Could it?
Susan knocked on my door and waited for me to call her in.
“Just letting you know. The numbers came back better than expected. The new app update is working seamlessly with our test group,” she said, tablet in hand. This was the good news I was hoping for. When I jumped up and spun her around, she slapped my hand away and walked out of the office, leaving me laughing. I’d get her to break someday.
Nathan walked in as she was walking out. “What’s wrong with Susan? Looks like she chewed on a lemon,” he joked.
“She’s a complex woman,” I answered, trying to be friendly. “What did you need?”
I sat back down and opened my laptop, bringing up the report Susan had just discussed, my mood brightening.
In my periphery, I saw him wipe his brow.
“Well, I had a question. It’s a little embarrassing, but I didn’t know who else to ask.”
Tapping away on my laptop, I answered without looking up, “Ask. If I can help, I will.”
“Do you think I could get Vicky’s phone number?” His question hung in the air like a wet blanket on a cold day. My fingers stilled as I fought the urge to bark at him.
“Vicky’s number?” I asked flatly.
“Yes,” he chuckled. “I think we had a…connection the other night. Or at least I know I did.”
“A connection?” I spat the words out like venom.
Over my dead body. Why was I repeating everything he said?
“Yeah. I just thought…” His words were cut off with my sudden rise from my chair. He frowned as I strode quickly past him and out of my office.
“Sorry, can’t help you,” I said over my shoulder. I didn’t even look back to see his reaction.
Passing Susan’s office, I stepped in and said, “Leaving for the day. Please reschedule anything that I had.”
Her head popped up from where she had been leaning over her desk. With a confused look, she checked her watch and said, “But it’s only 10 am.”
“Yup, something came up. Email me anything important. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Without waiting for her reply, I strode through the office, watching my team’s heads pop up like meerkats as I passed.
When I got to my car a few minutes later in the adjacent parking garage, I got in, realizing I was out of breath.
Once again faced with the thought of Vicky talking to another man, dating another man,kissinganother man, it fueled a fire inside me that shook me to my core.
Say the words.
Dad’s advice came rushing back to me as I sat in my vehicle. He’d asked me how I felt about her, and I’d told him Vicky could be the kind of woman I could possibly fall for. But as I leaned my head against the seat, I allowed my heart to admit the truth. It wasn’t some far-off possibility.
I was falling in love with Vicky Lazzara.
fifteen
. . .
Vicky
“Hey, honey. What are you doing home so early?” I heard Angelica say from the living room.
That could only mean one thing: Miles was here. All my bravado vanished by the next day after our pizza date, so I left well before I thought he’d be home yesterday and was planning to do the same today.
