His eyebrows lifted. “I’m listening.”
I rubbed my palms against my knees. “I don’t actually have a boyfriend. I made that story up.”
“Oh.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Do you mind if I ask why?”
I twisted my fingers in my lap. “I was nervous and didn’t want to make things awkward.” I laughed at how ridiculous I sounded. “I invented the boyfriend to set some boundaries, and I realize now that I made things worse.”
God, I was so embarrassed.
He exhaled slowly, like he was giving himself a minute to process this latest development. “You lied about having a boyfriend because I make you nervous?”
I looked down at my lap, unable to meet his eyes. “When you say it like that, it sounds crazy and immature.”
Surprisingly, he didn’t seem annoyed or mad. “I’m sorry. I feel awful.”
His expression softened. “No need to apologize.”
A sense of relief spread through my chest. “I don’t like lying.”
That earned me a real smile. “Becca, stop beating yourself up. You felt the need to draw a line, so you drew one. If saying you had a boyfriend made you feel safer and keep things contained and where they should be, then I get it.”
“Thanks for being so understanding about this,” I said, ready to move on from this conversation and get the interview back on track.
He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because I lied and you probably think I’m unprofessional.”
“You did what you thought was best. I think we can both acknowledge that we should keep things work-related.”
He wasn’t very convincing. Or maybe I was overthinking it.
He stood and stretched his arms over his head. It was completely innocent and normal, but it definitely wasn’t making the situation easier. His muscles were defined, and his skin was tanned. It was doing nothing to help my focus.
I cleared my throat, wondering how the hell I was supposed to make it through these next few sessions. “I think we’ve got enough for today.”
That was a lie. I didn’t get half of what I needed, but after my confession and how he reacted, I needed some space to regroup.
He lowered his arms and leaned forward. “Okay.”
I started gathering my things. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. “Good luck with the game, not that you’ll need it.”
That earned me another smile. “Wow. A compliment coming from you. I’ll take it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
I turned for the door, but his voice stopped me in my tracks. “Becca, wait.”
I turned. “Yes?”
He stepped around the desk, allowing his gaze to linger one last time. “For what it’s worth, you were right to draw the line.”
If this were us setting boundaries, I wasn’t sure we were doing it very well.
I thought I would feel better once I told him the truth. Instead, I might have made things ten times more complicated.
CHAPTER 13
BECCA
