“Are you just going to stand there?” Corm raises his eyebrows, all my colleagues eyeing me with various degrees of puzzlement.
“I have a solution for the Chicago issue,” I say, and sit beside Caleb. “Is Declan dialing in?” I dive right into the meeting, hoping it will stop my blood from boiling and help my mind refocus.
“He won’t be dialing in today,” Roxy informs us. Declan left for London. To win his woman, and help with the Merged branch there.
All my colleagues have settled down. When did that happen? We were all blissfully single when we started this firm not even two years ago. And suddenly, I’m an outsider.
“Do you care to share?” Corm growls when I don’t speak. I snap back into work mode, but barely focus on projects while the image of Cora and Ed together flickers through my mind.
I explain my take on the Chicago project and try to answer all concerns, but it’s an uphill battle. All the pent-up energy I worked out in the gym is back in a full-blown attack of nerves.
“What about the…” Corm turns to Caleb, and I tune them out.
She thinks she can date?
“Why are you setting up Ed Reynolds?” I spit out, before I can stop myself.
Silence follows as the three people around me stare, Roxy hiding her grin behind her notebook.
“The IT Ed Reynolds?” Caleb asks, puzzled. “What setup?”
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
What is wrong with me? At this rate, I would have been better off not getting up this morning.
I played racquetball with fucking IT Ed a few times, and now I seriously regret not smashing the ball into his face. Multiple times. That would take him off the market.
“Saar—God bless her—strong-armed Corm into setting up a date between Cora Winslow and Ed,” Roxy drawls, glee practically oozing from her voice.
“I wish I had time to play matchmaker.” Caleb rolls his eyes.
“I got pulled in.” Corm shrugs. “They set up some system to send her on a date at least twice a week, and I had to bring all the single men I know to the table.”
What the actual fuck? She is going to date at least twice a week? “Did you put my name in?”
Corm scoffs. “She is one of my wife’s best friends,so no.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I glare at him.
“That I’m one step closer to winning twenty K.” Caleb chuckles.
“There is a bet I don’t know about?” Roxy turns to him.
“Enough,” Corm snaps, annoyance rolling off his shoulders as he cracks his neck. “Where do we stand with the Vireon board appointment?”
The topic should snap me back to reality, and it does, but the simmering annoyance refuses to fade.
“I will report something next week,” I say, adjusting my tie. Idiot! That’s my tell when I’m obscuring. And the people in the room most probably know that.
“What’s taking so long?” Corm asks.
“My father has been overseas.” The lie slips out effortlessly.
I haven’t felt like a failure since I left San Francisco. And here I am failing again in all aspects of my life. Losing a woman I never had, or who doesn’t even want me, and derailing our efforts on the West Coast.
