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anne dropped a bomb.
Chapter 10
Dianne approached Mary s desk, looking way
too pleased for such a rainy Monday morning.
I knew you wanted a promotion, she said in
a sly voice. But I never thought you d go to
such lengths.
What are you talking about? Mary said in a
distracted tone as she wrote down some notes she
needed to make.
A few weeks ago I was in the pet store buying
something for my cat and I saw you there. I would
have said hello, but I noticed that you were dis
tracted by the man with you.
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Mary s skin went cold. It s not what you think.
I may be beautiful, but I m not stupid. I also
know where you live and who owns the building.
James has been bragging about how happy Gregory
and, especially, Edmund Davis have been, working
with you. I wonder how James will feel when I tell
him how you re making Mr. Davis happy.
He s not directly related to the project. So I m
not doing anything wrong. Mary turned back to
what she was working on, not wanting to forget the
important points she d just been discussing with
one of their vendors.
Dianne nodded. Sure, sure. That s why you ve
been so open about all this.
James will understand.
And his boss will completely understand, too?
Why are you telling me this?
I had to make sure I wasn t making a mistake.
I know you re such a stickler for rules, and it just
surprised me that you were seeing the man whose
project you re supervising. She lifted the dried
rose on Mary s desk. And also imagine my shock
when I learned that you have a close friend living
there. I m sure that makes you very objective.
Mary leaned back in her chair, now used to
Dianne s methods. She wanted to tell her that she d
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seen her boyfriend with another woman, but didn t
want to do her a favor. She briefly hoped Dianne
ended up finding out the truth about him on her
honeymoon. What do you want?
Nothing. I just want to let you know that I know.
Mary waited.
However, I could use a little help with maybe
two accounts I m handling, but that s not news to
you. You ve helped me before. She smiled. It
would be like old times.
Mary flexed her fingers. She was so close to get
ting promoted. She had only one more month to go.
She didn t want to jeopardize her chances. She
couldn t let her relationship with Edmund get in the
way. She had vowed that she would never be left with
nothing again. She had to depend on herself. Fine.
That evening, Mary ended up taking home Di
anne s work. She continued this routine for the
next two weeks. She turned Edmund s dining table
into a work center. Cammie sat at her feet, occa
sionally hitting Mary s foot with her tail for atten
tion. Mary briefly stroked her, knowing that she d
been neglecting her beloved pet the past few weeks
due to work, but having no other option. She was
working on one of Dianne s files when Edmund
came home late and sat in front of the TV.
Dara Girard 199
There s food in the fridge, she called from her
position at the dining table.
I already ate. He patted the seat beside him.
Come and keep me company.
I m busy.
You re always busy nowadays. Just a few
minutes.
But
I can pick you up, you know.
I d like to see you try, she mumbled.
He stood; she jumped to her feet and reluctantly
sat next to him.
He drew her close and she sank into his warm,
solid body, finally feeling her exhaustion. I ve
been meaning to ask you something, he said.
Yes?
How do you feel about kids?
She stiffened, a rush of feeling flooding her
with a longing she didn t know had been there. I
like them, she said cautiously.
Me, too. He toyed with her hair, then let his
fingers brush against the back of her neck, sending
tingles through her body.
Ever want to have some?
Yes. I haven t really thought about it.
His hand fell to her shoulder. I was just curious.
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Oh. She stared at the TV, but the people on the
screen were a blur. Why are you curious? When
he didn t reply she turned to him and found him
fast asleep. They d both been tired lately, but she d
never asked him what had been keeping him late
at work. It wasn t that she didn t care, but she d
been too busy herself to ask.
It wasn t easy trying to balance the career she
needed with the man she wanted. But the problem
wasn t that she wanted him it was that she loved
him. Completely, totally, hopelessly, and she
hadn t planned on that. Somehow her brief affair
had turned into a relationship.
She felt the old Mary rising up within her ro
mantic and naive, but she could no longer deny it.
She didn t want to deny it; somehow it felt right,
but it also terrified her. She watched him sleep; it
was something she liked to do. Sometimes she
imagined he opened his eyes and they were a warm
brown without any secrets, but she usually let the
fantasy fade away.
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