Chapter 5
“How did the interview go?” Sandy asked, while hanging up her coat on the wall hook in the lounge.
It was Tuesday, a full three days after her interview that Saturday morning. And four days since her encounter with Martin, which had happened on Friday night.
She’d had Monday off, and was glad of it. There was so much going on, and she wasn’t sure what to say when she saw Martin again.
Being at the office was like being a sitting duck.
She felt, as she sat at the front desk, that at any moment he might walk in unannounced. She’d checked the calendar to ensure that he didn’t have any appointments that day, but she still felt vulnerable at her computer, facing the door.
Which was why she was in the lounge, even though it was only ten in the morning—far too early for lunch, and only an hour into her shift.
“Oh,” sighed dramatically, swiveling so that she could see her friend. “It was a near disaster.”
Sandy walked to the coffee station and started pouring herself a cup. “Why? Tell me all about it.”
didn’t know how to begin. She felt a blush creep across her cheeks.
Sandy picked up on her hesitation and turned as she poured the coffee.
“Oooooh!” Sandy said, wiggling her eyebrows. “Tell me allllll about it!”
“I don’t know where to start!” said honestly.
Sandy quickly stirred sugar and creamer into her styrofoam cup and then hurried to the round table. She took a seat and leaned forward with her hands wrapped around her little cup, listening eagerly. “Something happened with the sexy guy who bought your building,” Sandy guessed.
couldn’t help but smile.
“Yes,” she said.
Sandy squealed. “I knew it!” she said. “What happened? Did you go out?”
“We… stayed in,” said, emphasizing the words so that Sandy might pick up on her meaning.
Sandy looked confused. “You stayed in?”
sighed. “He stopped by my apartment on Friday night… and didn’t leave until Saturday morning.”
Sandy squealed again and then swatted at ’s arm.
The gesture made laugh.
“Oh my god!” Sandy exclaimed. “! He’s such a catch!”
“A catch and release,” said, her heart tightening with the words.
“What do you mean?” Sandy asked.
“I mean… I’m leaving Sandy. He bought my building. I applied to a job in London. I might be moving.”
“Might,” Sandy said, repeating the word back to . “You also might stay here with us. It’s just an apartment, you know. You don’t have to change your whole life around. Maybe this happened for a reason—to get you to stay.”
felt a touch of anger bubble up in her, and it surprised her. She felt her cheeks flush again, this time with resentment. “Yeah, maybe it’s happening for a reason,” she agreed. “And maybe the reason he’s forcing me to leave my place is so I’ll get out and see the world. Something I’ve been dreaming about and talking about for ten years.”
“Whew,” Sandy said, sitting back in her chair. “You have been talking about this for a long time. The timing of all of this is just so—” she shook her head.
“You don’t have to tell me,” said. She couldn’t believe her luck—to finally have the best sex of her life, with a billionaire no less—all right before leaving the country.
“So, do you think you got the job?” Sandy asked. “What was so ‘near-disaster’ about it?”
recalled her frenzied rush to dress as quickly as possible, chug some more water, and wrap her rat-nested hair into a bun that seemed to cover the mess, at least from the front. She’d swiped red lipstick on her lips and finally found her computer, all by nine fifteen.
“I was running late,” recalled. “Due to… you know… my company.”
Sandy nodded. “I’d have been running late too,” she said. “For that man—mm, mm!”
“But when I logged onto the computer, I didn’t see any missed calls. The doctor—Dr. Norden’s old college roommate—ended calling at twenty after and apologizing profusely for his tardiness.”
“You’re kidding me!” Sandy said with a laugh.
laughed, remembering how relieved she had felt. “I kid you not,” she said.
“And it went well?”
shrugged. “Pretty good, I think. I’ll find out this week some time.”
“I don’t want you to go,” Sandy said with a pout.
sighed, “I know. It wouldn’t be easy, but—”
“I know, I know. Your dream and all.” Sandy finished for her. “What about sexy Martin Cable? What does he think about all of this?”
“I don’t know,” said bitterly. “He hasn’t called.”
“What?” Sandy asked. “Does he have your number? Do you have his? What if—”
They were interrupted by the lounge door opening and a stern looking Dr. Norden poked his head in.
“I hate to break up the gossip session,” he said, cutting Sandy off mid sentence. “But I’ve got a woman in exam room three who needs labs, and there are two families in the waiting room. I don’t know if it’s possible for…”