***

There are many things that I love about my job.  It makes me think, it’s challenging, I’m surrounded by incredibly intelligent people.  On the down side, it is fiercely competitive, and colleagues can be brutal.  In my experience, women are especially catty.  The men I’ve worked with have been driven, and don’t involve a lot of emotion into work.  There’s just no time for it.

But women are a different breed.  What is it with women and drama?

I’m not here to make friends, I have friends, but having an amicable working relationship with my colleagues is preferable.  This hasn’t been a challenge for me for the most part.

Until Carly Lennox.

Carly joined our firm last summer, and she hated me on sight.  She’s really good at plastering a fake smile on her pretty face in front of the bosses, but her eyes are cutting.  She’d give her right tit to throw me under the bus.  I’ve managed to ignore her for the most part because she works on a different team, and I’m thankful.

And then there are days that I just can’t seem to avoid her.

I breeze into the restroom at five pm on Friday afternoon.  It’s the end of the workday, and Nate and I are going to spend a good portion of the weekend together, again.  We’ve spent every night together since Monday, alternating between his place and mine.  We take separate cars to and from work, leaving at different times so we don’t attract any attention.

Pretending Nate is just my boss, acting professional and detached, has begun to wear on my nerves.  I never realized before how often I see him throughout the day.  A few days away from the office to just be us is a welcome reprieve.

“Jules,” Carly sneers as I walk into the large, plush restroom.

“Carly,” I respond, smiling sweetly.  My mom always says, kill ‘em with kindness.  It seems to especially work with the bitchy Carly.

“Plans for the weekend?” she asks and smooths pale pink lip-gloss over her pouty lips.  She really is stunning with naturally curly red hair, big brown eyes, and creamy skin.  She’s super thin, though, with no muscle tone and no boobs.

That’s what you get when you’re a bitch.

“Yes, I have a few,” I respond, deliberately vague.  “You?”

“Oh, I have a date.”  She smirks and looks around, as if she’s about to confide a deep secret and wants to make sure we’re alone.  “With Nate.”

What the fuck?

My face doesn’t change.  I apply my lipstick, smooth my tongue over my front teeth and smirk at her.  “Good luck with that.”

I saunter back out of the restroom, my mind whirling.  Obviously she’s lying.  I have no question that Nate is not seeing her; he spends every free minute with me.

So what’s her game?

I shrug her off and head toward Nate’s office.  He’s requested another “after work meeting” so we can firm up tonight’s plans.

And so he can see me.

It’s really quite ridiculous how addicted we’ve become to each other.  But it feels so damn good.

Walking through the threshold to his office suite, I see that Mrs. Glover isn’t at her desk, so I just continue to Nate’s office door, knock once, and before he can answer, I open the door and breeze right in.

“Sorry I’m late, Mr. McKenna…” the words stop and my world tilts on its axis.

Nate is sitting at his desk, leaned back in his chair, looking up at a very beautiful brunette perched on the edge of his desk, her long legs crossed, black stiletto-clad feet dangling.  She’s wearing a simple, casual maxi-dress.  Nate is scowling up at her.

Her fingers are running down his face.

I want to claw her fucking eyes out.  Nate’s gaze swings to mine when he sees me enter the room and for a brief moment there is a look of surprise, perhaps regret, then he’s his cool, calm, professional self.

Mrs. Glover clambers in after me.

“I’m sorry, Mr. McKenna, I wasn’t at my desk to ask Miss Montgomery to wait.”

“That’s okay, Jenny, Audrey was just leaving.”  He rises from his chair and comes around the desk.  The brunette jumps gracefully off his desk and smiles adoringly up at him but he ignores her, his gray eyes pinned to mine.

I clear my throat and thank the baby Jesus above that I’ve maintained a neutral, professional expression, conscious that Mrs. Glover continues to hover behind me.  “I’m sorry to intrude; I’ll be leaving for the day.”

I turn to leave but he stops me.  “One moment, please.”  He turns to Audrey and says sternly, “The answer is no.  As always.  Don’t come back here.”

She exhales in frustration and looks like a spoiled girl who doesn’t like to be told no.

“Fine.”

She glares at him and turns on her heel to stalk out of the room, pausing by me.  She gives me a cold smile.

“We haven’t met.”  She offers her hand to me and I take it before I hear her say, “I’m Nate’s wife, Audrey McKenna.”

Chapter Eleven

I feel the blood leave my face, but I don’t flinch.  It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

“Hello,” I murmur and shake her hand, then step back, avoiding Nate’s gaze.  I can feel his eyes on me, silently begging me to look at him.

Fuck him.

“Bye babe,” Audrey waves at Nate and saunters out of the room, and I decide to make a hasty escape as Mrs. Glover watches.

“I really do have to go.”  I back toward the door.  “Let’s reschedule our meeting for Monday.”

“Julianne,” I vaguely hear him say my name but I ignore him and walk quickly, and with all the dignity I can muster, with my head up, out of his office.  I know he won’t follow me, not with Mrs. Glover and anyone else still in the office watching.

I use this to my advantage, quickly gather my handbag and jacket and leave the office, just catching the elevator.

What in the name of all that’s holy just happened?

Nate’s married?  Married?

How is that possible?

My hands start to shake with adrenaline, and I just need to get the hell out of here.  Once in my car, I race out of the underground parking lot and fight downtown traffic.  Tears have started to fall, and they piss me off because I never cry, and he’s made me cry twice this week.