Page 29 of The Perfect Heart

Her tone was just as suggestive as the light in her eyes and the curve of her smile.

I stood up, and Nicole backed up a step, but not far enough because we were chest to chest, Nicole peering up at me with her lips slightly parted like she expected me to kiss her. But instead, I crossed my arms and frowned down at her.

“I’m going to tell you this one time, Nicole, one last time. We are in a place of business, and I expect you to be professional. I asked the same of you even when we were dating. And we’re not dating anymore. I’m not sure how I can make that any clearer, but we are done, and I won’t change my mind.”

Nicole’s smile dropped instantly, her eyes rounding, reflecting hurt and shock.

Had she really thought we had some chance? That I was going to run back to her with open arms? That I had somehow realized I missed her when I hadn’t shown anything but professional interest in her since I had broken it off?

“And I want you to leave Halle alone. I know what you did, and I’m not happy about it, but I’m not going to let you go. But if you can’t remain professional, I will have no choice but to let you go.”

The expression of surprise creased into a heated glare, though I could still see an echo of hurt. I hadn’t wanted to hurt Nicole, but I had to end this here and now, once and for all. It couldn’t go on, professionally or personally.

I waited for her to say something, to defend herself or try to press me for a date. Instead, she turned on her heel and stomped out of my office.

Only to run into Halle heading the opposite way.

“Why did you have to come back here?” Nicole hissed as she passed. “Why couldn’t you just stay the hell away?”

And then she was gone, Halle staring after her with a shell-shocked expression. She turned away slowly, her head moving last to fix me with a wide-eyed stare.

“What was that about?” she asked.

I sighed and leaned back against my desk as Nicole had done, rubbing at my face. “Nicole being Nicole,” I answered from behind my hands, unwilling to go into more detail.

When I took my hands away, Halle had come into the office, an odd expression on her face. Had she heard my conversation with Nicole?

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Well—” Halle took another hesitant step toward me, and I closed the distance between us with another step, worry blossoming in my chest, wondering why the hesitation.

“What is it?” I asked gently. “You can tell me.”

Halle took a deep breath, her eyes slipping up to meet mine. “I just want to thank you for all you’ve done since I arrived. I wasn’t sure what would happen when I stepped off the bus. And without you, I still might not be sure. But—”

She paused, and I watched as the word formed on her lips, slowly, hesitantly.

“—Well, you saved me. You did.”

I chuckled, relief flooding through me that something wasn’t wrong. “I didn’t save you. I just gave you a job, that’s all. I needed someone to fill the position.”

Halle shook her head, her ponytail whipping back and forth with the motion. “No, you didn’t just give me a job. First of all, you didn’t have to give me a job. You could have listened to my story, sent me on my way, or told me someone else was looking. It was a gamble.”

“Not a gamble,” I said but fell quiet at the thinning of Halle’s lips.

“It was a gamble because I have no serving experience, especially at a bar. But you didn’t just give me a job. You’ve also been my friend. You’ve been watching out for me, making sure I have what I need, driving me to and from work, and you didn’t have to do any of that, either.”

“Halle—” I started, fumbling for the right words, “—Halle, you’re my best friend. Of course, I would do that for you. And more, and I wouldn’t even hesitate. You know that, right?”

She looked up at me, her lips parted, the deep brown of her eyes enchanting, even in my office’s harsh fluorescent lighting. I had to swallow and ball my hands into fists at my side to keep from bringing them to her face.

Halle swallowed. “No, actually, I didn’t. In all honesty, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t talked to you for five years, and I thought maybe you’d be angry with me, that you wouldn’t want to talk to me, much less help me out somehow.”

“I would never, ever feel that way.” I took the last small step toward her that I could without taking her into my arms, hovering so close I could feel her warmth, so close she had to tip her head back.

So close I only had to dip my head to kiss her soft, inviting mouth, from which I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

“I would never abandon you, Halle. Will never. You’re my best friend. We have too much together to throw it all away.” I forced the words out so I wouldn’t kiss her because a kiss would change everything.