Page 6 of Double Edged Hearts
“No.”
“Is that a lie?” She inclines her head to the side and her honey blonde hair drifts over her shoulder.
I laugh a little. “What? Why would I lie about something like that?”
“I should tell you that I’ll be less mad at you if you agree you’re lying and tell me you spent the night with him.” Those sharp brows of hers arch, and she gazes at me with eager eyes while I stifle a groan.
Zack is our supervisor. Back in LA, when we worked with him, I told him no several times when he asked me out. I all but rejoiced when he transferred to the Chicago office because it meant being free of him.
Now I’m here and the man insists on picking up where he left off. I haven’t even been in Chicago for a full week yet, and he’s asked me out at least four times. My answer will still be the same.
“No,” I say, which is the same thing I will keep telling him.
Lyndsey shakes her head at me, walks over to the coffee table to set the donut box down, and places her hands on her hips so she can glower at me.
“Okay, so first, I’m pissed because you totally stood me up and you know I need sugar when we have to deal with shitheads like our new dirty arms dealer. Second, what’s wrong with Zack? Are you sure you aren’t lying? Your skin’s all glowy, like…” She squints, and my cheeks flush.
Lyndsey is the kind of woman who can look at a person and tell straight away if they’ve had sex. Given the fact that I don’t do it nearly as much as she does, I’m not that hard to figure out.
I press my lips together while she studies me, and when her lips part, I know she suspects something.
“Your skin’s glowing like a lightbulb. Are you seriously going to tell me you weren’t with a man last night?” she argues.
“Oh my God, Lyndsey, must everything be about men? We have to be at work in less than half an hour.” I’m hoping that she’ll drop the questions by my mention of work.
“We have to be there by ten. Zack sent a message earlier asking us to come in a bit later. He has a meeting that’s going to run late, and he wants to sit with us while we go over the findings from the last few days. I assumed when he messaged he was with you.”
While I’m glad for the extra fifteen minutes, I won’t have her thinking Zack was with me in any capacity.
“Lyndsey, please. I’m not going to say yes to him.”
“Why the hell not? The man is gorgeous.”
If she’d seen Alex, she’d know whatgorgeousmeans. Zack is gorgeous, but not Alex gorgeous.
With his jet-black hair, a face that’s all angles and planes, and that smooth olive skin that has a permanent tan like he’s been lying around in the Italian sun, Alex always looks like he just stepped out of a dream.
He’s every bit the Italian stallion with his bad boy personality and image. Maybe that’s what I like. That’s why I can’t resist him. His arresting good looks prevent me from doing so. Or perhaps it’s the same curse that got Mom when she fell for my father. If it’s that, then I can’t allow that to happen to me.
“Gorgeous isn’t always a good thing. I want a man for what’s inside him, not just the packaging,” I point out.
“Packaging is nothing bad, Cora. Good God, woman.” She smirks and starts laughing.
“I don’t want to date him,” I repeat for the millionth time.
“He’s been chasing you since forever. Richard likes him. Isn’t that reason enough? Richard doesn’t like anybody. You should know that.”
She’s not wrong. Richard is my… well, I’ve called him ‘uncle’ forever, although we aren’t related. He was my mother’s best friend. So he’s always been in my life and he took on the role of ‘father’ when I needed one the most.
I was fourteen when I went to live with him. It was the day after my parents died. Richard took me in and looked after me. He’s worked for the Bureau for over fifty years, and now he’s the director. Definitely, my inspiration for joining the Bureau. Thinking about him now reminds me of why I definitely can’t be with Alex.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” She nods. “Richard’s a good judge of character, and I’m certain he would love to see you with a great guy. Same as me.”
“Thank you. And yes, you are right. Richard is a great judge of character.” My words feel empty and more like a mindless mantra.
I’ve always valued Richard’s opinion, always looked up to him, and somewhat idolized him for his intelligence.
The only time I’ve ever challenged him in any way was four years ago when he found out I was seeing Alex. He was furious. I’d never seen him look so angry and never with me. When he told me getting involved with a man like him would only end in pain I was so blinded by love I couldn’t see anything past how I felt about Alex. Then Richard hit me with a hard truth that changed my life and all that I believed.
