Page 69 of Fierce

No.He’d be working, and I’d be his—not even his girlfriend. His latest short-term arrangement. It would be all over the office on Monday, and I needed to keep my job, and not to feel humiliated. Now or ever.

I wanted this thing that had started between us. But he’d said it from the beginning. This isn’t true love. There’s no forever. He didn’t want to come over to watch a movie with us, didn’t even seem to understand what a big deal it had been for me to offer to share Karen’s and my special time with him. Of course he didn’t. That wasn’t what our relationship was about, and if that made my heart ache—well, that was my problem. It wasn’t his fault that my treacherous heart insisted, despite all evidence in my own life to the contrary, on harboring romantic notions of Prince Charming to the rescue, of lavender roses and enchantment. Of Hemi putting his arm around me in the boat, and being able to lay my head against his shoulder and fall asleep, knowing he’d take care of me.

I’d just rein that right in as the daydream it was. I’d enjoy being with him, and what was life about, if not enjoying the wonderful times? But I’d make sure that when they were over, I could go on, because that was the other thing life was about. Going on.

Life was Karen, too. By the time I’d pulled my bag up the four flights of stairs to the apartment and let myself in, it was after six in the evening, close to midnight Paris time, and I was dragging. But seeing Karen jumping up from the couch was a pretty good antidote.

“Hey!” she said. “You’re back! Debra and I cooked dinner for you. Are you hungry?”

“Made you some soup,” Debra said as I hung up my coat and put my suitcase in the bedroom. “That’s gotta have been a long day. And flying nowadays?” She shook her head. “No way. We’re all getting fatter, and those seats just keep getting smaller.” She picked up her purse. “And I’ll get on out of here now so you can relax. Everything’s real good here. We went to the grocery store today, got you stocked up for the week.”

“Oh,” I said, and reached for my own purse. “Let me just—“

She waved her hand. “Nah. Hemi took care of all that.”

“Well,” I said helplessly, “thank you very much, then.”

“Bye, hon,” she told Karen. “See you next time.”

Karen gave her a hug, shut the door behind her, looked at me, and said, “Hemi?”

“You get all your homework done?” I asked.

“Nice try.” She plopped herself back down on the couch and folded her arms. “I thought your work was paying for Debra to stay with me. Which seemed pretty weird, but did I say anything? No, I did not. I was trusting, because my big sister never, ever lies to me. She believes in honesty.”

“Hey. That wasn’t a lie. My work did pay. Kind of. Hemi’s my…” I took a breath and said it. “Well, you know. He’s Hemi Te Mana. And it was his show. His trip.”

“Te Mana,” she said slowly. “As in your company. Get out. He’s…what is he?”

“The CEO. And—phew.” I pulled my T-shirt over my head. “I feel like I got dressed about twenty-four hours ago. I need a shower. Did Debra say there was soup?”

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