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We squeeze into a table that’ll fit just two. This is always a busy place for lunch. And loud. Chatter fills the air from every direction.
I bite into my roast beef sandwich and moan. I could eat this sandwich every day, it’s that good. Bryn laughs at me, and I shrug. I can’t help it.
I swipe my mouth with my napkin before I ask, “So, why did you sound so urgent on the phone?”
She just stuck a fork full of salad in her mouth, so she holds up a finger. I laugh. “Sorry. Why does that always seem to happen?”
She takes a quick drink of her tea and then laughs. “I know, right? So, do you know Ned?”
I twist my lips and think. Ned? Hmm … I shake my head when I can’t place the name.
“He works with me. Stiff asshole and not very good looking.”
“Oh, him,” I say, laughing. “I guess I never knew his name. But hey, he’s the one who was on the elevator with me and Aiden on Monday and get this … he leaned over and told me that Aiden wasn’t worth it on his way out.” I had forgotten all about him after our lunch that day.
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, that’s him.”
“So, is he always an asshole? Aiden was about to kill him.”
“Well …” she says, grimacing, “I’m pretty sure once he hears what he said, he’ll still want to kill him.”
My eyes go wide. “What did he say?”
She crinkles her nose. “He, um … he told people that Aiden and Harper, are um … having an affair.”
I jerk back. “What?” I say loudly. People around us stop talking and look our way. “Why the hell would he say that?”
“You know it’s not true.”
I do. I know that Aiden would never cheat on me. Well, I hope he’d never cheat on me. I’m not stupid. I know it’s always a possibility, but after all we’ve been through, it’s not happening right now.
“Addison, that man loves you. I mean really loves you. The love you hear about in Cinderella stories.”
I chuckle at her comparison. “I know he loves me, but people have been acting weird the last couple days. Do you think they’ve heard this rumor and are afraid to tell me?” This has to be it. Poor Harper. Oh, my! If she’s heard the rumor, she’ll be so upset.
“How did you find out?” I ask her.
“Unfortunately, I heard from someone down in records.” I wince. If it has gotten to the second floor, it has gotten around. “So, I went straight to the rotten bastard and confronted him about it. He said he saw it himself. He said it happened on the elevator on Monday,” her voice lowers.
I think back to Monday and laugh. “I’m not exactly sure what he saw, but Monday Aiden and I were having sex in my apartment at lunch and then we both went back to work. Then after work, he came over for dinner with me and Lexi and stayed until bedtime. I’m not sure when he saw them, but it didn’t happen,” I say, using air quotes.
Her smile spreads across her face. “Why are you smiling?”
She sighs dreamily, sitting back in her chair. “I want a boyfriend to come sweep me off my feet and have sex with me for lunch.” I run my finger around my water glass thinking back to Monday and his tie. Blush spreads across my face when I meet Bryn’s eyes. “See? I want that, whatever just made your whole body light up.”
“You’re beautiful, Bryn. Why don’t you have a boyfriend?” I take a drink from my water, hoping we can move to a different conversation.
She waves her hand around. “Men suck,” she declares. “I don’t sleep around, so that eliminates half the male population right there. I’m intelligent and independent so that takes care of a huge chunk of men who want needy women, and I won’t chase a man so there’s the rest.” She shrugs. “I’m going to end up being the cat lady.”
“Do you have cats?”
“No! I hate cats,” she huffs. “Well, not really hate, just really allergic to them.”
“Well, then you really can’t be the cat lady,” I tease.
She throws a chip at me. “You know what I mean.”
“I think you just haven’t met the right one,” I say, tossing the chip back at her.
