The Office Rival: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

Kate opens the door to a sunlit room with a view of a small park. It’s furnished with a double bed and dark wooden dresser that match the floors. There’s a walk-in closet that’s the perfect size to fit all my clothes, not that I have many now since I morphed into a hippopotamus.

“It’s gorgeous. But I wouldn’t be here for long, Kate. With the baby and all, I’ll need to find my own place.”

“That’s totally fine. The room’s always been vacant. The only time it gets used is when my friends from L.A. fly over, but even then, the lot of them prefer to stay at the Waldorf, so they can have a gander at the cute bellhops.”

I wasn’t quite sure what gander means, but I laughed anyway because the bellhops are indeed cute.

We sit in the kitchen and talk for a bit, getting to know each other. Kate is from Manchester and moved here permanently a few years back. She is head of a division in her company and is completely career-obsessed, which she blames for her lack of relationships.

“So, no boyfriend?” I grin, taking a sip of my tea.

“Uh… I wouldn’t call it that. It’s complicated.”

“It could be worse… look at me.”

Kate states she’s dying to know my story, and given that we’re roommates now, I tell her the truth. All of it, holding nothing back.

“Wow! All my friends are married with kids or getting married, except for Vicky. Vicky is a hoot. Did she tell you about our weekend in Atlantic City?”

“That was you?” I laugh.

I remember the story vividly. Vicky and a friend had met these guys at the craps table, and they weren’t shy about letting them know they wanted to spoil them for the whole weekend. They were taken to the fanciest restaurants and showered with lavish gifts. Then when it came time for the intimate dinner in the hotel room, Vicky and Kate both did a runner and checked into another hotel. They even bought wigs in case they ran into them.

When they got to the airport, the men happened to be there and were super pissed. The only thing that saved Vicky and Kate was that the airport security detained the men because of the large amount of cash they were carrying. The girls got on their flight, lucky to get away from them.

“That was me, all right. It was totally hilarious. No partying for you, though. So, if you don’t mind me asking, where’s baby daddy now?”

“Around, somewhere. As I said, we don’t really communicate well.”

“So, is he still getting married? What kinda bird would wanna get hitched after hearing that news?”

“The kinda bird who must really love him, I guess.”

Kate pulls the keys out of her purse and removes a spare from the key ring. “Here you go. Feel free to move your stuff in whenever. I’ll be working late most nights this week because my boss is in town. Maybe you can join us for dinner one night?”

“Sure.” I smile back in return.

With that problem sorted, I focus on packing up my apartment and tying up some loose ends at work before I leave to visit my folks. Haden booked a flight the day after mine and will be staying only for the weekend. He tried to book a motel, but my mother insisted he could sleep in the guestroom. He thought it was very nice of her, but deep down, I knew it was her way of watching him and asking a thousand questions. She reminds me every day that he’s the father, and this is who my child will look up to.

Great, my child will wrestle boars.

The day before I’m scheduled to leave, I am met by an unusual surprise. As I’m just about to grab a quick lunch, I look up and see Eloise standing at my cubicle. Wearing a pale pink knitted top and a gray pencil skirt, she stands proudly in her high patent pumps. Her long blonde hair is parted to one side, and even I have to admit, she is drop-dead gorgeous.

“Hi, Presley. I don’t mean to intrude. I was hoping you were free for lunch?”

Keeping my expression fixed, I smile forcefully and nod my head in agreeance. I wondered if this had been Haden’s idea—get the mother of his child and future wife to bond in order to make his role in all of this easier. I would give her an hour, at most. Then find some pregnant excuse to leave.

We head to some ‘healthy living’ restaurant not too far from the office. Salads aren’t really on my agenda, considering all I can think about is a big fat juicy hamburger and a bowl of syrup on the side. Nevertheless, I order a warm chicken salad. Eloise orders a soup that looks like mushed lawn.

“Haden told me everything,” she opens up. “It was quite a shock, and definitely took me some time to take it all in.”

I remain quiet, not sure where she’s going with this.

“I love Haden. Meeting him was like fate, you know? Everything was just perfect, and he’s just so… I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

Maybe she can’t explain it, but it is written all over her face—that constant glow of happiness, the eyes dancing in delight, the smile that cannot be erased. She’s in love, and here I sit without a man in my life and the very real possibility I will never find love because I’ll be a single moth

er.