Page 7 of The Baker's Dozen

I mean, sleep sounds divine, but a stiff drink? Inclining my head, I concede. “Not a bad idea. You have the makings of a stiff martini in your desk drawer out there?” I jerk my head toward her desk right outside my office.

Lisa rolls her eyes. “No, silly, that would be against network policy.” She looks up at the camera in the corner of the office and wiggles her fingers playfully, then turns back to me, flattening her palms on the surface of my glass desk. “We’re going out.”

Ugh. I was really hoping she’d broken the rules and hidden a makeshift mini bar in her desk drawers. There’s no way I can swing a night out, not with what the next few days look like. “We can’t, Lees. We have to be back at this first thing tomorrow—”

“Yeah.Tomorrow. But today, we have time for a drink or two.”

Even as I groan my complaints, I allow Lisa to pull me up from the chair. “I look like I’ve been at this for days.”

She looks me over, then cocks one eyebrow. “First of all, youhavebeen at this for days.” Lisa unbuttons my blouse, exposing a sliver of the lace bra beneath, then slides the pen from the giant knot of blonde hair atop my head. When the waves fall down my back, she turns me around, drags her fingers through it, then says, “And second of all, you look hot today and you know it. You’re totally getting laid tonight.”

I snort. “As if. I have no time for men when I’m about to launchThe Baker’s Dozen.”

“I didn’t say you were going to get married tonight, Soph. Just… I don’t know, get a good dicking and move on.” She leans in closer. “It’sChristmas. Live a little. You’ve been working so hard, and you know what they say?”

“Hard work makes the dream work?”

“No. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Lisa smiles wickedly and I just laugh.

“I agreed to go out with you for a drink. Don’t push it.”

“Ugh. Fine.” Lisa links her arm through mine and we make our way out of the office, turning off lights as we go because it’s Sunday and even the few workaholics who were here earlier have left for the day. Out of habit, I glance down the hall toward the execs’ offices, breathing out a sigh of relief when no lights shine from inside those rooms.

“He didn’t come in today.”

I tense, but of course Lisa knows who I’m looking for. I glance at her sideways and she winks.

“You wore that sexy librarian outfit on a Sunday for nothing.”

I open my mouth to argue, but it’s pointless. Truth is, I did wear this outfit in hopes that he’d be here. Just to rub his nose in how great my ass looks in this buttery soft, faux leather pencil skirt. If I’d worn sweats and a raggedy t-shirt, he’d have shown up for sure, you know?

“Besides,” Lisa says as we step onto the elevator. “Once the show takes off, you’ll be too busy basking in your success to worry about what he and his mistress are doing.”

I squeeze Lisa’s arm even as her words squeeze my heart.

What he and his mistress are doing.

Having a baby, that’s what.

Buying a home.

Starting a life.

All the things he was always too busy to do with me.

Chapter Four

Dawson

I frown up at the bright pink neon signage above the bar. As if setting me up on a dating show wasn’t fuckery enough, Mikey had to send me here?

This is the exact opposite of a dive bar.

I pull my phone out of my pocket and shoot my cousin a quick:Wtf man? What is this place?

After a brief pause, Mikey responds with:Relax. It’s owned by a couple dudes on one of our shows.

I roll my eyes. Of course Mikey would send me to a place owned by someone on one of his shows. Gotta keep the money in the family, right?

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