Page 196 of Time Stops With You

The co-worker who sits closest to me steps forward. “Nardi, I don’t mean to insult you, but you really don’t look that well. You should eat something.”

I smile and shake my head. “I’m fine.”

They all glance at each other and I can tell I’ve been the topic of a water-cooler discussion or two. I ignore them and, eventually, they go away.

The office empties out for lunch and I’m left in peaceful silence.

At that moment, my phone rings.

I take a look at the caller ID and sigh, sending it to voicemail.

Sunny Hastings has been calling since last night. I figured she’d get the message that I wasn’t interested if I didn’t show up to her party.

Guess not.

Another call from Sunny lights up my phone.

This time, I groan and turn the phone completely over.

“That’s rude,” a voice says behind me.

I whirl around, shocked to see Mrs. Sunny Hastings in my office. She’s wearing an expensive fitted top and a long, flowing white skirt. Her perfectly pedicured toes peep out of luxury pumps. Today, her waist-length black hair is tied up in a high ponytail that swings back and forth when she walks.

“Sunny,” I gasp, shocked to see her.

“I know you’re mad at Cullen right now, butIdidn’t do anything to you.” She pouts. “Why are you ignoring me?”

“I…”

She breaks into a smile. “I’m just messing with you.”

“What are you doing here?” I stammer.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on your lunch break? Why areyoustill here?”

“I was out of the office for two weeks. There’s a lot to do.”

“Yeah, but you still have to eat, right?” She arches a perfect brow.

“Uh…”

“Come on. Let’s have lunch at that café from last time.”

“I really can’t.”

“No problem. I’ll just come back tomorrow. And if you can’t tomorrow, I’ll come back the next day. And if you can’t the next day?—”

“You arereallypersistent, aren’t you?” My lips twitch into a wry grin.

“Yeah, it’s a lot. Drives my husband crazy, but he’s learned to live with it. You ready?”

I think about pushing her off, but Sunny Hastings seems like a woman of her word and I one hundred percent believe she’ll show up every day until I acknowledge her.

Grabbing my purse, I click my computer off and follow Sunny to the elevator.

She taps something on her phone and then grins when she receives a reply. At my questioning glance, she explains, “I told my husband I was eating lunch with you.”

“And what did he say?”

---