Page 6 of Playing With Secrets
Melanie shrugs. “Oh, well. Can’t blame a girl for trying. Now, let’s get back to Julie. What’s her story?”
“Since you won’t leave me alone until I tell you, she’s a woman I went out with a few weeks ago. There’s no story there. Sorry to burst your bubble.”
“That was right after you got back from Denver.”
My stomach twists with shame. “Yeah, so?”
“You and Dori had just spent all that time together. It surprises me you went out on a date.”
“It was an impulsive decision. Nothing happened, and that text you’re looking at is the first time I’ve heard from Julie since. Can I have my phone now?” I throw my open hand on my desk and motion for Mel to give it back.
She taps my screen to open my message. “Let me see what she wants. Then I’ll let you have it.”
“It doesn’t matter what she wants. I’m not going to respond to her.” I stand and round my desk.
She brings my phone close to her again. “You’re not getting this back until I know everything.”
“Mel, I have a ton of work to do and I don’t have a lot of patience right now. Give me my phone.” I try to snag it out of her hands.
She jerks away and slips it down her tucked-in blouse. “We can do this all day. Tell me what I want to know and you can have it back.”
I huff a frustrated breath and place my hands on my hips. “Do you know how juvenile this is? You are worse than a child.”
“I don’t claim to be mature. I don’t care what people think about my filter or my boundaries. All I care about is my friend, so sit down and explain it to me before I go to Dori and rat you out.” She tilts her head as her eyebrows rise, daring me to test her.
I know better than that, so I rest against my desk and fold my arms over my chest. Maybe explaining to Mel won’t be that big of a deal.
“Julie’s a woman I met on a dating app. I went out with her once. I wasn’t interested in her, but I was trying to forget my heartbreak.”
Mel gasps. “Jami, why?”
“After hearing Dori and Hunter proclaim their love for each other, I thought I deserved a few nights out. There’s no scoop to give you, Melanie. Erase the message if you want. It makes no difference to me.”
She studies me for a minute and then reaches down her shirt to retrieve my phone. “Before I give this back to you, I need clarification.”
“About?”
“You said you thought you deserved afewnights out, but you told me you only went out withJulieonce. Your story has some holes in it.”
My arms fall to my sides and I spin around. I grasp the edge of my desk and hold in my scream.
“I don’t know how Dori puts up with you. You’ve got to be the most incorrigible woman I’ve ever met.” I push off the desk and go back to my chair.
“It’s not difficult to understand. When I want intel, I get it. You know this about me and you still hang out with me. That tells me it doesn’t bother you that much.” Mel taps my screen. “What’s your code to open this?”
“Absolutely not. I am not giving you the code to myphone.”
“Then I’ll assume you’re hiding something.”
Lauren and our issues screech into my mind. I lower my head so I don’t have to look at Melanie.
All Hunter’s threats stack before me. It’s enough to make me sick. I have to get my shit together, but this situation with Dori’s consuming me.
“What is it, Jami?” Melanie’s tone switches and echoes with genuine concern.
“Nothing.”
“I’ve only known you for a short time, but even I can tell whatever you just thought about is anything but nothing. What are you hiding?” She leans forward and hands me my phone.
