RaineyThe next day I woke up for work with a ball full of nerves in my stomach. When Tanner went to bed last night, Mom tried to talk to me about my day but I was in such a peaceful state of mind because of my son, I told her it wasn’t a big deal. I promised to talk to her after work today. I’d have a resolution by the end of the day.I got myself and Tanner ready for the day before dropping him off downstairs with my parents.On the train, I reminded myself why I had been so angry with Michael. He lied to me about his relationship with the woman who owned the lodge, and he flaunted it right in front of me. And Tessa’s words came into my mind. If I wasn’t willing to open up to Michael as someone more than just a boss about my son, then he probably wasn’t the one for me. It was as simple as that.Last night I thought I’d march right up to him when he came in that morning and tell him how I felt. But when it came down to it, I hadn’t done anything wrong. He was the one who should apolo

MichaelIt had been exactly a week since Rainey and I had our little confrontation. I knew that because I made little marks on my calendar for each day. The morale in the office suffered for maybe a day, but Rainey’s mood picked up significantly by the end of last week. I suspected her need to keep things professional outweighed her attitude with me at work.I’d come in fresh off the weekend to her wearing a sheer cream colored shirt. As I came closer to her, I could see the outline of her breasts. I remembered touching them when we were at the lodge. And with one look, I found myself back to thinking of us together.I hated the way we ended things between us. I had wanted nothing more than to start a relationship with her but apparently, I read all the signals wrong. I’d explained myself about Natalia, so what was her hesitation? What was she hiding?I wasn’t the type to be paranoid, but I’d kept a good eye on her and noticed she kept taking mysterious phone calls and slipping away t

RaineyWhile the relationship between Michael and I had been strained over the past week, today had been one of the better days. After working with him on some of the last-minute paperwork for the charity event, I felt good about our professional relationship going forward. He acted like a boss and not the man I’d almost slept with. I hoped that we’d be able to continue on that path in the future.My curiosity about his conversation got the best of me. Which was why I called Tessa on the way home from work to go out to Kadia that night. I wasn’t sure what I was thinking, but I had to find out more about Michael’s secret phone calls. I wanted to put my mind at rest once and for all to see if Michael really had something going on with Natalia or some other girl.At least then, I’d be able to let him go. Working in such proximity made it so hard to ignore his good looks. Since he agreed to break off whatever we were doing, it had to be for another woman. Otherwise, why did he agree to th

MichaelI spotted Rainey by the bar the moment I arrived. I had a feeling she’d be at the club tonight, especially because she feigned interest in the conversation I’d had with Frederick earlier. I knew she was still suspicious of me, so I wanted nothing more than to prove her wrong when I got the chance.I forced myself not to look down at the dance floor. I wanted Rainey to see me first, then think she had the upper hand. I’d make my move after I got the information from Frederick.Natalia was already there when I arrived. Frederick had a sixth sense about her ever since we were kids. The two of them flirted incessantly, and I frequently felt uncomfortable around them, feeling as if I were a third wheel most of the time. I had been in the brief time they dated in their twenties. Thankfully the breakup was mutual, and we all remained good friends.Natalia and Fredrick were speaking to each other; their faces were close together. I hoped I wasn’t interrupting anything.“Fredrick,” I s

RaineyThe next morning, the sound of Tanner calling for me woke me from a dead sleep. Years after he was born, I always swore I heard him calling me in the middle of the night even when he was in his bed, fast asleep.I sat up, and my heart was racing. Then I felt it. A throbbing pain radiated in the front of my forehead, deep inside my brain.I glanced at the clock. It was a few minutes before my alarm.I groaned and pressed the heels of my hands against my head. I was never drinking again. The beers should have been enough, but Tessa insisted we had shots too.“Mommy!” Tanner cried.“Coming!” I called back. I rolled off the bed and realized I was still wearing the shirt from last night. My pants were crumpled pile on the floor. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with Tanner, so I threw on my robe and jogged out to the hallway toward his room.“What’s going on, honey?” I asked, coming into his room. The walls tilted at a strange angle, and I grabbed onto the dresser to steady myself. It w