Page 64 of Not Safe For Work

It’s then I notice that Andie’s been vigorously texting on her phone. The name Kenneth Dane pops up, the one I know to be an alias for her secret man. “Boyfriend drama?”

“No drama,” she replies.

“This resort is so private. Why didn’t you invite him here?” I ask.

“Come on, Liv. You know I can’t tell anyone we’re dating.”

“Who are you dating?” Stacey asks, and Andie gives me a major eye roll.

“I have a boyfriend that’s sort of in the public eye. So we’re keeping things private for now.”

Stacey and Marissa share a look that reminds me of my dogs salivating over family dinner. I mouth an apology to Andie.

“There you are!” Daanesh yells, stepping on to the bow. “I had no idea what you meant by bunny pad.”

Andie looks at me and mumbles, “He should really watch more reality TV.”

“Can I borrow you? Just to go over some of the logistics for tonight?” he asks Andie.

She looks back at me, then him, then me again, then grabs my hand and pulls me off the mat.

“Fine, but Liv’s coming.” She turns to me and whispers, “I will not leave you alone with those vultures.”

I follow Andie and Daanesh to a deck area on the other side of the boat. Most of our co-workers are enjoying drinks out here, but it’s a large enough space to give us some privacy still.

I’m especially glad for this when I see Ian and Vaughn in a fit of laughter, both with a cigar hanging out of their mouths.

My face must give me away, because Daanesh says, “Do you want to go somewhere else? I didn’t realize Ian was over here.”

It’s nice of him to be concerned about me, but I’m done hiding from Ian.

“It’s fine. I couldn’t care less if he’s here.” And it’s the truth.

“It’s easy to get over someone when you’re under someone new,” Andie trills, smirking at me.

“Andie!” I shove her lightly. Not the kind of conversation I want to have in front of our CEO,andone of Gavin’s best friends.

“I’m glad I reminded him to book your flight in time to join us,” Daanesh says to me, eyeing me a little more intensely than usual. “He must have felt pretty bad about it, got obliterated at our game.”

“Your game?”

“We play rugby together in a local club.”

It had crossed my mind a few times what Gavin meant by his “rugby” text. It felt like he was blowing me off to watch TV, but now it makes more sense why he went dark on me that day.

“That’s really cool,” I reply. “I thought all you did together was take romantic walks down Lover’s Lane.”

Daanesh’s jaw flies open and his nostrils flair. “I can’t believe he told you about our spot. That’s sacred.”

Andie and I share a laugh at his incredulity.

“Boys and their bromance,” she muses.

“He didn’t just tell me, Daan,” I continue. Because it’s fun chatting with him like this. It’s fun being his friend. “He took me there on the way to Sausalito.”

“Really?” he asks, and this time he sounds incredulous, like he thinks I might be lying. I nod, and then I catch Andie eyeing me with more suspicion. Her tongue slides along the inside of her teeth.

“Well,” she says. “He really must be in love with you then.”

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