Chapter 3

My fingers went still, and a chill ran through me.

After I failed to respond, Mark seemed to realize something was wrong.

He texted, "Never mind. It's too much of a hassle to go looking this late. I'm heading home."

I wiped at the corner of my eye and forced myself to calm down.

Then I slowly typed back, "Okay. I'll wait for you. We can finish this when you get back."

Half an hour later, I heard a key turn in the lock. Mark walked in with Rachel right behind him.

As he took off his shoes, he said matter-of-factly, "It's too late to get food anywhere, and Rachel hasn't eaten because she was working. I brought her over so I could make her some pasta."

I didn't buy it, but he seemed to think that was explanation enough. He headed straight into the kitchen.

Rachel and I were alone in the living room.

She broke the silence. "I never would've guessed Mr. Foster was so thoughtful outside of work. He's always so decisive and businesslike at the office, but he even cooks."

I wasn't in the mood to make conversation, so I just nodded. That was all the encouragement she needed.

"Mr. Foster has always looked out for me. Once, I entered the wrong figures for a project, and everyone wanted me held accountable. He took responsibility for the whole thing and helped me revise the proposal from start to finish.

"Another time, I missed a flight on a business trip, and he rearranged the work schedule and rebooked my travel for me."

I had already heard about both incidents, but hearing her recount them made every word sting. I kept my expression neutral and let her talk.

Rachel looked surprised that I hadn't reacted. Clearly, she wasn't done trying to get a rise out of me. When she spoke again, she made no effort to hide it.

"One night, Mr. Foster and I stayed late to finish an urgent project. We were the only ones left on the entire floor. It was freezing, and he was worried I'd get cold, so he gave me his blanket and spent the rest of the night freezing instead."

My heart sank.

"I remember thinking that if Mr. Foster were my boyfriend, I'd marry him on the spot."

Just then, Mark came out of the kitchen carrying two bowls of pasta and caught the end of her comment. He stopped short, his face tightening.

"That's enough, Rachel," he said sharply.

Even he knew she had crossed a line. He looked at me as if he wanted to explain, but I turned away and changed the subject before he could.

"Let's eat," I said evenly.

Mark watched me for a moment. I gave nothing away. Though he looked like he wanted to say something, he held back.

He eventually composed himself and spoke quietly. "You barely ate dinner, so you must be hungry. I made some for you too. Eat before it gets cold."

He set both bowls of pasta on the table. Mine had exactly as many meatballs as Rachel's.

As the meal went on, Mark and Rachel chatted easily about work. They moved from office problems to project updates and upcoming plans, none of which Mark had ever shared with me.

As Rachel talked, it was obvious that he admired her and valued what she had to say. He had never looked at me that way.

I sat beside them in silence, rolling a meatball back and forth through the sauce with my fork. I never took a bite.

When their conversation about work finally ended, the living room fell silent. Mark turned to me at last and offered an explanation for what Rachel had said.

"The heat went out that night, and Rachel was on her period and wasn't feeling well. I'm her supervisor, so of course I made sure she was okay."

He paused before adding, "Don't get the wrong idea."

"I didn't."

He frowned again. That clearly wasn't the answer he wanted.

After a moment, he said, "It's late. I'll take Rachel home first. It's not safe for her to get home by herself at this hour. Whatever you wanted to talk about can wait until I get back."

So now he was worried about safety.

I had worked late more nights than I could count and had asked him to pick me up before. But he had always insisted I go home alone, all because he was afraid someone might see us together.

I simply nodded. "Okay."