Page 28 of Single Dad's Second Chance

“What?” Ann’s sweetness soured as she clearly felt put out. “I make reservations for us and you turn around and ask her out?”

“I have other priorities.”

“I came here just for lunch. With you. That’s why I’m here.”

“No one asked you to be here,” I sassed.

She narrowed her eyes until Henry faced her again. “I made plans for us to get lunch.”

“Youmade plans for lunch. I did as well. And they don’t include you.” Henry sighed at Jason clinging to me. “My family is more important right now.”

She snorted. “Well, your family is. Butshe’snot.” She flicked her hand at me, dismissing me. “She’s just an employee.”

Oh, fuck you.I hated that term. Ever since Eddie said it, reminding me that I was just an employee, I worried that the label could be true.

“Hey, you know what?” I let Jason stand so he could go back to Henry, who watched him with worry. “I actually can’t do lunch today.” I willed myself to stay strong through the lie. I was ready to go. If Jason—and Henry—wanted me to go to lunch with them, I would. But being stuck in the middle like this didn’t feel good. Her words hurt. Jason saying he wished I was his mommy made my heart ache. And I couldn’t face Henry without his seeing how badly I wanted him to push Ann further out of his life and consider me a woman worthy of really being with him.

As more than just an employee.

“I’ve got to meet with a friend, but I’ll bring back that ice cream we like, okay?” I said to Jason.

He nodded, still sniffling. The barest hint of a smile touched his lips, and I exhaled in relief.

“But—”

I turned, ignoring Henry calling out to me. Ann could win this round. She was supposed to winhim. Competing for Henry against a woman like that wouldn’t end well for me, so I resorted to what was becoming my latest tactic of getting out of awkward situations.

I ran.

I extracted myself and sought to hide from it all—my feelings for Henry, the disappointment that he couldn’t be mine, and the horrible woman who made it no secret that she wanted him.

I hurried to grab my purse and leave. Gina would be at Danger. She doubled as my boss and my friend, and I knew I could count on her to hear me out while the club was cleaned, closed during the day.

That was where I found her, snacking at one of the tables while the maintenance crew cleaned and mopped on the stage. She raised her brows, pausing mid-bite of a sandwich to stare at me. “You ran all the way from the big office uptown to come here?”

“Just a subway stop… or five… away.” I huffed out a deep breath as I plopped in a chair.

With aplomb, she took me in, noticing my office wear of a plaid skirt and white blouse, minimal makeup, and sensible shoes. I’d hurried, even with the subway ride, and I was sure I looked a mess. I felt like one, thinking about all that happened at the office with Ann and Jason.

“You look so…” She gestured at me.

“Stressed?”

“Well, yeah. You always are. But so different.”

I shrugged. She was used to seeing me in my stage wear. But she could also recognize me as myself. That night Henry kissed me, she’d spotted me. It was half the reason I ran. If she noticed me, others could too. Gina knew about my job, my addiction to being near Henry. All of it. I confided in her often, seeing her as a friend when I lacked time to look for any and make them naturally outside of the workplace. Or workplaces, for me.

Gina knew not to approach me with Henry, but I couldn’t assume the same for everyone else. Hence, my rush to get out of there, to keep my lives and identities separate.

“Like the other night, when you were here with the boss man.” She rolled her eyes. “I forgot to mention how that blondie was talking shit about the dancers. The waiters overheard her when she ordered her ridiculous drinks from the bar—and then demanded them to remake them when they weren’t ‘right’.”

“Ann? She was talking about the dancers?”

“Yep. Said they had to be lowlife losers who couldn’t get normal jobs. Then she bitched about the whole club. Clearly, I don’t deliver to her expectations.” Once more, she rolled her eyes.

“I’m not surprised.” I shook my head and rambled about why I’d rushed here to talk to her. I needed to get it all off my chest, and as she ate a sandwich—offering me some as well, which I accepted—I spilled the details. How Ann was clearly digging her claws into Henry. How she said that horrible crap to Jason about a boarding school. All of it.

“Well.” Finished with her sandwich, she wiped her mouth and tossed the napkin to the table. She crossed her arms and leaned back. “When are you going to just makeyourdamn move on him? Huh?” She raised her brows, all too aware of how I’d had a crush on him forever. “When are you going to tell him how you feel about him, for real?”

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