Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“No, it can wait until he gets back.” Dylan moves closer. “Right in the center of the storm, aren’t you?” He doesn’t wait for an answer before he continues talking. “It’s a good thing that you said no if you weren’t comfortable being on TV.” He laughs. “I don’t know many women who would say no to the spotlight.”
I shrug not knowing if that makes me suspicious or admirable. “I hope I didn’t let Jace down.”
Dylan shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter. What is important is that you didn’t do something that you weren’t comfortable doing.”
“Thanks,” I mumble unable to embrace the compliment.
“Don’t worry,” Dylan continues. “This will blow over and life will go back to normal. It always does.”
My life will never go back to normal. Not when I leave the clinic and Jace’s life. “I’m sure it will.”
He leaves soon after. Amelia texts me an hour later.
Amelia: Come to the office at six. It’s very important. #exciting.
I frown. Whatever it is, it must be huge to get Amelia so excited. A feeling of dread settles in my stomach.
Jace comes back from his meeting looking even more stressed but I don’t ask him what the matter is. I don’t feel like I have the right to anymore. Maybe I’m also starting to withdraw unconsciously, knowing our time together is coming to a close.
Chapter 29: Olivia
I brace myself for Jace to come out of his office. He’s going for the TV interview and he hasn’t left his office since he returned from the lunch meeting. The door opens and I freeze. Jace doesn’t head down the corridor. He comes to my desk. I look up from my computer with a smile.
“Dinner tonight? I’ll cook…or rather, I’ll order food,” he says with that boyish smile that melts my inside.
I want to say yes so badly. I’ve missed him and it feels as if in a matter of hours we’ve grown apart. I don’t want it to end this way. The only problem is that I have no idea what Amelia wants and how long I’ll be at the office.
“I’d love to but I can’t,” I tell him with real regret in my voice. I scramble to come up with an excuse. Or rather a lie. God, I hate this. There’s a part of me that will be glad when the assignment comes to an end. Even though I’ll lose Jace, at least I’ll stop living a lie.
I’ve also learned that I’m not cut out for undercover work. I’d rather request interviews rather than pretend to be someone I’m not. I would not be surprised if I have had new wrinkles since I started working at The Anderson Clinic.
“Oh,” Jace says, raising his eyebrow questioningly.
“I’m going to Marcus’s for dinner. We arranged it days ago and they’re really been looking forward to it.” I hate that I can lie so convincingly. It’s not a nice thing to learn about yourself.
Jace nods stiffly. “No problem. Enjoy yourself.” He turns and leaves without so much as a kiss or any show of affection.
Pain ripples through me as I watch Jace disappear down the corridor and listen as his footsteps fade away. Tears fill my eyes. It’s nothing less than what I deserve but it still hurts. I wipe my tears and open my personal email. I find one of the articles that I’m working on and lose myself in it.
Work is a life saver and it keeps me occupied until it’s time to leave for my meeting with Amelia. I clean up and grabbing my purse, I leave. I pretend to be in a rush so I don’t have to talk to anyone on my way out.
Twenty minutes later, I’m parking my car at the rear lot of the building. I glance up and down the street before ducking into the safety of the building.
The lift deposits me on the lifestyle floor and as I stroll in, I feel proud. I love that I work here and that I have a career that I’m passionate about. It’s not where I want it to be but time and hard work will get me there. What I’ve been doing for the last two months and a half at The Anderson Clinic is my stepping stone to get there.
“Hey, Olivia,” James, one of the staff writers at the magazine, calls out as I walk through the open-plan office.
I wave back and go straight to Amelia’s office. I knock gingerly on her door and she calls me to enter. My stomach clenches with apprehension, which always happens when I’ve no clue what my boss wants with me.
Amelia smiles at me and I instantly relax. Whatever it is, it’s not bad.
“Hi, come on in and have a seat,” she says.
“Thanks.” I sit down and while she finishes up on what she was doing, I take in her office and imagine myself in her place. It doesn’t excite me. All I’ve ever wanted to do was to write. I’d hate to be the boss of Lifestyle magazine. All I want is the opportunity to write the kind of stories I love writing.