Page 86 of Playing With Secrets
She shakes her head. “I’m fine. You can go do whatever you were here to do.”
“You’re practically hyperventilating. I’m not leaving you.”
“I was a little light-headed, but that has passed.” She rises to her feet. “What are you doing up here?”
“I needed to grab some paper out of the copy room.” I glance over my shoulder to that area.
She shrugs at my explanation and walks toward her office. She never tells me why she was standing in front of Hunter’s door.
At this point, I don’t care. He’s not my problem anymore.
I’m glad I’m home now, but I still have a lot on my mind.
A message beeps on my phone. I glance at the screen.
Lauren: I got your message. We can talk when I feel like it.
I rub my eyes with the heels of my hands and groan. I know not to engage with her when she’s in a bad mood, so I don’t respond. The light at the end of the tunnel is near.
Just a few more things to deal with, then I can go to Dori and try to work it out. I just hope I can let myself go there again. This last time she hurt me was brutal.
My chest tightens just remembering that night. It would be easy to walk away if I didn’t love her. And truthfully, I don’t want to stop. This might be our only chance to see where we could take our relationship.
There’s a knock on the front door, so I leave my upper-level office and hop down the stairsfrom my second floor. I peek through the peephole and find Dori pacing back and forth in front of my closed door.
I pull it open while I try to stop my accelerated pulse. “Dori, what are you doing here?”
“Can I come in? I need to talk to you about a few things.” She’s wearing Christmas-colored plaid leggings, a pink cropped sweater with little red hearts all over it, and black Ugg boots.
It’s a horrible outfit, making it impossible not to laugh. “Please, come in.”
“Why are you laughing at me?” She steps in as I move aside.
I shut the door behind her. “Have you looked in the mirror lately?”
She toes off her boots and scowls. “For your information, it’s not nice to make fun of someone. You have no idea what I went through that made me have to wear this outfit. Besides, it’s not that bad.”
That makes me laugh harder. “You look like a Christmas outfit and a Valentine’s Day ensemble had a baby. Mix that with your red hair and I don’t know what to make of it.”
She glances over her outfit and then back at me.
A second passes and she laughs along with me. “It’s an embarrassing story, but at least we’re starting this off with humor.”
“Tell me why you’re here and we can discuss your fashion choices later.” I run my hand over my mouth to hold back another fit of laughter.
“Thanks for letting me in.” She glances up the stairs to where my office is. “How did I not notice you had a second level the last time I was here?”
“It’s always been there, so I don’t know how you missed it. I was just up there and left the lights on, so that could be why.” I step out of the foyer. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Sure. You’ll have to take me on a tour of your placewhen we’re done.” She strides over to the bottom of the stairs and my heart leaps out of my chest.
“What do you want to drink?” I holler to her to move her attention away from the upstairs.
We won’t be taking a tour up there. She can’t explore that part of my apartment until we’ve had a considerable discussion. We’re far from where that can occur, so it will have to wait.
“What do you have?” She steps away and strolls my way.
“Anything you want.”
