Page 15 of Together at Ruby's

They sat there in an awkward silence for minute until there was a sharp knock at Chad’s office door. “Come in,” Chad called, and the door opened to show Aurora Price. She was dressed as attractively as the last two days. A dark green pencil skirt with a flowing cream blouse all accenting her auburn hair.

Her eyes landed on Tate and, for a second, there was a flicker of surprise, but then she smiled. “I hadn’t expected to see you here this morning,” she said walking in with a toss of her head. “A nice surprise.”

“Actually, Tate’s who I want to talk about,” Chad said. “I want to make sure you both understand your relationship.”

For a second Aurora slowed her steps, and Tate was sure she saw a hint of concern in the woman’s eyes before she recovered. With nothing but confident grace, she sat in one of the chairs in front of Chad’s desk. “I’m all ears,” she said, and Chad smiled as he tapped the desktop with a pen.

“Good,” Chad said. “Let’s keep this simple.” He pointed the pen at Tate. “I want you to start reporting to Aurora.”

“But—” Tate tried to interrupt, but Chad shook his head.

“I’ve made up my mind,” he continued. “Until she’s up to speed, I basically want you attached at the hip. Does that make sense?”

Tate felt her stomach clench. It was the last thing she wanted to hear but didn’t know how else to respond. “Yes, sir,” she said and couldn’t miss the smug smile on Aurora Price’s face.

Lookingat the clock on the wall, Liza could hardly believe it was only two in the afternoon. The day crawled, and all she wanted was for it to be over so she could go home and open a bottle of wine. She was ready to try and console herself on the couch after hours of being unable to shake the feeling she didn’t know Tate as well as she thought. The phone call from some woman the night before mixed with finding a locked drawer worried her. The ridiculous possibility Tate might have a whole different life kept circling in her mind. It was insane and probably influenced by some of the drama television shows she watched, but it still nagged at her. In her heart, she knew Tate was the most trustworthy and honest person she had ever met, but for some reason that couldn’t stop her racing mind.

Between phone calls, Liza checked her cell and noticed she had a text from Allie. “Would you mind if we don’t have game night tonight?” Liza raised an eyebrow.Is it only Wednesday?she wondered. The last few days had seemed a blur but felt like they had taken weeks. Yet a glance at her desk calendar confirmed it was indeed Wednesday. It was a long- standing tradition that every week her group of friends gathered at one of their homes to play board games or cards. The meetup was a way for them to break up the week and have some fun.I bet Tate has forgotten too. We’ve both had our minds occupied.Considering how things were between her and Tate, she certainly didn’t care if they canceled.

She typed it into her phone. “That’s fine with me.”

“Okay,” Allie wrote back after a beat. “But I still want you to help me tonight.”

Liza frowned. “Help with what?”

“Come to Ruby’s after work and brainstorm with the gang,” Allie wrote. With a sigh, Liza tried to think of an excuse to send to Allie. She was not in the mood to be with her friends and brainstorm. All she wanted was a bottle of wine and a pity party of her own.

On the flipside, she didn’t want to let them down. “What are we brainstorming?”

“We need to figure out what to do at Pride! It’s this weekend!”

Is it already here?Liza thought and sighed. She couldn’t say no.Maybe getting away from the house will be good for me tonight, she thought. Certainly, the last two evenings at home had been a hell. “All right, I’ll be there,” she wrote, and Allie messaged right back.

“Wonderful. Do you think Tate will be able to come too?”That’s the million-dollar question, Liza thought. It seemed highly unlikely that Tate would be rushing home tonight let alone be willing to socialize.

Still, she wanted to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. “I’ll text her,” Liza wrote and then the phone on her desk rang. “Gotta go.”

Luckily the customer was pleasant, and the call went smoothly. After she hung up, she decided to go ahead and text Tate. Figuring it was a futile attempt, but having promised Allie, Liza typed a message. “Can you come to Ruby’s tonight? Everyone will be there to talk about Pride.” There was a long pause, and Liza shook her head. Silence yet again. She was about to put her phone away when it vibrated. A text from Tate.

Looking at the screen Liza was surprised to see a short but promising message. “I’ll be there. Ruby’s sounds great.” After a second, there was another text. A heart emoji. Liza felt her body relax a little as warmth filled her chest.Maybe things will be all right after all.

Already running late,Tate hurried into her office to shut down her laptop and head for Ruby’s. It was five-thirty, and she had hoped to be out of there thirty minutes before. She wanted to make sure Liza and their friends felt like they were a priority in her life. It was time to put some normalcy back into things. Packed and slipping on her lightweight jacket, Tate slipped the bag’s strap over her shoulder and headed for her door. Suddenly, Aurora appeared in the doorway, making Tate pull up short. “Oh, you’re leaving?” Aurora said as she put a hand on the doorframe as if planning to physically bar Tate from leaving. “I was hoping I could catch you for a few more minutes.”

Not wanting to be rude to the woman Chad had made her temporary boss, Tate held back her frustration and paused. “What can I help with?” she asked, and Aurora smiled.

As always, it was charismatic but also a little calculated. “I have an idea,” she said. “One that I think can save the firm a lot of money, and I want to run it by you.”

Unable to help but be curious by such a bold statement, Tate raised her eyebrows. “All right I’m listening,” she said, and Aurora shook her head.

“Not standing here in the doorway,” she said. “Follow me to my office and we can discuss it in private.”

Tate wasn’t so sure if she was interested in hearing whatever Aurora had to say. Somehow her offer felt like a ploy, although she didn’t quite understand why the woman would want to play games with her. Yet over the last three days, that sensation had slowly started to build. It was especially odd because Tate was certain she made it clear that she had a girlfriend.Not to mention we are in a workspace, she thought, and started to decline.

As if reading her mind Aurora took a step closer. For a second it seemed like she was going to reach out and touch Tate’s sleeve but then her hand stopped midair. “Tate, I think what I am planning will help your career,” she said softly, meeting Tate’s eye. “Both our careers.” Not sure exactly what she meant, Tate frowned.Does she think I need her help with my career?she wondered.Does this have something to do with my missed promotion?

It was all so confusing, and Tate realized then and there she did not want anything to do with it tonight. “It can wait until tomorrow,” she said and motioned toward the door to usher them out.

“Really?” Aurora said with a hint of disbelief, but also something else. She seemed irritated. “And here I thought you were dedicated to your job.”

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