Page 22 of Dance with Me on New Year's Eve

“Would tomorrow or Friday work? Say, mid-morning?” He glanced at me quickly before returning his eyes to his calendar on his phone.

“Afternoon would be better.” Not because I had a real conflict but because I wasn’t a fan of early mornings. Especially lately, with the longer workdays and late nights chatting with CastGamer55. Not for the first time, I wondered what he did fora living. I could just ask, but something held me back. Honestly, I was afraid that the more we got to know each other, the less he’d like me. It’s not like that hadn’t happened with many other people in my life.

“Roxanne?” Jeff said, interrupting my thoughts. “Did you hear me?”

“Ah, what? No, sorry,” I mumbled.

“I said let’s do 2 p.m. tomorrow. It’s the only time Jonson has open this week.”

“Wait, how do you know that? Are you guys, like, buddies or something?”

He flashed me an irritated look. “No, we’re not, like, buddies. I just emailed him, and his assistant responded right away.”

“Fine. Tomorrow at two works, I guess.” I narrowed my eyes. “What about Sanders? Don’t think I forgot—”

“Calm down. I was just going to email her next.”

I sulked for a moment and examined my nails while he typed out a quick email.

His phone rang, and I nearly jumped out of my chair. He didn’t seem to notice as he frowned down at his phone and sighed. “A moment, please.”

I watched him walk to the other side of the room and speak quietly. His posture was stiff, and at one point, I saw his hand clench at his side. Finally, he swiped to end the call and palmed his forehead for a moment before returning to the table where I still sat.

“What was that all about?”

“I need to pick up my daughter from school tomorrow afternoon to go to the dentist.” His voice was tinged with frustration, and his jaw was tense.

My eyes widened. “You—youhave a daughter?” I shook my head as I stared at this man I thought I sort of knew. “How can that be?”

His brow furrowed as his eyes met mine. “Well, Roxanne, you see, when two people—”

“Stop. That’s not—I mean, you …” I bit my lip and flinched at the pain. “You really have a child?”

His eyes swept the room from left to right and back. “Yes. Is this hard to believe?”

“Yes—I mean no. Well, I-I just didn’t know,” I stammered. “You never mentioned her before. No one did.”

He shrugged. “I try not to mix personal and professional.” He exhaled heavily. “Unfortunately, this time couldn’t be helped.”

I breathed in and out a few times, trying to take in this new information. “OK. What’s her name? And why did you seem upset after talking to her?”

“That was her mother.”

“Oh, your … wife? Girlfriend? Or—”

“Ex-wife,” he said with a frown as he distractedly looked at his phone.

I frantically searched my memory, trying to remember if I’d heard he was divorced. A comment once or twice from Mari came to mind, but it hadn’t really registered at the time. Wow, Jeff had beenmarried?

“What?” he asked, confusion etched onto his face.

“I just …” My mouth clamped shut. Even though I didn’t like him, I couldn’t be as rude as to say that—

“Did you not know I was divorced?” His head was still tilted in confusion before a frown resurfaced. “Or are you just shocked that I was ever married?”

I averted my eyes to prevent him from seeing the guilt I’m sure was evident in my features. I pretended to look down at one of the documents in the top file. “No, of course not.”

After a long moment, he said, “Roxanne, you’re not a good liar.”

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