Page 16 of The One I Need
Hazel’s face goes from hopeful to sad in an instant. “I had to ask. In all the time we’ve worked together, you’ve never, not once, used a man’s real name. Not before a date, and definitely not after. You didn’t spill explicit details of sex positions you were put in that I later had to Google with an incognito window. Sorry for thinking that maybe this would be the guy who would finally make you take a chance at love?”
Hazel’s always wanted me to be happy. And when we were both single, we were content living out our boss bitch dreams. Then she met Knox, fake dated him, real dated him, and fell in love. Now she’s insistent that if I just took a risk like she did, that I’d find love too.
She’s hilarious.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” I say. “Yes, Oliver is a good guy, and we had a great night together. But we want different things, and I don’t want to lead him on.”
“Wait,” she says. “So he wants to see you again, but you put a stop to it?”
“Yup,” I say and start to gather my things. “He’s a relationship guy, Hazel. I’m not that kind of girl.”
“So you’ve said.”
I shoot her a look. “I’ve said it because it’s true. Now, are we done?”
Hazel nods, knowing that I’m done with this conversation. “I’m sorry I pressed.”
“You’re fine,” I say, walking around my desk to give her a hug. “I know you mean well. I appreciate that. And I’m sorry I’ve been a bitch all week. I’ll be fine after the weekend. I just need some time alone to reset.”
She nods. “If you want company, just let me know. I’ll come over, and we can have a wine and popcorn night like we used to.”
“Thanks, but I’m good. I really just want to be alone.”
“I understand.”
She puts back on her shoes as I grab my purse and computer bag and we walk out of my office, flicking the lights off before shutting the door. I wait for her to grab her things out of her office, which is right next to mine, before we head to the elevators.
“You know, I got excited when you said his name,” Hazel says as she pushes the down button. “I was starting to think you weren’t telling me names before because you never actually knew them.”
I laugh. “Oh, I’ve known them. They just never deserved name recognition.”
“But Oliver did?”
A smile tries to push through my mood as I think about Oliver. His smile. His voice. His eyes. His mouth. “Yeah, he did.”
We step onto the elevator and ride in silence down to the lobby. I think the part that’s bummed me out all week is that Oliver is one of the good ones. Women should be lining up at his door. When he finds that person, she is going to be the most loved and sexually satisfied woman to ever exist.
Sometimes—not often, but sometimes—I wish I was built differently. It definitely hasn’t happened since we relocated Left for Love from Los Angeles to Nashville. I doubt it would change if Hazel were to grant my wish and send me to London. But every once in a while I wonder what it would be like if I was built differently. If history wasn’t what it was.
Then again, if history was different, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be working with Hazel. And I definitely wouldn’t be the woman I am today.
And I like her. Even if she’s a little alone sometimes.
“Izzy?”
I look over to Hazel, whose car is next to mine. “Yeah?”
“You know you’ll still be you if you let your guard down a little.”
I nod. “I know.”
“Maybe someday?”
I laugh. I don’t lie often, but when it comes to getting people to move on about my dating life, I’ll do it all day long. “Yeah. Maybe someday.”
Chapter7
Oliver
