I stood slowly, smoothing my skirt down, still watching him.
He’d already looked back at his screen, typing again. I walked to the door, hand resting on the handle. Then I turned back, smiling.
“Love you too!”
And I ran out the door laughing before he could say anything else.
THAT’S WHAT YOU GET
Marlon.
I couldn’t even lookat her anymore.
Not without ourlast conversation playing in my head. I haven’t been sleeping either and that wasn’t helping my mood.
The cup of coffee Lav had waiting for me when I walked in this morning was still warm and untouched. I couldn’t be bothered to drink it. I couldn’t be bothered to do anything with Aurora in the room.
So I kept my focus on the papers in front of me, pen tapping against the margin while she spoke.
“And if we stagger the vendor payments across two quarters, we won’t feel the full impact upfront,” she explained, standing at the head of the table. “That gives us room to expand the event series without cutting staff or lowering quality.”
Then she moved as she talked, flipping through her notes. I glimpsed her and —
“I might be in love with you.”
Shit.
I tightened my grip on the pen slightly, forcing my attention to stay on the page.
“Mr. Sinclair?” one of the board members prompted. “Do you agree with the projection?”
“I do,” I said without looking up. “As long as we stay within the revised budget?—”
“We will,” Aurora cut in immediately. “I already accounted for that. If anything, we’re under.”
She always came prepared now. Like she wanted to engage in arguments with me. But I’ll let her have it.
I nodded once, still not looking at her. “Then proceed.”
There was a pause and shift in the room.
They noticed. They always noticed when something between us felt off.
“Any concerns?” another voice asked.
“No,” I said. “She covered it.”
Silence again, followed by the stiff movement of papers shifting and chairs adjusting. The meeting continued, but I stayed locked into my notes because the second I let myself look at her, I’d feel it.
That pull.
That quiet urge to acknowledge her the way I used to without thinking about it.
The access I had that I took for granted. It wasn't an option anymore. So I kept my eyes down and let her lead. A few papers shifted down the table as the presentation moved forward. The tension didn’t leave, but it settled just enough for everyone to pretend things were normal again.
Otis leaned back in his chair, flipping his pen between his fingers. “So… we still not naming this shed?”
A few quiet chuckles circled the table.
