Page 478 of His Virgin Romance Series

BRIE

Iwas sitting behind the desk of my newly minted office. It was a small and modest room compared to Seth’s, but it was exactly the right fit for me. Plus, it had a great view of the ocean. This was only the third day in the new office, and I was still getting used to the feel of sitting behind a desk in my own personal space. I’d only ever had a cubicle, so this was a step up.

I had already lined my desk with pictures of my family, in large part due to the fact that I missed them terribly and was not sure when I would see them next. Seth was absent from my little photo collection, however. Somehow, I felt as though adding his picture would put unnecessary pressure on our relationship. Over the last week or so I’d gotten the feeling that Seth was growing a little…distant.

He was still affectionate, polite, and always gentlemanly, but I just sensed a certain nervousness beneath the surface. He did his best to hide it, but I was sensitive to his moods and knew he had certain reservations about us that were only just beginning to rise to the surface. I tried not to over-think, but unfortunately, it kept me up at night.

The one thing that did help was my work. I had made strides in the hiring process, the restaurants were now working smoothly, and the staff came to me if they had problems with anything. Most days I loved the work, and it was enough to keep my mind off Seth.

But today was a different story altogether. Today, I hated my job because it meant handling a situation that I would have paid to avoid.

There was a knock on my door, and I stood up immediately and walked around my desk to answer it. Alani was standing on the other side, looking pale and close to tears. I didn’t say anything; I just stepped aside to let her pass.

The moment the door had closed behind her, Alani turned to me. She opened her mouth to say something but got choked up, and tears started pouring down her cheeks. I rushed to her immediately and hugged her.

“Hey, hey,” I said soothingly. “It’s alright… Come on, sit down and talk to me.”

I led Alani to a chair and sat her down. Then I pulled up the second chair and sat down right next to her. “Can I get you something to drink?” I asked. “Orange juice? Maybe some water?”

“Water, please,” she managed to croak out.

“Of course,” I nodded.

I poured her some ice water with a slice of lemon in it and passed her the box of tissues, too. She took both gratefully and managed to give me a teary smile. Once she had composed herself, I patted her gently on the arm.

“Alani—” I started.

“I didn’t do it,” she said, interrupting me before I could continue. “I swear, Brie, I didn’t do what they’re saying I did.”

“I know that,” I replied confidently.

“You do?” she asked, sounding incredulous. “You really believe I didn’t steal that choker?”

“I do,” I nodded.

“Why?”

“Firstly, because you’re my friend, and I think I know you well enough to know that you wouldn’t do steal,” I replied honestly. “And secondly because you get paid a decent salary, and I can’t see you risking your job by doing something like this.”

“Exactly,” Alani nodded. I could see the relief on her face. “Exactly. Why on earth would I risk such a good job for a choker? Even if it is worth so much.”

I pursed my lips. There was much being said about the value of the choker, and I knew that the Beaumonts would not let this go easily. I would need to find some way to appease them if this choker was not found. I wondered what Seth would suggest; I would need to speak with him first before I made a decision about anything.

“Have you spoken to them?” Alani asked. “Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont?”

“I’ve spoken to both,” I nodded.

“And?” she asked, sounding nervous to even ask the question. “What are they saying?”

“They’re convinced that you’re the one that stole this necklace,” I told her honestly.

“Both of them?”

I frowned. “Yes.”

Alani looked down, and I noticed she was wringing her hands together as though she were guilty of something. I started to feel a little uneasy and wondered if perhaps she was not telling me the whole story.

“I didn’t do it,” she said again.

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