Page 28 of Faking It With My New Boss

That had blown up all to hell when it came to Courtney.

Now she seemed a little unsure around me and I did all I could to try not to make her feel awkward. I didn't want her to think I'd been angling for that to happen, or that I was trying to manipulate her at any point.

Obviously, having sex with her wasn't planned. It was fantastic, but it wasn't planned. And it wasn't lost on me how much it could complicate what we were trying to do. When we were just acquaintances who barely knew each other, much less liked each other, it was somehow easier to think about pretending we were in love and planning to get married.

Now that there was something much more personal between us, it was more challenging. I felt like we were walking a really fine line. Now when we were near each other and I went to hold her hand or to lean close, there was going to be that wonder of whether I was doing it because I was pretending or because I wanted to.

And the question of how this was all going to come to an end loomed large over me. When it was all just a big charade, the thought of the whole thing eventually running its course seemed easy. We would just drag out the engagement longer and longer as I built my reputation in the company and among the important people surrounding it.

Eventually, they would decide I was good enough and I would have made enough of an impression in the company they wouldn't feel so jumpy about me. When that happened, she and I could just drift apart and quickly end our relationship. It would have worked out perfectly.

Except now it wasn't going to be that simple.

That was what was coursing through my mind when Courtney stepped into the elevator with me that morning. We stood in silence, both of us staring directly in front of us. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know what would be right at that exact moment. It was hard to read her. I didn't know what she was feeling or how she wanted to handle everything.

I figured I got her wrapped up in this whole situation, the least I could do was give her the space to figure out how she felt and what she wanted to do about it.

We stayed silent until we got to the office floor. As she was stalking toward her office, Courtney gave a brief glance in my direction.

“I'll bring my new notes for the event to your office,” she said.

Without waiting for any response, she made her way down the corridor. I took my shower and got dressed, and when I stepped out into my office, I saw that she was already sitting there.

“How long have you been waiting there?” I asked.

“Since you were washing your hair,” she said.

“You can time my showers that precisely?” I asked.

She still hadn't looked up from the notes in her hands, but at that point, her eyes lifted up to me.

“Yes. Isn't that part of my job description? Know every detail of your schedule and daily routine?”

She had me there. That was something I'd emphasized to her. I didn't really expect her to throw it back in my face, but it was what it was.

“You said you have some notes?” I asked, pushing the conversation on through.

“Yes,” she said. “I wanted you to look over these and let me know if they are on the right track. I've done some cursory sketches to give you an idea of the visual I hope to achieve. This is the point when your recommendations or modifications would be really important for me to hear so I can take those into account before I've gotten too far.”

If there was any question about whether we were going to talk about our night together, that put the end to those really fast. It was obvious Courtney wasn't in the talking mood. She just wanted to bury herself right back into the event and put anything else going on behind us.

I decided to go along with it. At least for now. I was going to have to talk to her eventually, especially considering the phone call I got the night before and what the weekend was going to bring to us.

Pulling the notes closer to me, I went over everything with her. There wasn't much I needed to change or suggestions to offer. Now that I really understood what she was going for when it came to her plans for the event, I believed in her completely. I knew Courtney would be able to take her ideas and the suggestions and guidelines I'd already given her and turn them into something amazing.

When we finished making a few very slight tweaks and talking about what else needed to be done in order to prepare for the event to come, she tucked everything away in her folder and shoved it down into her satchel.

“Are you busy right now?” I asked.

Courtney narrowed her eyes at me and gave me a quizzical look.

“I have to work. Why?” she asked.

“I thought it might be a good idea to do some more work on our relationship building tonight,” I said.

Courtney stared at me for a few seconds like she wasn't sure what she was hearing. “You want to do more of that?”

“I think we got some great pictures and stuff, but I don't think it was enough to really convince anyone that it's been a long relationship. Do you?” I asked.

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