“I’ll be back in my office if you need me,” Theo says when we get to my desk. His voice is low, almost defeated, which is a shame given the win he just achieved in the conference room.
I fall into my chair and purse my lips to the side. Theo disappears into his office before I can say anything, again closing the door behind him.
I feel out of sorts, even though I know he’s respecting the boundary I created and trying to give me space. I’ve grown so used to our friendly work relationship that everything feels empty now that it’s gone.
Running my fingers through my hair a few times, I rub my fingernails against my scalp, trying to ease some tension before returning to work. After a few good deep breaths, I feel ready to tackle the rest of my to-do list over the next few hours. I bury myself in my tasks, only stopping to refill my water cup or to use the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes before the end of the workday, I’m finalizing a document when I hear the intercom on my phone buzz.
“Whitney?” Theo says my name.
He has barely talked to me all day, and then he waits untilI’m almost finished to summon me? With a frustratedlook toward the ceiling, I push my chair back and walk into his office, not bothering to knock at the closed door as I push it open and saunter in. “Yes?”
Theo holds out a piece of paper in response. I narrow my eyes but cross the floor to his desk and accept the paper he’s offering me. I scan over the details and then look at him in confusion.
“What is this?”
“An itinerary. I will need you to block off those dates on the note attached. My mother is hosting a charity gala, and I’ll need to attend.”
“Okay,” I say when I accept it. “Why the itinerary, though?”
Theo hits me with his warm eyes, and my insides melt. “I was hoping you’d be able to come with me. My mother told me to bring a plus one.”
“As your assistant?”
“Of course.”
I’m glad I’m not wearing my workout watch today. If I were, I think I’d be getting an alert about an irregular heart rate right about now. “For the whole weekend?” Theo nods slowly as he watches me, gauging my reaction. I swallow thickly and then glance down at the dates. “I should be able to make these work.”
It’s a Friday through Sunday trip, which would be a quick turnaround for the following week. I have no idea what kind of charity gala this is or what to expect. I’ve never been to anything fancier than a wedding at the botanical garden. Mr. Peterson always attended his work events alone, and I never received an invite.
“Excellent,” Theo says, then picks up his phone before typing a message. I stand there and wait, still confused about the whole thing.
“Theo?”
“Hmm?” he murmurs, still looking at his phone.
My heart feels like it’s in my throat when I say, “I was thinking we could talk…about the thing you emailed about.”
Theo pauses and then slowly sets his phone down on the desk. “Okay.” He takes a deep breath and then presses his lips into a line thoughtfully before saying, “I want to apologize.”
“For what?” I ask, my voice coming out a little breathy.
“For—” He hesitates and narrows his eyes as he thinks about it, darting his gaze to his office door, which I stupidly left open, before landing back on me. I don’t imagine anyone will walk in, but we’re not the only people on this floor. “Everything, I suppose.”
I blink at him. “What if I don’t want you to be sorry?”
Theo tilts his chin up and looks at me curiously. “What does that mean?”
I shrug up one shoulder but then shake my head. “I don’t know.”
“Whitney.” He draws out my name so that it sounds much sexier than it should. “I need you to be honest with me. Tell me exactly what’s going through your head right now.”
I stay silent for another minute, processing what I want to say to him. Finally, I settle on, “I missed talking with you today. I don’t like it when your door is closed.”
Theo dips his chin. “Okay, noted.”
“And I don’t want you to email me on the weekends because then you seem to consume my every waking thought, and I just work myself up overthinking everything until I get to see you on Monday,” I blurt out, though I keep my voice soft so I know only he can hear me. It’s been weighing on me all day, and I might as well put it out there. “Because I think I feel the same way you do, even though I don’t know what that is.”
