Page 11 of A Conflict of Interest

I groaned, kicking at the floor.Julia can handle them.

You’re sure clocking in late this morning, aren’t you, Vern?

yes because I was up late last night winning over a very important client. You should double my pay.

We’ll consider it,he said, and he sent a message that made my stomach drop out.I’ll chat with Huntington about business and about you and we’ll get the specifics ironed out.

That wasn’t a good idea.I can handle it, she loves me

I mean, kind of. She did say she was still in love with me. Not that I was spending my time thinking about that and about the way I’d fallen asleep with cute littlegoodnight, Kelcemessages and looking back at the messages where she’d talked about how much brighter the world had shined when she was with me and how she wasn’t a tenth the person she was with me—Iwas notthinking about that because Iwas notin love with Kelcey Huntington. I barely even remembered her name. Was it Kelcey or Belcey? I forgot sometimes.

Oblivious to my spiral, Danielson responded with,It’s business stuff I need to be on. Don’t worry about it.

I can do it if you just tell me about the details.

Vern, did you hit your head this morning? I’ve never seen you fighting to take on a task.

That was a good point. I was probably being a little bit weird. I bit my lip, shifting anxiously, before I said,Fine, fine, fine. Just don’t refer to me as Veronica. We’re besties so we go by nicknames, she’s Kelce and I’m Nic.

He took a minute before he replied,Sure… is it that sensitive? Is that why you’re fighting for your life to make sure I don’t take this?

The truth was the most powerful lie of all.Yeah her shitty ex’s name is also Veronica so we’re very explicitly not letting her know she’s currently working with a Veronica.

Another minute before he replied,You always have the most interesting deep-dive intel on clients, Vern. Got it. Anything else?

Don’t say anything about the link between me and my sister, they’ve already been on thin ice there about conflicts of interest recently so I’m trying to get so entrenched that they can’t afford to brush us aside when it comes up

You’re nothing if not ruthlessly efficient. Will do. I’ll tell her you said hi and leave it at that.

Thank god. Now it was time to bury my head in the sand and eat food until I had to face reality.

Chapter 5

Kelcey

Boss Lucy paused at my desk on her way to her office, head back with two cups of coffee. She and Anna were so cute I wanted to cry sometimes, even just in little things like Lucy going to go get two coffees from the breakroom at once for both of them. Anna had probably wanted coffee first but waited until Lucy finished hers too so they could be on the same page. I wanted them to get married right now and invite me to the wedding. I wondered what the age limit was on being the flower girl.

“Dare I ask what’s the dreamy look, Kelce?” Lucy said, leaning against my desk.

“Just thinking about your and Anna’s wedding.”

Lucy beamed. “Well, I feel you. I’ve been spending the past few years dreaming about getting to marry her.”

I was going to scream they were so cute. I wanted that for me. Just not with Veronica Preston. Not that there was any reason I was thinking about her. Not that Iwasthinking about her. Not that I’d been thinking about her nonstop since I’d intentionally put up distance between me and Nic because I was hung up on her… because after all, I wasn’t.

“Can I be the flower girl?” I said, and she beamed.

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh.”

“Your presence as a bridesmaid is far too important. The wedding wouldn’t be the same without you as a bridesmaid.”

Oh my god I was going to cry. “Yeah?” I said, my voice wobbly, giving her the most totally normal look I could possibly manage and not at all a sappy puppy look.

“Of course. You’re always so good with clothes and style. We’ll probably want your help with coordinating the looks and the bridesmaid dresses, too.”

I giggled, waving my hands wildly in front of my face. “Oh my god, you’re just trying to placate me! You’re the worst, Boss Lucy. You totally should, though. Getting to help pick out outfits would be my literal dream come true.” I sat up taller. “By the way, did you have a good double date?”

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