Page 99 of Party Favors

“Yes, but it’s not what you—”

He cut me off.

“I’m about to walk into a meeting, so if there’s nothing else?”

“I just ...” I let my voice trail off. What was I doing? “I’ll let you go to your meeting,” I said as my shoulders slumped, feeling defeated.

“Talk soon,” he said, and hung up.

That didn’t feel very relationship-y, either.

A skyscraper had settled in the pit of my stomach, making it difficult for me to breathe properly.

Why couldn’t I just say what I wanted? Why was I always like this?

Right as I opened the conference room door, Rodrigo, one of the event designers, entered the room. “Hi, Everly. Did Claudia add you to the committee for the diplomat’s anniversary party?”

“No, she didn’t. I’m going to be there on Saturday night to help out, though.”

He nodded and I added, “I was just making a phone call.” I held my cell up like some kind of explanation.

From his expression I could see that I was doing it again. Explaining things that didn’t need to be mentioned. I left the conference room and went back to my desk, intent on tackling the list that Adrian had created for me.

That phone call had gone so badly. I still didn’t understand how Max could kiss me that way and then ignore me completely.

Maybe this was part of what I needed to figure out. That there might be nothing here and I needed to move on from Max.

Adrian laughed at something. That sound used to make me smile, but it wasn’t having any effect on my current mood. It did cause me to pull up the company handbook to see the rules on dating coworkers.

Apparently he’d been right and we could go out, so long as we told Human Resources, which he had already done.

Before I’d even accepted.

What if I’d said no? He was my boss. Wouldn’t it have made things really awkward for both of us if I’d turned him down?

I glanced at his office as I realized that he had fully expected me to say yes. It hadn’t even occurred to him that I might reject him.

That bothered me.

I knew that he could be entitled and self-centered, but I couldn’t help but compare him to Max. There wasn’t anything about Max that was entitled or self-centered.

I was trying to work and sort out my feelings all at the same time when Vella buzzed me. “There are flowers for Adrian at the front desk.”

“I’ll come grab them.” I hung up with her and called Adrian. “Your flowers have arrived. Do you want me to take them to Claudia?”

“No. They’re for you.”

“Me?” I turned my head sharply to look at him. He was leaning back in his chair, grinning at me.

“Yes, you. You didn’t think I’d take you out without getting you flowers first, did you?”

He’d had me order flowers for myself? Again, I couldn’t help but compare him to Max. Max never would have done that. The hollowness only intensified.

If Max had sent me flowers, it would have meant the world to me. Heck, I would have settled for a single text.

My world felt upside down.

“Thank you,” I said, but I didn’t mean the words. I didn’t want flowers from Adrian.

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