The Spanish Love Deception

Chapter Three

This wasn’t how I had pictured my evening going.

It was late, InTech’s headquarters had mostly emptied, I had at least four or five hours of work ahead of me, and my stomach was rumbling so loudly that I suspected it was about to start eating itself.

“Estoy jodida,” I said under my breath, realizing how screwed I really was.

One, because the last thing I had eaten was a sad green salad that clearly turned out to be a big mistake as much as it had seemed the most sensible idea, having the wedding a total of four weeks away. Two, I didn’t have any snacks at hand and no change for the vending machine downstairs. And three, the PowerPoint slide on my laptop screen was still blinking at me, half-empty.

My hands fell on my keyboard, hesitating over the keys for a full minute.

A text pinged from my phone, drawing my attention. Rosie’s name flashed on the screen. I unlocked it, and an image immediately popped open.

It was a photo of a luscious flat white, topped by a beautiful milk foam rosette. Beside it, there was a triple-chocolate brownie that shamelessly glinted under the light.

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Rosie: You in?

She didn’t need to specify the plan or send me the address. That feast could only belong to Around the Corner, our favorite coffee shop in the city. My mouth started immediately salivating at the thought of being in that caffeinated safe haven on Madison Avenue.

Muffling a groan, I wrote back.

Lina: I’d love to, but I’m stuck at work.

Three dots jumped on the screen.

Rosie: You sure? I saved you a seat.

Before I could type back a reply, another text came through.

Rosie: I got the last brownie, but I’ll share. Only if you get here quickly. I’m not made of steel.

I sighed. Definitely better than the reality of working extra time on a Wednesday evening but …

Lina: I can’t. I’m working on the Open Day stuff I told you about. I’m deleting that photo, BTW. Too tempting.

Rosie: Oh no. You didn’t tell me more than the fact that you were stuck with it. When’s it taking place?

Lina: Right after I’m back from Spain. *bride emoji* *skull emoji*

Rosie: I still don’t get why you have to do it. Aren’t you swamped with work?

Yep. That was exactly what I should have been doing, the job I was paid to do. Not organizing an open-doors day that served as an excuse to show around a bunch of suits that I’d have to feed, babysit, and be extra nice to. Whatever the hell that meant. But complaining wouldn’t get me anywhere.

Lina: *unamused emoji* It is what it is.

Rosie: Yeah, well, I don’t like Jeff all that much right now.

Lina: I thought you said he was a silver fox. *smirking emoji*

Rosie: I said, objectively. And he can look good for a 50-year-old and still be a jerk. You know I seem to find those particularly attractive.

Lina: You kinda do, Rosie. That Ted was a total assface. Happy you two are not a thing anymore.

Rosie: *poo emoji*

The texts stopped coming long enough for me to think our conversation was done. Good. I needed to work on this crappy—