Page 19 of Riding Jamie

“God, no. I don’t want to cause problems,” I say.

“You might need to,” she says bluntly. Before I get the chance to argue, she raises her hand and continues speaking. “Things like this happen. We’re all adults. If it’s not possible for you to keep working with Shane, you might want to talk to your uncle about transferring departments.”

I frown at that suggestion. This is where I want to be, but I guess the only other solution would be for Shane to transfer, and that’s not fair. He seems perfectly capable of handling himself professionally. If I can’t do the same, he shouldn’t bear the consequences.

“Or,” she adds, catching my eye and smiling comfortingly, “you could ask me for a little help. I know things like this are awkward, but if you give it some time, you’ll both get over it. If you need a hand with anything you’re working on, you can always come talk to me. I’ve got a few time-saving tricks up my sleeve, and I’d be happy to help you out, Oakley.”

The offer warms my heart, and I smile even as I shake my head.

“I don’t want to put more work on your plate,” I say. “I can handle this on my own. I think I just needed to talk to somebody about it.”

I feel a little better just for having said it out loud, but I know I still need to put in some serious work to fix the whole situation.

“Just don’t push yourself too hard. I’m always here if you need,” she says. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” I say. “Get home safe.”

She offers me one last supportive smile before ducking back out into the hallway. The smile on my face melts away as soon as she’s out of sight, and that oppressive exhaustion settles right back over my shoulders.

So much for feeling better, I guess.

I huff in annoyance as I grab my bag from my desk and bend down to turn my computer off for the day. I wish I could stopthinking about all of it, but it's been a long day and I'm more irritable than usual. Even waiting for the elevator has me on edge.

It's not even that I miss Shane, not exactly. We weren't close enough for me to be really upset at losing him as a friend, but I am frustrated.

I should have known better than to mix business and pleasure, and I should have trusted my own instincts, no matter how annoyed I am about not being over Jamie. I shouldn't have pushed myself to do something I know I'm not ready for. I just…sure, I'm not surprised that things are awkward between us, but I thought I’d be able to handle it better.

I just want to put it out of my head and enjoy the walk home, but every little thing is pissing me off.

The honk of horns seems so much louder tonight, the impatience of every cabbie and businessman on the road wearing off on me. The streets are as crowded as they usually are, but the press of bodies feels claustrophobic. I usually enjoy the anonymity of walking through the throng, but right now, I just want to get away from it all. The chatter and the sound of motors and the flashing lights and the smells from street carts are all piling on top of each other and making my head spin.

I know I’m scowling as I shove my way through the crowded sidewalks, but I can't bring myself to care. I don't even apologize as I shoulder check someone standing still in the middle of the walkway.

I just pull my jacket tighter around my shoulders and continue stomping my way home.

It's better once I get out of the business district, but the city is still buzzing. It's the end of the workday, which means it's the start of the evening, and the party crowd is out in force. They couldn't care less what day of the week it is or about the steadily dropping temperature.

Chapter Ten

OAKLEY

By the timeI make it to the penthouse, I'm starting to slide from irritated to just plain exhausted.

I almost want to cry in relief when the elevator opens seconds after I press the call button. The ride up is quick, and I gratefully crumple back against the cool metal of the wall. I wish closing my eyes helped with the headache starting to brew at the base of my skull, but it just makes me focus on it more.

The doors open again when the elevator reaches my floor, and I fumble my way into the apartment, half dead on my feet.

My breath rushes out of my lungs in a massive sigh when I finally collapse face down on my bed. My bag is still slung over one shoulder, and I'm still dressed in my work clothes, but I don't care. The comfort of being in my bed and knowing the day is finally over is too great to care about any little details.

I take several slow, centering breaths in an attempt to release some of the tension still knotting at the base of my spine. The world slowly stops feeling like it's going a million miles an hour as I bask in the quiet.

Of course, it doesn't last long.

I groan, exasperated, when I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket. My hopes of it just being a text are dashed when it keeps going, and I pull it out before picking up the call without even looking at who it is.

“Hello?” I answer, not bothering to hide the exhaustion in my voice.

“Hey, Oaks.”

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