She’d pre-recorded a special program and blog posts to coincide with the launch.A new video was released each day, the last she would film in her apartment before her lease ended in two months.
Sandy launched into a tech monologue Chloe understood none of, but the translation was simple: it’s fixable, only temporary chaos and minor user irritation.They were worried people might complain.
“I’ll post an update,” Chloe said.“Let them know we’re still smoothing things out.”
“Good.We didn’t want you to panic.”
They wrapped up soon after, and Chloe headed out.
“Chloe, wait up.”
She turned to see Evan jogging her way.Despite the short distance, he was out of breath when he reached her, one hand braced on his knee as he tried to recover.
“Hey.”He rubbed at what she assumed to be a stitch on his side.“Sorry about the hiccup with the website.”
“No worries.We knew there would be kinks to work out.”She gave him a polite smile she’d perfected over the years that was warm, noncommittal, and designed to keep things easy.
“Do you want to discuss it more over, say, coffee, or maybe dinner?”
There it was.The question landed with a familiar, sinking weight in the pit of her stomach.
Chloe inwardly sighed.She’d gotten to know Evan well over the last few months while they worked on her site.He was funny and kind, and he was genuinely good at his job.On paper, he checked plenty of boxes.In reality, there was nothing there for her beyond gratitude and professional respect.It sucked how often that seemed to disappoint people.
A picture of Kayne Serruto flashed in her mind, uninvited and vivid, and she ruthlessly shoved it right back out.This was not the time nor place.Nor was it remotely helpful.
She had tried to let Evan down easily before by deflecting and keeping things firmly work-related, but he never quite took the hint.The interest lingered, hovering just under the surface, making every interaction feel slightly too tight, like a shirt that almost fit.
“I can’t,” she said gently.“I have plans with my boyfriend.”
The lie slipped out with alarming ease.That part unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.Guilt followed immediately at the crestfallen look on Evan’s face, his shoulders dipping a fraction before he straightened again.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”
“The relationship is still new,” she added quickly.So new it technically didn’t exist.She hated that she felt the need to soften it, to protect his feelings when she hadn’t done anything wrong.“But I appreciate you checking in, and thanks again for keeping me posted on what’s happening.”
She gave him another smile, this one firmer and more final.Hopefully, this time, he would hear what she wasn’t saying.
Chloe climbed into her vehicle and drove to the club, heart thudding with that now-familiar mix of pride and panic.She’d bought the place on instinct.It was a gut punch of opportunity she couldn’t walk away from, even if her life was already overflowing with projects, deadlines, and the unrequested addition of a bodyguard-fake-boyfriend.But it had come up for sale, and she didn’t want to miss out.She’d never been good at walking away from things that mattered.
