I sigh.Of course he does.I don’t know exactly how he found out—whether Euan mentioned something on his phone call the other day or if the dungeon master really did take my photo—but he obviously knows I’m with Euan now. I just don’t know howmuchhe knows. “Look, it was after the breakup.”
“What?”
The line shifts and we both shuffle forward a few steps.
“And you don’t really have a right to be upset,” I mutter defensively. “Youbroke up withhim.”
Nick stares at me, bewildered. “We are having two different conversations.”
I frown and open my mouth to ask what he wants to talk about, but then the cashier calls me forward. I pay for my things and move off to the side, not sure what to do. If I’m quick, I could put some distance between us and head straight back to my office. Unless he wants to literally chase me down the hall, I could beat him there, close the door, and avoid this conversation for a little while longer.
But Nick’sconfusion is confusing me. If he doesn’t want to discuss the timeline of my relationship with Euan, whatdoeshe want to talk about?
“This sounds like a private conversation,” Nick says as he joins me.
“Come on, we’ll talk in my office.”
It’s a long, awkward walk back. Neither of us try to make small talk. Jasmine is at her desk, headphones on while she reviews the invoices for this week. Felix is probably eating lunch off campus. I invite Nick into my office and close the door. I don’t typically eat in here but all the breakrooms around campus are open concept to ‘foster friendship between coworkers.’ Or because the college wanted to pay for fewer walls.
I sit behind my desk while Nick sits on the other side. It should give me a little sense of control but mostly it offers the temptation to hide again. “You first,” I insist since I already blundered this interaction.
“Do you supervise any student clubs?” Nick asks as he opens his salad and the packet of dressing.
Definitely not the conversation I expected.“Not right now.”
He pours the dressing onto his salad, then closes the box and begins shaking it while he talks. The contents rattle around, shockingly loud for a bunch of leaves, toppings, and chicken. When he finally stops, he smiles and asks, “Sound good?”
I blink at him. “What?”
He sighs and sets the container down. “Damn, the distraction method usually works. Do you know how many people nod along just because they didn’t hear what I said?”
It’s my turn to stare at Nick in confusion. He’s certainly not what I expected. When he first sought me out, I thought he was some sort of scorned lover looking to put his ex’s new paramour in their place. Apparently, I hid under my desk for nothing. “What is this all about?”
“Clubs,” he repeats. “At least, on my end. I’m supervisingfiveright now because no one else wants to, so I’m looking for a sacrificial lamb—I mean, someone to help out.”
I shake my head. “I don’t really have time for—”
Nick talks right over me, counting the clubs off on his fingers, “You could take over anime, video games, or paranormal investigation. I’ll keep the book and pride clubs, of course, but if you really insist, we can co-supervise—”
I hold up a hand to stop him. “So you’re not here about Euan.”
Nick stares at me, his eyebrows slowly climbing toward his perfectly coiffed hair. “Euan who? My Euan?”
“He’s not yours,” I snap before I can think better of it.
The light bulb flashes and Nick gasps. “You dirty liar! You weren’t really sick yesterday, were you? You were playinghooky.”
What was the point of avoiding him when I’m the one revealing the relationship anyway?I rub a hand down my face. “I thought the dungeon master told you about me.”
“Who, Gio? They told me they saw Euan with some blond, but they didn’t know who you were.”
Right, because it’s not like I shared my name and place of employment with the random sex shop worker.“Can we forget I said anything?”
“Absolutely not. You obviously know I dated Euan, or you wouldn’t bring it up at all. Which begs the question: how long have you two known each other? Because he never said ‘oh, by the way, I’m friends with your coworker.’ Damn, if I knew he had someone else to visit in town, I wouldn’t have worried about him as much. Did you know I stayed up all of Saturday night, waiting for him to text me back to make sure he was okay?”
“You mean after you dumped him?” I snap.
Nick flinches. “Okay, so I know it looks bad—actually, no!” He straightens up and scowls at me. “I refuse to be put on the defensive by my ex-boyfriend’s mistress.”
