Page 36 of Strictly Business

“You haven’t even told your parents? Michaela!”

“I know! Okay? I know,” I sigh. “I don’t need the lecture, Cait. It’s been hard enough. I’m aware it’s messed up, but I just… The thought of disappointing them, I can't bear it. They’ve been married for over forty years; they don’t believe in divorce. They’d never understand.”

“I’m sure they’d understand if you explain it to them.”

Maybe.

Maybe not.

I think that’s the real reason I’ve avoided telling my family. What happens if they don’t understand?

“Does Nina know?” Liv asks and I shake my head. “Michaela!”

“I know, she’s going to kill me for not telling her,” I cover my face with my hands.

“This explains a lot, honestly,” Caitlin sips her wine and steals a fry from Liv. “You’ve always been a little spacey, but it’s been worse lately.”

“Just promise you won’t say anything to anyone.” I look up at both of them. They wear identical sympathetic looks — eyes full of pity hidden behind small smiles. “I’m going to tell everyone, I just… I need to figure out how to do it.”

“That’s not our place,” Cait shares a nod with Liv. “You need to tell them.”

“I will,” I nod and repeat the words, more for myself than them. My stomach rumbles as I begin digging into one of my sandwiches, I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled the delicious scents of Vietnamese food walking into the restaurant. Probably shouldn’t go so long without eating next time.

“Oh, and I slept with Finn.”

We spent the rest night giggling like a bunch of school girls, watching shitty rom-coms, and drinking wine… It was exactly what I needed. Being able to talk freely was refreshing. It was nice not having to worry I might say the wrong thing. There is absolutely nothing that can bring me down from the high I’m on. Except the face staring back at me when I open the office door.

Shit, he already looks annoyed, and it’s not even 9:00 A.M.

“No breakfast today?” I joke but it only earns an eye roll.

Brown eyes avert to the screen in front of them. God help me. This is going to be so awkward, I’ll take fighting and bickering for three hundred, Alex.

“You like him,” Cait said last night when Liv went to the restroom. I tried to deny it, but she wouldn’t let me. “It’s okay, you’re allowed to find happiness after David.”

“It’s not exactly after David, is it? We’re not even officially divorced yet.”

“You’ve been separated for three months. Fighting over a ring is a pretty lame reason to hold up the process, but hey, what do I know?” She shrugged and slipped into her heels when Liv rejoined us. I hugged them goodbye and spent the rest of the night thinking about everything we talked about and facing Finn in the morning.

“We have to meet Sasha at twelve outside the park. At that time of day, we need to leave by eleven—”

“Great. Since you’ve got this handled, I’m going to head out.” Finn slams the laptop closed and stuffs it into his bag. Without another word, he stands from his seat and begins to pack his bag.

Liv opens the door. “The board is requesting—”

“Whatever it is, Michaela can handle it. I have a flight to catch.”.

“A flight?” I stand from my chair. “Finn, we have an event to plan!”

“You have an event to plan. You’re still on this project for two more days. That was the deal, right? I have somewhere to be.”

I lean across the table taking hold of his phone before he can grab it and run. “This is your event. Your business. You can keep running off—”

“Just because we fucked Shortcake, doesn’t mean you can tell me what to do.” The glare he shoots at me sends a chill down my spine. He grips the phone and tugs it ever so slightly. “Now, hand over the phone. I have a flight to catch.”

Part Two

“Don’t let people tell you who you are. You tell them.”

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