Page 98 of Fierce-Hyde

“Hi,” Raina said. “I thought you were out of the office today?”

“I am,” she said, taking a bite of her sandwich. “I’m eating the bagged lunch in my car and I wanted to talk to you.”

“Oh,” Raina said. “What’s going on?”

“I ran into Jax.”

“Did you notice him or did he come to you?” Raina asked.

“We were at the same table and then he called my name. He saw it on my nametag and gave me his card and asked me to call him. He said he’s heard a lot of good things about me and my work in the community.”

“That’s great to hear,” Raina said. “You’re wonderful at what you do.”

“I try,” she said. “I told him I love what I do and where I am, but I’d be crazy to not at least take the card in case something changes.”

“True,” Raina said. “Are you going to call him?”

“It won’t hurt, but then Molly came over and saw it. She asked in a joking way if Jax was trying to steal me. Guess he’s known for that. I didn’t answer her and just explained the relationship and she dropped it. Then she brought up wanting to meet Hyde and if I left I wouldn’t be able to see my boyfriend.”

“That would have annoyed you that someone assumed you’d decide on that,” Raina said.

“I’m so glad you said that. It did annoy me. Then it got me thinking…am I hard that way to always put my career first?”

“Don’t confuse the two,” Raina said. “We aren’t talking about you always putting your career first and working eighty hours a week and not having any time for Hyde. It’s about changing a job that might not have you in the same building. Would I hate the fact that I couldn’t have lunch with you once a week? Sure. But Jax is moving into the new building that Fierce has. It’s a mile away. Lots of places to meet for lunch between there and here.”

“Oh,” she said. “I had no idea. I mean, I’m not even thinking that. But it is nice to know. I’m not a horrible person because itdidn’t cross my mind whether Hyde would be upset if I left the building. Not saying I’m even thinking about it. It’s almost too much to process right now anyway, but again, my first thought wasn’t him and I was annoyed Molly brought it up.”

“You’re not a horrible person at all,” Raina said. “I’m right there with you. You’ve been dating for a few months. A new boyfriend in my life wouldn’t have rated on a career decision. Where you want to work is your choice and no one else’s. I’m pretty sure Hyde would feel the same way. I mean, would you care if he went to work somewhere else and you didn’t get to see him in the building?”

“Not at all,” she said.

“Then not sure why you think that.”

She sighed. “Last week I think we hit a tiny bump.”

“Did you fight again?”

“No,” she said. “We didn’t.” She explained the conversation about her mother and how Hyde judged her a bit and said she took the easy way with her mother.

“He’s just being honest,” Raina said. “You want him to do that and you want to be that way with him. You said you talked about how neither of you are even close to moving in together because there are all these things you want to get out now, and that is part of it.”

“It is,” she said. “I hate that we might have these things all the time.”

Raina laughed. “Tori. No relationship is perfect. You know that. Cody and I butt heads on little things all the time. Even more now with Duke. He does things his way and I do them my way. It just is what it is.”

“You two never show that you are having issues,” she said, frowning. Why didn’t she know this about her best friend?

Was she so removed from how a genuine relationship actually worked because she hadn’t been in one or witnessed one up close?

“Because they aren’t issues,” Raina said. She could hear the humor in her best friend’s voice. “They are life conversations and decisions. You and I don’t always agree on things and we don’t have issues. We talk it out. You’re doing that with Hyde. Some might think you’ve got a leg up that you didn’t go months with a honeymoon period and then start to see negative things and fight and not know how to handle it.”

“Hmmm, that’s a good point. I feel in my profession I should know these things over you.”

“No, Tori,” Raina said. “You work with kids. Not married couples. You’ve never had a serious relationship before and now you are having one. It’s like you’re cutting your teeth on him when he’s probably not as worried about things as you. He’s been in relationships before. Not just flings, but relationships. So having experience isn’t a bad thing. You don’t have much.”

“I’ve had boyfriends,” she said. “You’re making me sound like I was a virgin or something.”

“You’ve hadboyfriendsand loose relationships by your own admission. They weren’t partners. You don’t let people in and you’re letting him in. Now that you’re doing it, you’re doubting yourself. Like I said, cutting your teeth on him. Why not cut yourself some slack instead.”

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