Chapter 111

“She didn’t!” Maria gasped so hard, she very nearly spilled her wine. The wine bar was rowdy tonight so no one seemed to notice. “Sabrina stole it right out of your desk?”

“Thank God for the cameras,” Rachel said.

“Too bad it didn’t save you from having to dumpster dive,” Megan added.

“Tell me about it,” I grumbled. “I had to take two showers to stop smelling like trash.”

“I’m sure Logan appreciated you commitment,” Maria said, grinning.

I shook my head at her. “He was acting weird all afternoon, after I got back. He had me move my desk back near his door, but that was it. I know he could have used my help. I saw him entering appointments on the digital calendar. I don’t know why he didn’t say anything…”

“He’s a CEO,” Megan reasoned. “I’m glad he’s not totally helpless. Else you’d have too much work on your hands.”

“I agree,” Rachel added. “Better he can take care of himself some. Besides, are you complaining about having too little to do? He’s been overworking you for months!”

I guessed that was true. Maybe my gauge of appropriate work balance was skewed lately, since I had been putting in so many extra hours at the office.

But I still didn’t like this side of him that felt he couldn’t depend on me to, at the very least, complete clerical tasks for him. Had Sabrina poisoned his opinion on assistants? Or was I the one at fault? Did he just feel like he couldn’t trust me anymore?

Maria places a finger right between my brows and pushes. “Stop that worrying or you’ll get wrinkles.”

“It’s just weird… isn’t it?” I asked her. Maria would understand better than our other friends. She worked in the office. She knew how demanding Logan typically was.

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” she said with a shrug. “Instead use this rare opportunity to do something for yourself. Like thinking about things that are more important.”

“You are such a workaholic,” Rachel said. “You’ve been letting everything else fall to the wayside.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. I still spent time with my friends. Still cared about my personal hygiene and my health. Granted, I was still couch hopping at the moment, afraid to go home, but I had some appointments lined up for next week to look at apartments for myself.

With my new position, the new checks were starting to come in at last. It looked like I might be able to actually afford a life on my own again – with roommates, granted. But as long as those roommates weren’t my parents or my sister, I could cope.

“Dylan,” Megan said helpfully. “He helped you out without wanting a thing in return. This guy has it down bad for you.”

Oh. They were talking about my love life. Okay, fair. It was in shambles at the moment.

“Between the whole Vegas thing, and everything with Logan… Things are complicated with Dylan.” They knew about this. Well, most of it. I hadn’t been too forthcoming with Dylan’s strange behavior at our last meeting.

He hadn’t contacted me since then. Granted, I hadn’t contacted him either.

“So un-complicate them,” Rachel said. “He’s a nice guy. He’s not married. He’s not your boss.”

“Yeah… but… I’ve put him through too much.”

“And he hasn’t left,” Megan added.

So they were all on the pro-Dylan team. I looked at Maria, to see her opinion.

“He’s a good guy,” she said with a shrug. “You have to follow your heart, but… you’d be crazy to pass him by, Hazel.”

Dylan sat on his leather couch at home and sipped on some brandy. In his free hand, he held the copy of the photo Logan had given him when he had been set to track down Logan’s wife.

The photo was fuzzy, skewed with motion blur. Whoever had taken this photo, Logan most likely, had been too drunk to stand still.

Logan’s mother’s ring was distinctive, the only thing in focus. The woman behind it was much harder to see.

She was blonde. They had all easily believed it was Natalie, from her features.

But looking now, Dylan knew it could just as easily have been Hazel.

The dates lined up. He checked and rechecked.

He tracked down the chapel in Vegas where the quickie wedding happened. They had a copy of the marriage license. They were mailing it to Dylan right now.

He’d get it this week. Then he’d know for sure.

Maybe he should tell Logan about his hunch. Didn’t the guy have a right to know he might be married to his secretary?

But if he did that… He had a suspicion he would lose her.

Logan and Hazel were dancing around their feelings for each other. Kissing and almost kissing. Logan was playing Hazel, acting close and then pushing her away.

She deserved better. She deserved a guy who would put her first and treat her like a princess.

Dylan was that kind of man.

But could he keep this from her? Eventually the truth would come out.

Maybe if he could convince her to love him first, she would realize he was the better match.

He didn’t have much time though. Even with snail mail, the truth would arrive at his office before the week was out. He would have to make his move quickly, if he wanted Hazel to choose him.

His phone rang. He’d been so deep in thought, he jumped and nearly spilled alcohol on the picture.

He fished out his phone from his pocket while searching desperately for a napkin to clean up his mess. He didn’t even bother checking the caller ID.

“Hey, this is Dylan,” he said.

“Dylan?”

Hazel’s voice.

Dylan froze. He checked his phone, making sure he was actually on this call and not manifesting Hazel’s voice in some kind of alcohol-induced fever dream.

“Hazel?”

There were loud noises in the background. She was out somewhere, then. A bar, most likely.

“Is everything alright?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she said, “I just…” She sounded unsure. She cleared her throat. “I was hoping we could get together this week.”

“I’m still working on the divorce…”

“It’s not that,” she said quickly. “I, uh, just want to catch up.”

Dylan gripped the phone tighter. “When?”

I arranged to meet Dylan after work the next day, so when I came to the office the next morning, I dressed a bit… different than usual. Instead of my typical work blazer and slacks, I wore a classy black button down shirt with a ruffled collar and a pencil skirt.

“Good morning,” I said to Logan, ducking quickly into his office. “I’m here now, so please let me know any work I can help you with today.” I’d decided to be more proactive here, still not totally comfortable with how much of my work Logan was taking on himself.

He kept his focus on his desk for a moment, flipping through the morning reports. “Good morning,” he said, almost like an afterthought.

Then he looked up.

And did a double take.

My outfit was within dress code regulations. He had to be staring for a different reason that I tried very hard not to consider, even as my cheeks heated with a blush.

“Hazel, you…” He looked at me with wide eyes, as his gaze trailed down my body. Quickly, he shook his head and cleared his throat. “You almost look as if you are dressed for a date.”

I should have held my tongue. I definitely shouldn’t have told him the truth.

Yet it came slipping out all the same, “Actually, I do have a date tonight.”