Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 102781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 514(@200wpm)___ 411(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
But when I looked up, with the phone cradled between my shoulder and ear, Bennett was standing in my doorway. I smiled.
Until the voice on the other end of the line came through the receiver.
“Anna? Hey. I figured you might still be at the office.”
Andrew.
I don’t know why, but I panicked. “Ummm… Yeah. I’m still here. Hang on one minute.” I held the phone pressed against my chest and spoke to the man currently ogling me from the doorway. “It’s my mom. I’ll just be a few minutes.”
Bennett nodded. “Take your time. Give me your keys. I’ll pull your car around the front so we can load your presentation stuff in when you’re done.”
I fished inside my purse, hoping he didn’t notice the flush creeping up my face. Luckily, he didn’t seem to. He took the keys and kissed my forehead before leaving my office. I waited, listening to his footsteps fade until they were in the distance, and for the sound of the front door of our offices opening and closing.
I lifted the phone back to my ear.
“Hi. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“Did I catch you at a bad time?”
I sat down. Was there ever a good time for an ex to call out of the blue? “I’m just getting ready to leave. What’s up?”
“Still working too late, I see.” He was teasing, but I wasn’t in the mood for small talk.
“I’m actually heading out to get some dinner. So I need to make this fast, Andrew. What’s going on?”
“Dinner as in a date?”
That pissed me off. I huffed. “I really need to go.”
“Okay. Okay. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be joining Lauren and Trent for your dinner tomorrow night.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to see you.”
“What for?”
Andrew sighed. “Please, Annalise.”
“This is a business dinner. Last time I checked, you had no interest in your family’s business.”
“I’m still a shareholder. And I’ve been helping out over there the last few months—revamping copy for the catalog and stuff.”
His parents had always wanted him involved in the family business, but Andrew had stuck his nose in the air when they’d suggested he take a role that involved writing in their empire. Anything but literature was beneath him.
“Fine. Whatever. I need to run.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you.”
The feeling was not mutual. “Goodbye, Andrew.”
***
“Have you heard from Lucas?”
Bennett rubbed my shoulder. We were in what had become our usual post-sex sleeping mode—his left arm wrapped around me, my head resting on his chest, his fingers tracing my shoulder while we talked.
“I texted him this afternoon to remind him I’d be by Friday before school to say goodbye. He’s leaving for Minnetonka with Fanny directly after classes end. I hate that he’ll be gone for three-and-a-half weeks while we’re in this fucked-up place. I should’ve pushed Fanny harder to let me tell him after he was back.”
“Maybe the time will be good for him—make him realize he misses you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Did he text you back?”
“One word: fine.”
I smiled. “That’s better than nothing. He’ll come around. He just needs some space.”
Bennett kissed the top of my head. “You nervous about tomorrow night?”
Because I had a guilty conscience, I immediately thought he meant about seeing Andrew, even though I hadn’t mentioned he was coming to my presentation with Lauren and Trent.
“No,” I snapped.
He chuckled. “You’re really a shit liar. I don’t even need to see your red face to know you’re full of shit.”
Now would have been the perfect opportunity to mention that Andrew was joining us for my meeting. But I didn’t. I knew it would upset him, and he’d had enough stress lately.
When Andrew had called earlier, my immediate reaction was defensiveness. I was still angry over how things ended, and I didn’t want him trying to get back into my good graces—if that was what he even wanted. Anger was easier to deal with. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought maybe seeing Andrew was just what I needed.
While I’d tossed around the idea of quitting a few weeks ago, it had seemed sort of ludicrous to risk so much for a far-fetched chance with a man who had no interest in a relationship. But after last weekend—after Bennett had confided in me about what had happened with Lucas’s mother—I wasn’t so sure he had no interest in a relationship. He just didn’t feel he deserved happiness. He harbored a lot of misplaced guilt.
I needed a sign that going with my heart was the right thing to do. Maybe seeing Andrew would make me certain what I felt for Bennett wasn’t some sort of a rebound. I needed to be sure my emotions were real and not a fantasy.
Bennett yawned. “You’ll do great.”
I’d almost forgotten we were still talking about tomorrow night. “Thanks. You all ready for your presentation?”