Chapter 164

Cameron walked right up to Tina. She must have said something, because Tina turned to her, and the two began talking.

Panic striking through me, I rushed forward. Undoubtedly, Cameron was about to ‘reveal’ to Tina what she knew about the relationship between Logan and me.

Yet as I came closer, Tina started laughing. I was so surprised, I nearly tripped. I stopped where I stood, close enough now to hear their conversation.

“You must think I’m some kind of airhead if you think I’ll believe whatever office gossip that’s been going around,” Tina said.

“It’s the truth,” Cameron said, her face turning red with clear frustration. “I have a video –”

“Videos mean nothing anymore,” Tina said. “Those things can be so easily faked. And trust me, I know, people like you will go to any lengths for a quick payday.”

“That’s not –”

“Do not interrupt me. I am a woman of high society, do you understand? You have no concept of how deeply you insult me by even suggesting that my boyfriend could be so much as interested in anyone else.”

“If you would –”

“That goes for everyone in this office,” Tina said, raising her voice.

Some heads popped up from behind cubicles. A few people came to the doors of their offices, curious.

“Logan Hatfield and I are in love. It was love at first sight and he is now my boyfriend. He’ll likely be my husband,” Tina announced.

My stomach twisted with how proudly she said those words. Only I knew Logan would never marry her, as he was already married to me.

“If I hear any word, even a sliver of gossip, that suggest the contrary, I will go full scorched earth,” Tina said. “Trust me, I’m not someone who want to be enemies with. Stay on my good side, we can all be friends. One word against Logan and his love for me, I will be your worst nightmare.”

Cameron took a step backwards away from Tina. Tina turned her full attention on her.

“Do I make myself clear, gossip-monger? Or do I need to make an example out of you?”

“N-no,” Cameron said, stammering.

“Good,” Tina said. “Glad we understand each other.”

Tina turned back to the elevator, facing away from the rest of the office. A few of my co-workers shared glances but no one said a word as they returned to work, their heads disappearing back into their cubicles or their offices.

Cameron stumbled backwards, then turned and hurried away, back up the hallway she’d come from.

Noticing me, Tina glanced at me. “Did you need something, assistant?”

“No,” I said, too stunned to say much else.

Tina, it seemed, had been taking her position as Logan’s fake girlfriend very seriously. By announcing as she did to the main floor of the office that she was with Logan and any suggestion otherwise would not be tolerated, she had cast a shield of security over Logan and me.

With how quickly word spread around here, the entire building would know before lunch that Logan Hatfield and Tina St. Louis were an item.

I had misjudged her before. I didn’t know her motives, but it seemed she could be more than trusted – she could be depended upon.

“Thank you,” I told her softly.

“I didn’t do it for you,” she said. At that moment, the elevator door opened. She stepped into it and didn’t look back. Quickly the doors closed and she was gone.

She didn’t like me; that much was clear. I couldn’t exactly blame her. During their first date, Tina had seem infatuated with Logan. It had to be a shock to discover that he was already in a relationship and only needed Tina as a front.

Yet here Tina was, adamantly defending Logan from Cameron and all office gossip. Even hating me, she was willing to defend him.

I could live with that.

About to return to my office, I stopped when I saw Maria giving me a wide-eyed look that practically screamed, What the hell is going on?

Later, I silently mouthed at her. Now was definitely not the time to go over this, but I knew the minute work was done, I was in for an interrogation.

Honestly, I looked forward to venting with a friend.

“I’m sorry. I must be misunderstanding,” Maria says later, as she, Rachel, Megan, and I are at our usual table in our favorite wine bar. “This woman is going to be your husband’s fake girlfriend. And everyone’s just okay with that? You are okay with that?”

This shouldn’t be huge news. My friends already knew from before that Logan had to start dating again and why. Heck, Maria even helped me scope out Logan and Tina’s first date.

“You can’t be this surprised,” I said. “We were at the restaurant during their date, remember?”

“There is a huge difference between casually dating and whatever the hell Tina announced to the whole office today. Love at first sight, is she serious?” Maria scoffs.

Rachel and Megan wear similar expressions of disbelief and unhappiness.

“This is a good thing,” I try to tell them, even though I have my own reservations about everything that’s happening. I can’t give into my doubts, especially when Tina has been nothing but earnest so far. “She could have stormed out of the room when we told her, but she agreed to help instead. And she is helping.”

“She has her own reasons,” Megan said.

“Logan is prestigious in his own way,” Rachel suggested. “Maybe she wants that prestige for herself.”

“She’s already a half-step away from royalty,” Maria replied. “She doesn’t need him at all. So why go to such efforts?” The spark in her eye said that Maria already had an answer prepped. When no one offered any suggestions, she gave her own, “She wants him. Romantically. Sexually. Whatever.”

“But then why would she agree to help us keep our secret?” I asked. “Why fight off Cameron like she did? Why tell the whole office and give Logan and me a kind of buffer against the gossip?”

If she wanted Logan for herself, wouldn’t she more actively work to break us up?

“She’s playing the long game,” Maria said.

“You’re paranoid,” I said.

She tips her wine glass in my direction. “You aren’t paranoid enough! She’s after your man!”

I looked to the others for support but Megan and Rachel both seemed conflicted.

“It’s suspicious,” Megan said.

Rachel sipped her wine. “One could argue that she handled the news almost… too well.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “We know members of high society are only ever out for themselves. Whatever motive she has, has to be entirely self-serving. If it wasn’t, she wouldn’t have agreed to help us. She can’t possibly be going through all this just because she wants Logan. He’s a married man!”

Maria tapped a finger to her chin. “Didn’t you say that Logan kept your marriage a secret, though?”

“Well, yeah… but…”

My three friends traded glances with each other. They seemed to be having a full conversation without me, though I could read enough to know they were worried.

“Listen,” Megan said. “Unless she sees that ring, Tina probably thinks Logan is fair game.”

“The one she’s trying to protect is Logan, not you,” Rachel said.

“You better watch your back,” Maria said. “Because mark my words, Tina is going to try to push you out.”