Page 77 of Isolated
I smiled at him. “That’s excellent. You’re really doing me a huge favor here, Brett. And for what it’s worth, if we get this account, I’ll be sure to mention how crucial you were in helping to pull this off.”
He fidgeted with his hands as he squirmed in his seat. “I… I appreciate that. Thank you.”
“Of course. Hard work deserves to be rewarded.” I hesitated for just a moment to allow that to sink in. “How long do you think it’d take you to get this done?”
His eyes narrowed as he considered his response. “A week. Maybe sooner. I’ll have to fit it in between other projects I’m working on.”
I nodded. “Perfect. That’s completely fine. Do you have any questions for me?”
Brett shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“Okay. Great. If that changes, please come and see me. The only thing I’m going to ask is that you keep this between the two of us. It’s a bit of a surprise I’m working on.”
A flush crept over his cheeks. Brett was so uncomfortable around women, I wondered if he’d ever had a girlfriend. He smiled awkwardly. “I can keep a secret.”
I didn’t doubt that was the truth. He rarely approached anyone here at the office, which was one of the big reasons I’d felt confident about having him help me.
I returned the smile, though I didn’t feel nearly as awkward about it as I was certain he felt. “Thank you. I owe you.”
After clearing his throat, he asked, “Is there anything else?”
“No. I think that’s everything for now.”
With a nod of understanding, Brett stood and moved to the door. When he opened it, he looked back at me, and his cheeks flushed again. I offered a friendly smile in return. And as he walked out, I couldn’t miss Nova standing there with a sinister look on her face. She kept her eyes pinned on me for several beats before she took off in the opposite direction.
I rolled my eyes and got back to work.
Before I knew it, lunchtime had rolled around. I left my office, feeling the most energized I had in a while.
Then again, today was Wednesday.
It was entirely possible I was feeling so wonderful because I had plans to spend time with Landen tonight. I couldn’t wait to see him. It was strange to me how I’d gone from seeing him only during our gym sessions four times a week without any of the kissing we did afterward, and each one of those encounters felt like a gift. Now it almost felt like torture, because I hated having only that short time with him. Tuesday morning felt like it had been so long ago.
I walked into the lunchroom and spotted my friends. Ignoring the stares and whispers that had become commonplace whenever I walked into a room around here these days, I made a beeline for them with a smile on my face and sat down.
“Alright, Kasey, so, how’d it go?”
Yesterday, during lunch, she’d told Steph and me that she was going out on a date with a guy she’d met while picking up a birthday cake for her mom. Even though shehadn’t yet had any luck with her new system, she was still accepting all invites for dates in hopes she was going to find the one.
For the first time since I sat down, I realized Kasey had a huge bag of potato chips in front of her. Seeing it, I had a feeling I knew how last night’s date had gone for her.
“Awful.”
My shoulders fell. “Really?”
She nodded. “If things keep going like this, I think I might just throw in the towel. I’m exhausted.”
“Don’t give up,” Steph urged her. “You have to keep trying.”
“Yeah, I agree. He’s out there, and the only way you’re going to meet the guy who’s perfect for you, who’d do anything for you, is if you are open to meeting him.”
Kasey closed her eyes and let out a frustrated groan. “I hate this.”
Steph asked, “What happened with the guy from last night? What was his deal?”
Before responding, Kasey popped a couple of potato chips into her mouth. She seemed to be in no hurry to share whatever the gory details were. “Technically, it wasn’t really his fault. Honestly, everything seemed perfect. He was handsome and had a great job. But it turns out, he’s a single dad.”
“Okay. Is that a bad thing?”
