Page 34 of One Wild Wedding Weekend

“Are you so sure it will crumble?” He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Well, of course it will.” The words were impatient. “Be honest. What’s the longest you’ve ever dated a woman?”

He gave it serious thought. “As a full-grown adult? A month,” he muttered.

“Well, there you go. I’m a novelty to you right now. But you know the old saying? Familiarity breeds contempt? When I’m in the building all the time, you’ll find other women far more interesting. I’ll be the coworker down the hall. Nothing more.”

“You’re awfully sure about that. I’m not.”

“You said it yourself. You’re a workaholic. I’m focused on growing my brand and my business. Neither of us is interested in marriage.”

“So, why can’t we have a no-strings-attached affair?”

Daley sighed. “It’s tempting. But people would find out. Inevitably. And aside from Tabby and John, we’d be setting a bad example in the workplace.”

“I’m not going to be your boss.”

“I know that. But...”

He scowled. “But what?”

Daley sat back and removed her hand from his grasp. “This opportunity is important to me. I like you a lot. And I enjoyed everything we did this weekend. But sometimes a woman needs to focus on her future.”

Did she really think he would do anything to hinder her professionally?

He exhaled, trying not to notice the way her silky, cream-colored tank revealed the shape of her body. Today, there was no sexy wedding attire. She looked like an ad for the professional woman. Trim black pants. Black heels. And the black blazer she had hung on the back of her chair.

“So that’s it,” he said flatly. “Friends but no benefits.”

Her smile was wry. “Yes, please.”

“You drive a hard bargain.”

“You’ll find someone else, Tristan. And so will I.”

The weeks after her lunch with Tristan were some of the busiest and most stressful of Daley’s adult life. She met with Harold, hammered out the details of a deal and signed a million pieces of paper.

Then came the packing. So much packing. It shouldn’t have been a big deal. Harold had the newest, fanciest phone systems and internet capabilities. All Daley had to do was box up files, tape dispensers and paper clips, and make sure to mark which bookcases and chairs and tables were going.

She had to pay out the last two months of her current lease, but the cost was well worth the upcoming rewards.

Unfortunately, the timeframe meant moving on July 1, which happened to be Atlanta’s first triple-digit day of the summer. Not that Daley actually needed to carry anything, but she had to be available in and out of the building.

It was a Saturday. Harold had given her keys. No one from Lieberman and Dunn was at work. That was a good thing, because Daley was red-faced and drenched in sweat. Tabby had wanted to come along for moral support, but she and John had to make a quick jaunt to Asheville for a friend’s wedding.

So Daley handled the transition on her own.

By the end of the afternoon, her new office space looked great. The brass placard on the door in the hallway had her name. She paused to polish a smudge with her sleeve. Daley Martin, VP, Digital Specialist. That had been Harold’s doing. The title didn’t exactly reflect her skill set, but it was a start.

When the movers left, she plopped into her chair and gave it a spin.

She was excited and scared. The hollow feeling in her chest would go away once she started working next week. None of her current clients had batted an eye about the change in venue, nor the fact that Daley was now affiliated with Lieberman and Dunn.

They all assumed it was a step up...which it was.

It was time to go home and take a shower, but she wanted to stay for a little while and see if she could pretend this was where she belonged. All transitions were hard, even good ones. Soon, this building would seem like her new nest. She hoped.

She had done more than work in the last month. Tabby and John had finally returned from their honeymoon. Daley had spent part of a Saturday with them, hearing all about the trip. Tabby had gifted her with a stunning red-and-gold silk pareu, along with a cultured pearl necklace in shades of gray and black.

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