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“And he’d always answered my calls. Even if he just picked up and said, ‘Can I call you back?’ Then suddenly it was ringing a lot, or I’d get sent straight to voicemail.”
My heart thudded.
“Anyway, I should’ve seen it coming. But I didn’t. And I’ve spent a lot of time over the last year thinking, if I didn’t see it with Will, why would I see it with anyone else? And that made me keep my distance from men.”
“That’s understandable.”
“But they’re not all like that, right?”
I swallowed. I had no idea who’d picked up Rafe’s phone yesterday.
“No, I’m sure they’re not.” I hadn’t had much interaction with Rob in contracts, but he’d seemed pleasant enough when I asked him a question once. So I pushed out a smile. “Rob seems like a nice guy.”
Serena’s smile resurfaced. “He does, doesn’t he?”
I nodded.
“Well, I just told you that story about my ex without crying into my salad. So I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be to put myself back out there.” She pointed her fork at me. “And Rob has nice hair, so I’m going to do my best not to punish him for another man’s crime.”
I smiled, attempting to come off as hopeful as Serena was, though I was losing faith in my own relationship faster than the minutes of the day ticked by. “That’s the spirit.”
She shoved a piece of chicken into her mouth. “What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
Was I? I wasn’t sure at the moment. But rather than explain my disaster of a life, I nodded. “Yeah.”
“College sweetheart, right?”
My eyes widened.
She grinned. “Sorry. The office gossip train moves pretty fast.”
So fast that my relationship had ended and the next one might’ve, too. But I didn’t have the energy to tell her my tale of woe.
“Yeah. We met in college.”
Serena and I finished lunch talking about safer things—why a salad in New York City is twenty-two dollars, who was the worst boss in the office, and the rumors that one of the company’s biggest authors was being wooed by another publisher. Even so, by the time we stepped back into the building, my social battery was drained.
“Thanks for letting me tag along,” Serena said. “Let’s do it again soon.”
“Definitely. And good luck on your date.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I think I need it. I’m out of practice.”
I watched her walk down the hall to her desk, then sat at mine, tucked my purse into the drawer, and checked my phone.
No missed calls.
No texts.
I told myself Rafe was different than Serena’s ex. But it was hard to believe everyone didn’t have the ability to cheat when I’d never imagined I could.
Who the hell was that woman who answered his phone?
Maybe she worked with him.
Maybe he’d been busy creating his art, and she was part of the marketing team he’d been meeting with, or someone from the gallery.
But then…why hadn’t he called me back? Or answered my text.
