Page 42 of The Switch: A Friends To Lovers Romance

“Could you lower your voice?” Ashanti hissed. “I don’t want the entire office to hear.”

Tara leaned in. “Sorry. I’m just surprised. Did something happen?”

“Everything is fine,” Ashanti lied.

Tara called her out on it. “No one gets smashed in the middle of the work week over nothing. If it’s not something serious, then was it relationship-related? Was it Luke?” Tara observed her expression and nodded sharply. “It was.”

“It’s not what you think, okay. Luke and I are just friends. In fact, yesterday I set Luke up with the woman he’s interested in.”

“So you drank because you were jealous?”

“No.” Ashanti sputtered. “Of course not.”

“Come on, Ashanti. You’re either being dishonest with me or with yourself. Give me a good reason why a girl like you would get drunk over nothing. Go ahead.” Tara jutted her chin. “I’ll wait.”

“Don’t you have something better to do?” Ashanti mumbled, swinging away and booting her laptop up.

“Nope.”

“Well, I’m busy. So…” Ashanti gestured to the door.

Tara wiggled her finger. “You can run from me, but you can’t run from your feelings.”

“Goodbye, Tara!”

Her co-worker ducked out of her cubicle. The minute she was gone, Ashanti’s hands paused over the keyboard and she frowned.

Did Tara have a point? She remembered feeling uncomfortable and out-of-sorts last night after bringing Michelle to the gathering. Luke’s invitation was for her alone and she’d worried he would be upset with her for bringing someone along without asking.

Maybe she’d even been hoping for it.

On the contrary, he went speechless when Michelle emerged from the car and immediately started acting like a besotted suitor. Luke was always courteous and kind, but he was extra with his crushes.

Ashanti chewed on her bottom lip. Were her romantic feelings manifesting? Was she acting out because she liked Luke? As more than a friend?

The thought upset her for many reasons, but mainly because Luke was serious about Michelle. He stood up to his parents so he could have her. That was not the mark of a man who would be swayed.

She slapped her cheeks. “Pull it together, Ashanti. You’ve got work to do.”

Her fingers flew over the keyboard for the next hour. At ten, the editor called them into the conference room for a meeting. When he released them for lunch, Ashanti headed back to her cubicle.

Tara slipped in once again, but her head was bowed and she wore a repentant expression. “Are you still angry with me?”

Ashanti shot her friend a look. “What do you think?”

“Don’t be mad.” Tara pushed out her bottom lip. “Are you hungry? Let’s head out. My treat.”

“I’d love to, but I have plans.”

Tara dropped her smile and narrowed her eyes. “See! You’re still angry.”

“I’m not,” Ashanti said with a laugh. “I have to pick my car up. I left it at the bar last night. That’s it.”

“You sure?”

Ashanti nodded.

“Alright.” Tara looked slightly less suspicious. “I’ll let you off the hook this once.”

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