Page 65 of Stuck On Them

Putting on my glasses, I opened my laptop and got to work.

* * *

No one bothered me as the office slowly came to life outside my closed door. That was probably for the best since I wasn’t the best company when I was in a bad headspace.

Eventually, my cone of solitude was broken, and Sue knocked on my door before poking her head in. “Do you have a minute?”

“I always have a minute for you.” After our last interaction, I’d make time for her. I’d been a complete asshole and she’d been right; Paige had been good for me, just not in the way she meant.

“How are you feeling?” She shut the door behind her and sat down across from me.

“Good. I was lucky it just seemed to be a mild bug. I was feeling much better on Saturday.” Better enough to go on the yacht.

“I’m glad...” She gave me a knowing look and I didn’t have to ask to know that she knew Paige had taken care of me. “Javier let me know that Paige would be starting work again today as Garrett’s and Luca’s assistant.”

Hearing it from her made it that much more real. I nodded, not trusting myself to keep the emotion out of my voice. It wasn’t that I didn’t think Paige was a good fit. Things would just get complicated fast with her working for us. It was already going to be hard enough with all three of us in a relationship with her—if that was even still on the table for me.

Sue leaned forward, placing a hand on the edge of my desk like it was my arm. “I’ve been worried about you for a while, and now only Luca and Garrett are going to have an assistant?”

I sighed, taking off my glasses and rubbing my temples. It still felt odd to talk about this with Sue. I’d been so closed off about personal matters, especially when it came to my love life.

“Seems so.”

Sue’s brows furrowed. “Do you want me to find you your own assistant?” With her doing the hiring, she could easily find me my own assistant.

On one hand, it would be nice to have someone who just worked for me, but on the other, there would always be a certain level of coordination and communication that had to happen with the other assistant.

We’d tried having three separate assistants before and it had been more of a headache than it was worth.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“You’re going to do everything yourself? Set your own schedule? Keep notes? Respond to all your emails?” She shook her head in disbelief. “You already work enough as it is.”

“I’m sure it will be fine. I like to stay busy.” I looked back at my computer screen not believing my own words.

When I was busy, I didn’t have the time to worry.

With a heavy sigh, she stood and walked to the door, stopping with her hand on the doorknob. “You only get one life, Ryker, and you’ve been blessed with what you have. It’s time to enjoy it a little.”

She left without another word. I knew deep down that she was right—that Garrett and Luca were right—but every time I thought about slowing down, worry crept in.

Working all the time wasn’t living. Knowing it was one thing, but being able to move forward in my life wasn’t so simple.

My computer dinged, a meeting reminder popping up. I shut my laptop and grabbed the file for the client I was meeting with before venturing out of my office for the first time since I arrived.

I glanced down the hall where Paige’s office was, but it was empty. Having a few minutes before I needed to be in the conference room, I went to her door and poked my head in.

She hadn’t made it her own yet, but there was a vase on her desk with an assorted array of pink flowers. I looked behind me before I walked to her desk, picking up the small card lying next to them.Have a great first day. Luca and Garret.

“Ryker?” Paige’s voice made me jump and drop the note and the file I was holding. “What are you doing?”

I spun around to find Paige standing in the doorway, a puzzled look on her face.

Wearing.The. Dress.

Why the hell would she pick the dress she wore the night we’d met?

My cheeks flushed as I bent down to pick up the card and file I had dropped. “I was just … um… looking for something.”

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