Page 39 of Big Bad Single Wolf Dad

I sigh. “Alright, here’s the deal. Sarah and I have been seeing each other for a while now, and at first, everything was going great. But I found out she’s seeing this other guy Eric as well. And things have been cooling off between us,” I explain, suddenly feeling a tightness in my chest as I put it all into words like this.

“And you’re looking for a way to let her down easy,” Mike finishes with a meaningful nod. “I understand.”

I almost have to laugh at this. “No, Mike, I’m afraid you don’t,” I tell him with a sad chuckle, shaking my head. “I don’t want to break things off with Sarah. I want to win her back.”

“Oh!” Mike yells, and he almost startles himself with his own voice.

I wonder why I thought Mike would be able to give me any assistance, but at least he’s providing some comic relief in what’s otherwise a very tense situation.

“Well, in that case,” he continues. “Have you tried telling her that?”

This isn’t the response I expected, and I frown slightly, trying to figure out if this is really good or really bad advice.

“No,” I say. “No, I haven’t.”

The thought of coming right out and saying all this to Sarah isn’t exactly a comfortable one, but I wonder if there’s something to Mike’s suggestion. What if I just came out and told her how much I want her? What if I told her my concerns about Eric and that I want her to choose me? What if I told her I’m afraid of losing her?

But then as I ponder it, I think it might be worse than letting her see my temper. If I start coming off as a clingy lover, she’s bound to run in the opposite direction. Right into Eric’s arms.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I add sternly. “Thanks for listening, Mike, but I think you make a better assistant than a therapist.”

Mike nods. “My apologies, sir. This never was my strong suit in life, and I guess it’s only gotten worse in death.”

“As most things do, I imagine,” I joke.

Mike, luckily, enjoys black humor. He breaks out into a guffaw, his brown eye still spinning crazily in its socket.

But once he’s left to take care of some scheduling, I’m still left with the question of how to bridge the growing gap between Sarah and me. One thing I do know, though. I’m not giving up on her. Seeing Eric has only pushed me to pursue her more.

21

SARAH

“Uh, Sarah?” April says, standing in the doorway of my office. “There’s someone here to see you.”

From the look on my assistant’s face, I can tell it’s probably not Aaron from accounting. In fact, she looks a little unsure, and I realize it must be a personal visitor.

Greg? I wonder, my heart skipping a beat.

I smooth down my blouse as I stand to greet him, still unsure what exactly it is I’m doing with Greg. But when April steps away, I see it’s not Greg who’s come to visit me.

“Hello, beautiful,” comes Eric’s voice, accompanied by a sleazy smile. “I thought I’d come and surprise you.”

He’s holding a bouquet and comes way too close to me to offer it.

The act makes my skin crawl, and I instinctively take a step back, putting some distance between us.

“I’m not one for surprises, Eric,” I say coldly. “And besides, I don’t remember telling you my work address.”

“Well, no obstacle is too large for love,” he retorts. Another sly grin spreads across his face, and I get chills. Not the good kind.

“Look, Eric,” I say, still ignoring the flowers that he’s now laying carefully across my desk. “I don’t know how else to put this to you. I’m not interested. And besides, I’m seeing Greg.”

“Ah, yes, Greg,” he says, latching on to the name like, well, a vampire. “I still don’t really see it. He’s a player, Sarah, everyone knows it. And I mean, if you’re okay with just being one of many women to him, then fine. But I hope you know I’d treat you like my one and only.”

He gives me a look that I guess is supposed to win me over, but it only irks me. And what he said about Greg has hit a nerve.

Instead of just fear, though, this time it makes me angry. I feel the last vestiges of patience running out and before I know what I’m doing, I’m yelling at Eric.

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