Chapter 2

I went to Natalie's office.

In the elevator, I ran into Ryan first.

He recognized me right away and held out his hand with a smile.

"Mr. Jensen, I'm Ryan Leach, Ms. Dillon's assistant."

Calm. Confident. Way too comfortable.

He hit the button for our floor, then stepped back beside me.

Halfway up, he took a call.

"Natalie? She usually skips lunch. Just coffee. She's used to it."

After he hung up, he smiled at me.

"Here to have lunch with Natalie?"

The elevator doors opened.

I didn't answer.

Natalie was in her office, buried in paperwork.

I set the lunch container on her desk.

"You don't eat lunch?"

"Sometimes I get too busy."

Ryan knocked and walked in with a stack of documents.

His eyes flicked to the lunch box, and he smiled.

"That's thoughtful. Natalie said she was craving baked ribs the other day, and you made them."

My hand froze halfway to serving her one.

Natalie kept her head down and ate.

After Ryan left, it was just us.

"He knows you pretty well."

"Who?"

"Mr. Leach. He knows you skip lunch. Knows you only drink coffee."

She set down her fork.

"Jake, he's my assistant. Knowing my work habits is part of his job."

"Is it?"

"What are you thinking now? My heart only has room for you."

She sighed and went back to eating.

That night, she worked until ten.

I brought fruit into the study.

Her phone screen lit up.

Ryan had sent a selfie.

Right in front of me, she flipped the phone facedown.

"It's work."

"I didn't ask."

I set down the fruit and walked out.

My hand stayed on the doorknob for two seconds.

She never called me back.

***

On Sunday, Natalie said she'd make up for our anniversary.

At the restaurant, the hostess smiled.

"Ms. Dillon, your usual table?"

The second booth by the window.

So she'd been here before.

More than once.

After we sat down, I looked at the empty seat across from her.

"Have you brought someone else here?"

She paused while pouring my water.

"Clients. Why?"

"Nothing. It's a nice table."

When she came back from the restroom, she served me a rib.

"Natalie, does it ever feel like someone's between us?"

Her hand stopped for half a second as she cut the steak.

Then she kept going.

"Who? Why ask that out of nowhere?"

"Nothing. Just wondering."

She placed the steak on my plate.

After dinner, her phone lit up.

She angled away to reply.

From the corner of my eye, I caught the screen.

[Natalie, see you tomorrow.]

She sent back a sticker.

Then she locked her phone and took my hand.

"Let's go."

She led me forward.

I looked down at our hands.

Our fingers were still intertwined.

Under the streetlights, our shadows stretched across the sidewalk, one behind the other.

I thought back to the first time she held my hand like that.

We were eighteen.

Back then, every time I closed my eyes, I saw only my own face in her heart.

Now, I closed my eyes and brushed my fingers over her wrist.

The same two faces appeared.

Mine.

Ryan's.

Neither one was winning.

Natalie looked back at me.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Nothing."

I caught up.

She squeezed my hand.

It felt natural.

Just like it always had.

But I knew.

Nothing was the same anymore.