoticed.
Huh.
As I walked into the apartment building, the doorman/security guard, Harvey Collins, a large gentleman in his early thirties, raised his eyebrows. “Ms. Silver. I … Good afternoon.”
I frowned at his strange expression. “Good afternoon, Mr. Collins.”
“It’s Harvey, Ms. Silver,” he reminded me like he always reminded me, but his eyes darted to the elevator with nervousness.
My parents, Maura Gordon and Carter Silver, had instilled in me that if someone showed me the respect of calling me by my surname, I showed that respect back. Harvey Collins didn’t work for me. He protected Hugh’s building from unwanted visitors.
His nervousness, however, was strange.
Even stranger that I was noticing.
It was as if my conversation with London today had woken me out of a thick fog.
I swiped the key card and then hit the button for the penultimate floor, noting Harvey scowling at the wall. The doors closed before I could ask him if he was all right.
A minute later, I let myself into the apartment. As I stepped into the open-plan living space, an unfamiliar woman came hurrying out of the main bedroom, barefooted and buttoning up her silk blouse. Her hair was a mess, her expression frantic.
And Hugh came rushing out after her, barefooted, wearing his suit trousers and shrugging on his shirt.
My boyfriend was a handsome, smooth type of attractive. Perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfectly straight nose, lips just full enough, and a strong, sharp, masculine jawline. He worked out obsessively, so his sculpted body was a thing of beauty.
As I took in the situation, I realized that I felt nothing.
He was cheating on me with this woman—oh, I did recognize her. She worked in his office. Carolina or Catalina. Something like that.
Her cheeks flushed ruby red as she hurried into her high heels and grabbed her jacket. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured as she rushed past me and into the elevator.
I watched the doors close behind her and turned to Hugh.
He sighed in exasperation, running a hand through his hair. “You were supposed to be at an interview.”
“Yes.” I nodded. “You’re correct. You fucking another woman is my fault because I was supposed to be at an interview.”
Hugh flinched at my flat tone. “I … I don’t know what to say.”
“Sorry is usually a good go-to.”
