Chapter 6: Reinforcements

The rest of my day passed by in a flurry. I tried so hard to focus on my work, but I couldn't stop myself from throwing longing glances at Miranda's office, secretly hoping that I could see him before he left. However, I had made my stand. If he was going to apologize, it was going to be on my terms.

He couldn't just say sorry and everything would be okay, especially when I had started to open myself to other possibilities. My mind was a tangled web, and I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to untangle it.

I avoided Mike for the rest of the day, unsure of my feelings for him. I didn't want to confuse him with any mindless flirtation or sultry glances. I hid in my corner like a coward, and I slithered home smoothly.

"Nice work Leah," I thought to myself.

When I got home, I tossed my bag aside and I laid on the floor, my legs splayed out beneath me.

"Tough day?" Marcella asked, coming in from the kitchen with a tall glass of iced tea.

"The toughest. You would not believe what happened today." I sat up, eager to tell her all about Declan Samuelson, aka hottie number 1.

"YOU wouldn't believe what happened to me today," Marcella said, taking a seat beside me.

"Want to go first?" I ask, in an attempt to save the best story for last.

"I know what you're doing Leah, but sure I'll go first." She got comfortable and continued. "So, remember how you brought up the weekend I spent with my ex last week?"

I flinched, not proud of that very petty moment. "I do."

"Well, what I didn't tell you is that I've been seeing him for a while now." I gasped at the revelation, and she quickly raised her hands in surrender. "I know, I know. Never go back to your ex, but you know how persuasive Alex can be. I could never say no to him."

Well, that explains the late-night phone calls and the sneakiness for the past week. I rolled my eyes at her, knowing that this story wouldn't have a great end to it; not for Alex anyways.

"So," Marcella continued. "Things were going great between us. He asked to get back together and I said yes."

"What?!" I yelled.

"Story time isn't over yet, Leah," she cautioned. "Anyways, I was handling a case today at work, when a woman showed up. Apparently, she's a regular client, the firm usually handles all of her affairs. So, she's newly married and needed to keep track of all her assets to align it with her husband's."

Marcella took a sip of her tea. "We were going through her documents, and there were some of her husband's. Guess whose name and picture were on these documents?"

I perched up. "Nooooo!!" I exclaimed.

"Yes."

"What did you do?"

"Well, he's fortunate I love my job. I couldn't really do much apart from yell at him."

"He got what was coming to him," I said, glad that I had been right about how it ended.

I looked at Marcella. She might have told the story in a lighthearted way, but I knew that she felt too deeply, and she was probably really hurt by it. I wrapped my hands around my best friend, squeezing her tight.

"What's that for?"

"You're just an amazing person, Marcy. Alex is a fool for not recognizing that."

She chuckled and hugged me back; I was glad the ex-drama was over at least.

"So, was my story better than yours?"

"Not a chance, Marcy." We both giggled and I took a sip of her iced tea.

"Hey!" she protested.

I got up from my spot on the floor and began to walk to the kitchen.

"Where are you going? I thought we were trading stories?" Marcella called from the living room.

I grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen and returned. "I went to get snacks."

"Ooh. Come on, spill!" she said as she reached for the chips in my hands.

I took my seat beside her and told her everything that happened today. How Mike asked me out, how Miranda called me into her office to ask me to escort Declan in, how I recognized him, and the short painful conversation we had.

"Oh, my G*d. Your story is definitely better than mine," Marcella said, shoving a chip in her mouth. "Did you call his secretary to set up a meeting?"

"I did," I nodded, recalling the short conversation with her only 2 hours ago.

"When is the meeting?" she mumbled.

I shoved some more food in my mouth and responded absently. "On Thursday."

"At the office?"

"No, he said he'd feel more comfortable in a casual setting." I rolled my eyes. "He's beginning to get under my skin."

"That sounds like a date."

"It's not a date. It's a professional meeting between two employed adults."

"Two employed adults? He's a billionaire, Leah. I'm not even sure how to describe him."

"He seemed quite ordinary to me."

And that was what I liked about him. Even with the shiny shoes and exclusive company, he still seemed like the random guy with the baby blue eyes I'd met at the club. Simple and sweet.

I still wished things were that simple between us. I wished he had showed up that Friday night, that he wasn't a CEO, and that I didn't have to work with him.

"Really, Leah?"

"What?" I whined. "He looked so good today. It was really hard to stay mad at him, but I'm not letting him off easily."

Marcella scoffed loudly, but fortunately, she dropped it, and decided to raise another awkward topic. "What about Mike?"

"Mike?" I asked, avoiding eye contact.

"The guy you agreed to go on a date with?"

"I'm not so sure about that. He seems into me, but I don't know if I feel the same way."

"I guess you'll have answers after your meeting with Declan on Thursday."

Deep down, I had my answers. I knew how things should turn out. The sensible, easier thing to do would be to forget Declan and focus on what I could have with Mike. But I was never one to take the easier path, and I was a bit scared of how things would turn out.

"I guess I will," I said to myself, secretly dreading the inevitable conversation I'd have with Declan in two days.