It was after six when Nora waltzed into my office, her purse slung over her shoulder and a food container in her hand.
“Working late tonight?” she asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. I never worked late. All work and no play and all that nonsense.
“Yeah. Campbell is up my ass about these status reports. That guy hates me.” I squinted at the screen, trying to decipher the numbers that were blurring together the longer I stared.
“I doubt he hates you.” She gave me an amused smile, leaning against the doorframe.
I gave up on the numbers for the moment and scrubbed my eyes before giving Nora a deadpan stare.
“Nora. If looks could kill, I’d be dead ten times over by now, just from the daggers he’s shot from his eyes when he’s seen us together. I’m convinced you’re most of the reason he hates me.”
“Oh, hush. It’s not because of me. I’m sure he hates you because of your personality, like everyone else.”
“Gee, thanks,” I deadpanned.
She smiled in apology. “I’m sorry. If you don’t want to deal with it anymore, I get it.”
“It’s fine, Nora. I can handle it. He never loved me in the first place, especially after I accidentally hit on his date that one time. Hamilton was the one who hired me. He’s the CEO I always got along with. Campbell is just doubling down on his hate for me because he caught me on a personal call today.”
“Oh, so it’s not my fault, after all. You weren’t being gross and having phone sex or something, were you?” she asked, lip curled up in revulsion.
A memory of Eve’s voice, low and seductive, flashed through my head before I waved it away.
“Of course not.” I glanced away from her, trying not to appear guilty. It’s not like me and Eve wereactuallyhaving phone sex, but what Ian walked in on... Well, I supposed he could have taken it as something similar. I was just going to have to work extra hard to make up for it.
“Right,” she said, not convinced. “Ben, thanks for, well, you know.”
Ididknow. Nora was one of my best friends. I hated she felt like she needed to use me to get the attention of anyone. She was gorgeous and funny and smart, and if Ian didn’t recognize that until he saw her with someone else, well then, he was an idiot.
“Don’t mention it.” I massaged my eyes with the palms of my hands, trying to ease the pain in my head.
“Have you eaten today?” Nora asked, going into mother hen mode.
I shrugged. “Not since breakfast. I worked through lunch. I’ll grab something on my way home once I finish up.”
“Here.” She laid her untouched Caesar salad on my desk. “Eat that.” She held up a finger. “I’ll be right back,” she said as she walked out of my office.
I pried the plastic lid off the container of salad, covered it in dressing and dug in. I’d inhaled half of it by the time I heard her heels clicking down the hall.
She dropped two white pills and an energy drink on my desk. “Pain killers for your headache and caffeine.”
I smirked up at her. “Thanks, mom.” I grabbed the pain killers and washed them down with the cold can of caffeine.
Nora crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you need some company while you work?”
“Nah. You would probably distract me. I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.”
“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.” I turned back to the computer, the numbers all running together on the page.
Fuck Ian Campbell.
What did she see in that prick?
I didn’t understand the hang up. He was in his 40s, old enough to be her dad. “Hey, Nora?”
She paused at the doorway of my office. “Yeah?”
