Double Dare

She'd been blind to the truth. She'd managed to fall in love with a man without knowing the first thing about him. That's not true. No, it wasn't. The voice of reason just about saved her from cracking up. She knew enough to fall, just not the key link between them. But why hadn't he told her?

There was a solid knock at the door. Her head snapped up and she stared at it. Zac?

"Come in." She said it as loud as she could, quickly grabbing the mouse to close down the web page on her screen.

The door opened but it wasn't Zac, it was Caroline that came in.

Abby breathed again.

Seeing her hunched over the desk, Caroline came over and stood beside her. "I heard about Penny," she said. "That dirty underhanded bitch! I knew she was up to no good, but I never thought she'd stoop so low as to seduce Ed when he was still trying for you."

Caroline looked so disgusted on her behalf that Abby gave a slightly hysterical laugh. Her day was getting more surreal by the moment.

"I just knew there was something funny going on between them." She hitched her skirt up to her knee and sat on the corner of the desk, reaching out to put a reassuring hand on Abby's arm, as if she was standing by her in the face of treachery. "I did try to warn you about her. She was always jealous of you." She rolled her eyes. "Ed should have known better. Men!" She ducked down and peered at Abby closely. "You need to cheek your mascara, sweetie, it's smudged."

"Oh, thanks." Abby snatched a pocket mirror from her top drawer and rubbed away the smudges.

"Now, are you going to be okay with them being there during this meeting?"

Abby put down the mirror and gave her a dazed smile. "Thanks, Caroline. I think I'll cope with Penny and Ed." It was then that she realized they were all going to be in this meeting together. Penny, the underhanded bitch, Ed, who wanted her to be heartbroken, Tom, the leering boss, and Zac. Zac, the man she'd been working for all this time—unknowingly, while falling desperately in love with him. What a bizarre collection of personnel it would be.

She felt light-headed, slightly drunk at the prospect of standing in front of them all, speaking about the serious business of investment and return, to a bunch of onlookers with personal investments of a different kind. The financial stakes weren't the only ones to be concerned about.

"Listen," Caroline said, "I could sit in on the meeting. Tom hasn't asked me to do so specifically, but I could be there for you, for moral support."

Why not? She could certainly do with an ally. "That would be great. Thanks Caroline, I'd appreciate it."

"Good girl, I'll be right there for you." She squared her shoulders as she stood up.

"Could you tell them I need another couple of minutes? I just need to clear my head."

Caroline nodded. "You take all the time you need, honey. Make them wait, the backstabbing bastards." And with that tender sentiment, she headed for the door.

When she reached it, she turned back. "You'll be fine, and just wait until you get a look at the client. He'll take your mind off it." She winked. "This guy is totally gorgeous." She waved her hand in front of her face to indicate his heat level.

Abby gave a weak smile and continued to stare at the door after Caroline had gone, trying to imagine herself walking out through it herself, with true confidence. As she did so, the door sprang open again and Suzanne ran into the office, hair awry, bag clutched in her hand, her jacket done up all wrong.

"Blimey. It's like Piccadilly Circus in here," Abby mumbled to herself in disbelief.

"Abby, oh Abby, I'm so sorry." Her eyes were puffy and red. She looked as if she'd been crying. She slammed the door shut behind her.

Abby stood up, clutching at her desk for support. "What is it?"

"Nathan, he told me everything, he confessed that he only came here and met me because he wanted to find out about you, for Zac."

Abby's eyebrows shot up. "Nathan? The guy you've been seeing is Nathan?" She stared at Suzanne, incredulous.

"Yes." Her cheeks flamed. She looked mortified. "He came here with papers for you last week. I asked him out for a drink and, well...things went from there. But he's just told me this morning that he works for the other guy, Zac." She pointed at the closed door behind her, as if they were all standing right outside it. "And he said that Zac was worried about you lying to him, or something." She frowned, clearly confused.

"Go on," Abby urged, swallowing down her rising urge to run away. She was not only freaked out by what Suzanne was saying, but more than a little unnerved by the way she kept pointing at the closed door.

"He said it didn't mean anything bad." She ruffled her hands through her hair, her eyes squeezed shut. "Damn, I wish I'd listened properly when he was trying to explain." She looked at Abby. "I walked out on him."

Behind her, the door crashed open. Abby clutched the desk and watched in disbelief as yet another person charged in. Incredibly, Nathan himself stood in the middle of her office.

"Jesus," he declared. "This place is a maze. I thought I'd never find you." He ran at Suzanne, who immediately folded her arms across her chest defensively and turned away, lips pursed.

Abby dropped into her chair. If one more person walked into the room, she was definitely out of here. Not one hour ago she thought her life was sorted. Now it was in total chaos.