I fiddled with the rim of my bottle.“I want to fix everything at work first, before I… talk to him.”
“Sure, that’s gonna work out really well.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, not everything needs to be perfect and go according to your to-do lists, Katie!Dylan screwed up.He shouldn’t have lost his temper like that, but he’s not exactly the king of subtle emotions.Give him a chance to apologize and to make it right.That’s part of being in a relationship.”
Her words made my stomach knot.
“You’re right,” I whispered.
“I’m always right.”
“I’ll talk to him soon.I promise.”
“Good.”She tipped her bottle toward me.“Do it before he starts watchingFrozenon repeat.Because I swear if I hearLet it Goblasting at two in the morning interrupting mine and Tina’s beauty sleep, I’m blaming you.”
* * *
The next day, I went to work with my chin held high.I had even sent a text to Dylan, letting him know I was ready to talk to him.
My team, who were usually too nervous to say much, pulled me aside with wide eyes and shaky voices.They told me that Justin’s latest designs looked eerily similar to mine.
That piece of shit.
I stormed into the conference room during Justin’s presentation.My heart was pounding so loudly it echoed in my ears.I ignored his snarky look and the others’ judgmental eyes for interrupting their meeting.I didn’t care.
“These,” I said, holding up sketches from his presentation.“Are my designs.The one Justin claimed as his own.”
Justin’s face went pale and then flushed bright red when everyone started whispering to each other.“That’s ridiculous.You don’t have proof.”
“Actually, I do.”I always saved my files on my iPad and in the cloud.
Before I could show him the proof, Justin’s smug voice filled the speakers as if it were a recording.
“I’m stringing her along—yeah, the one who is uptight.She’s buying me an expensive lunch on her birthday, can you believe that?”
“No, no, if she’s lucky, I might even sleep with her.Hell, I don’t even have to try.I’m sure she’d come crawling if I asked her to.”
The room went silent as I stared at him.What?He just wanted to sleep with me?
Dylan was right.Justin is a fuckface.
Justin shouted, lunging toward the laptop.“Turn that off!Right now!”
He swung toward me, his eyes wild.“It’s your fault!”
But before he could reach me, a familiar voice made me relax.
“If you dare touch my girlfriend, youwillregret it.”
I turned around, and there he was.Dylan.Walking into the conference room in a suit, as if he owned the place, with his green eyes gleaming.Hearing him call me his girlfriend made my heart stutter.
Relief surged through me, even as my heart stuttered at his intensity.He held out a pen drive to me as Justin argued with one of the investors.I didn’t even care how and why Dylan was there.I was just glad to see him.
“Give this to HR,” he said.
I nodded, taking the pen drive.“Will you wait for me in my office?”
