Kian

Message received. I would keep my mouth shut, so I took another sip of my coffee instead.

After a second’s pause of silence, Erica continued, more quietly, “So, yeah, that was why I was upset. Susan wasn’t going to tell me. She was going to have her assistant do the background questions.”

“That other reporter is out?”

“Susan got her completely kicked off the project. It’s a big scoop for Susan. She tried saying that it got moved up a day because of his team’s request, but she could’ve told me. This is all we’ve been working on for the last month.” The ends of her mouth pinched together, and the lines around her eyes strained. “But we’re doing a meeting today to go over everything one last time. She knows that I got you on the approved list to be my assistant, so you have to be there.”

“I have to work.”

“You have to get out of it.”

“But—” I remembered launching myself at that couple and the woman’s threats that she was going to get me canned. On second thought…

I lifted a shoulder. “I could call in sick.”

“Perfect.” Erica beamed at me. “Okay, the meeting starts at three, so when you come to the building, just text me. I’ll come down and grab you in the lobby.”

I nodded. “Sounds go—”

The door slammed shut, and it was down to two. I glanced at Wanker. He stared back at me over the coffee pot.

He grimaced, his hand moving to his stomach. He muttered, “I should’ve held off on the coffee.”

“Too soon?”

He stood, passing me the pot, and he headed for the other pot. “Much too soon. Much.”

A second door was slammed shut, leaving me alone.

I said under my breath, “And it’s down to one, folks.”

When the barfing sounds started, that was my cue to leave, but first, I needed to make that phone call. Paul wouldn’t believe me, not if that woman had already called or even if she’d call later. He’d know I was lying, but I wanted to avoid that storm, even though I’d be going into a different one.

After putting the coffee cup into the sink, I headed for my bedroom with my phone in hand when Wanker opened the bathroom door behind me. The toilet was flushed before he turned off the sink.

He returned to the couch, wiping wet hands over his mouth. “Sorry. I…sorry you had to hear that.”

“You going to be okay?”

He didn’t answer that question. Instead, he leaned back against the couch. “I know she was with someone last night.”

Oh, whoa.

I shrank back against my bedroom doorframe.

He lightly rubbed his hand over his stomach. “It’s why I came over. I had to see for myself. I think that’s why I felt sick.” He cringed, turning a light shade of green. “Or why I felt sicker.”

He looked up at me. He didn’t know, no matter if he’d said he did. I knew he didn’t, and in that one look at me, he was checking for confirmation. I steeled myself, ready for his inspection, but when those eyes met mine, I wasn’t prepared for the sadness there.

He was speaking the truth. He really did know.

My shoulders relaxed. “I’m sorry, Wanker.”

He waved me off. “Nope. Trust me, I get it. She doesn’t have those feelings for me. She made that perfectly clear.”

With his shoulders slightly drooped, he got up and went to the sink. He dumped out the rest of the coffee that he hadn’t drunk and washed the cup. He dried it, too, and then put it back inside the cupboard. All the while, he didn’t look at me. I didn’t talk. I had no idea what to say. I still didn’t as he collected his keys, wallet, and phone.

Going to the door, he paused before opening it. His back remained toward me. “I think,” he started, his voice low, “it’s time I pull away a little bit. She should be able to have a guy over and not worry that her best friend might drop in and get jealous.”

“Wanker.” I took a step toward him.

He waved me back, still turned away. “Watch out for her when she’s doing that interview, would you? That guy is dangerous.”

I let out a silent sigh. “Yeah, I will.”

“And can you not say anything to her? About what I just said to you.” He glanced over his shoulder to me. The pain was evident. His eyes were stricken.

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat.

“Thank you.”

Then he was gone.

I wasn’t sick, but I did feel a little ill when I got to Erica’s news building. When I got inside, I let the front desk person know who I was and five minutes later, Erica was calling my name from a side door.

I hurried over and hissed, “You guys aren’t ordering food, are you?”

She turned and started up the stairs but frowned over her shoulder to me. “Uh, yeah. We usually do if the meeting goes long. Why? We’ll order for you, too. You don’t have to worry about paying.”