Page 37 of Phishing for Love
“Oh, did you work late?” I ask, kissing him hello.
“Yeah,” he says distractedly. “Lots going on.”
We settle in the lounge. He looks so smart and handsome that I feel a little self-conscious in my low-rise sweatpants and loose-fitting T-shirt.
Ash sits on the carpet at my feet and glares balefully at Nathan, who ignores him.
Nathan rests his elbows on his knees. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Us.”
He groans, rubs a hand over his face. “I’m so exhausted, babe. Can we not save it for another time?”
“That’s what you said the last time I wanted to talk about our relationship.”
He exhales heavily. “Okay, fine, let’s talk. You obviously have something you want to say.”
I twist my hands together nervously in my lap. “I guess I just want to know where our relationship is headed.”
Another groan. “Do we have to do this now?”
“Yes, Nathan, I think we do.”
“I love you,” he answers, a little impatiently. “I think the two of us are pretty good together. Why rock the boat thinking about the future?”
“I love you too, but don’t you think we’re, I don’t know, stagnating a little?”
He throws me a sharp glance. “What’s brought this on?”
I bite my lip. “Maybe we should take a break from one another? Until we figure things out?”
He scoots forward in his chair. “Do you want a break?”
“I’m not really sure what I want.”
He runs a hand through his hair, mussing it up. “Look, I admit things have been a little slow with us, but every relationship goes through this. We’ll just do more stuff together.”
I can’t help but think our problems run a little deeper than simply a lack of activities and time together.
I swallow. “Nathan, do you see me as your wife one day?”
His pause is telling. “One day, yeah, sure.”
What’s more telling, though, is that he doesn’t ask me if I see him as my future husband.
He stands and gathers me in his arms. “We’ve been together a year, babe. That’s a long time. Don’t do anything drastic. Let’s just see how it goes, okay?”
And coward that I am, I agree.
CHAPTER NINE
I’m deep in the creative trenches when I glance up from my laptop to observe Aaron approaching my cubicle, dragging his annoyance around like a ball and chain. The man needs his annoyance. It’s the only thing that makes him interesting. I almost believe the lie.
Aaron was in and out of meetings with Calvin yesterday, so I didn’t see much of him. According to Mevia, a mock phishing email will be hitting us sometime this week. Everyone is on edge. Failing one of Aaron’s phishing tests is the electrified fence no employee of Amell Greetings wants to touch.
I quickly return my gaze to my laptop and continue typing, but I’ve lost my train of thought. Lines and lines ofjcnfjdkshfukrvjsbvsdvhfshfkdfsjdnvjncvjsdfill my screen.
“Tess.”
