Page 98 of Business Casual

Ignoring me, Avery glared at Tre. “You’re saying all that shit because you’re either fucking her or trying to fuck her. You’re risking your career by not staying in your lane. She’s mine—”

“No the fuck I’m not,” I scoffed.

“See, you wouldn’t have had that reaction if there wasn’t something going on between you two,” he argued. “I knew it. Does HR know how you got your job? Hell, does he know you’re just fucking him to get ahead?”

“First of all, fuck you, Avery,” I hissed. “Second, aren’t you in a full-blown relationship with your unqualified secretary? Like I said, leave me the fuck alone. And if you don’t, I will press charges against you and your girlfriend for vandalism and destruction of property. And because of the cost of the damage, it would be a felony. So instead of worrying about things you know nothing about, worry about yourself.” I tugged Tre’s arm. “Let’s go.”

Without another word, I bumped Avery’s shoulder as we walked away.

“You two look like a cautionary tale from those HR sexual harassment videos. Good luck with that quid pro quo! It’ll be funny to see how social media reacts to the golden boy of Franklin Financial having sex with the help,” Avery called out from behind us.

Did this asshole just refer to me as the help?

Tre stopped and turned around. “I don’t give a fuck what you say about me but don’t disrespect her again. This is the last time I’m asking.”

“Or what? What are you going to do?” Avery barked.

With a murderous look in his eyes, Tre took a step in his direction. I jumped in front of him. With my hands on his chest, I did my best to push him backward. “Please don’t do it. He’s an idiot and he’s trying to bait us because he lives for the attention. Fuck him. He’s not worth it. He’s really not. He’s trying to get under your skin. It’s what he does. Let’s just go. Please,” I begged, eyes stinging with tears.

Tre looked at me and then he stared over my head to Avery. Slowly, he nodded. “Let’s go.”

With his arm around me, but without saying a word, he ushered me across the lobby into the side of the hotel. With each step the music got louder and the number of people increased. Once inside the ballroom, he guided me to a spot near the wall. Sandwiching us between two other groups of people on the outskirts of the event, we blended in.

“That was ol’ boy from Capital City Bank?” Tre questioned, his eyes burning into mine.

I nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Hm.”

He was quietly assessing me. I could feel the doubt, the distance, and the uncertainty in his gaze. And I hated it.

He scrubbed his face with his hand. “So, I remember he called you his girl a few weeks ago and then tonight, he’s talking about you being his and—”

I shook my head profusely. “No, he’s full of shit.”

“And the stuff about the property damage?”

“That happened. He is crazy and immature, and his girlfriend messed up my car because she’s crazy and immature.”

“You were just giving me shit about Syd—who is just a friend. And your boy is out here claiming you and threatening to go to HR.” He scrubbed his face with his hands and let out a humorless laugh. “What the fuck?” he groaned.

Instinctively I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t on a date with my ex, but I didn’t because he had a point. And as much as I hated that he was there with Sydney, I never got around to telling him about Avery. I didn’t plan to keep that from him. But I did.

And now I look like a fucking hypocrite.

“It wasn’t my intention, but you are right. I’m sorry,” I apologized.

Tre gave me one solitary nod, but I couldn’t read his expression.

Feeling a flood of emotions, I told him what I should’ve told him from the start. “Avery and I dated awhile back.”

His brows furrowed. “But this is the same man you said was your best friend’s… husband’s… best friend and that’s how you knew each other?”

My stomach lurched. “Yeah, I did say that. And that’s true, too.” I put my hand to my belly. “I’ve known him for seven years because of that. We dated for two and half years. We’ve been broken up for almost two years now. There’s nothing between us.”

“So, his girlfriend damaged your car over nothing?”

“Yes!” I grabbed his arm, silently pleading for him to believe me. “I know how it sounds and how it might’ve looked, but it’s really not that. I was over Avery when I broke up with him. He keeps saying he wants me back and openly flirting with me in front of his girlfriend—that’s why she keyed my car and ruined the paint job. Then when they happened to be at the meeting, she flattened my tires. It wasn’t because there was anything happening between me and him. It was because he keeps trying to make her jealous. That’s it.”

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