Chapter 20 Miles
TWENTY
Miles
I stare at the computer in front of me. It’s unfortunately not doing my work for me.
And my brain is not focused on work right now. The farthest thing from it, in fact.
I walked into the office on this fine Monday morning, waiting for people to comment on my new status. Like I was waiting for people to see me and know that I had gotten married on Friday.
But why would they? Besides the phone call to my mom and sitting on the couch, playing pretend with Lucy, nothing else has changed.
Margaret hasn’t said a word.
Ainsley went home the next morning.
Lucy slept in on Sunday and then ran errands.
She even texted to see if I needed anything.
It was all very domestic. Originally, this weekend, I’d wanted to go over to my parents’ and help with unloading the shipment of subzero tents they were adding to the store…
but it would be strange to show up without my new wife, and I didn’t think Lucy was quite ready for that yet.
She’s been avoiding me both Saturday and Sunday—because I didn’t even run into her at the coffee pot—a rarity for her.
There’s a knock on my office door, and it swings open, showing Thea standing there.
She’s holding her tablet in one hand and a coffee in the other. She doesn’t wait for me to welcome her in; she simply marches in and sits down across from me.
“Did you bring me a coffee?” I ask even though I know the answer.
“It’ll be a cold day in hell when I’m your coffee girl, Miles,” Thea mutters and takes a long sip from the Grind On coffee cup.
She focuses on the tablet, and I wonder if she’s ever set that down or if it’s physically attached to her. I can’t remember the last time I saw her with both hands free.
“Would you like my job?” I ask.
She nearly drops the coffee cup and looks at me in wide-eyed surprise. She glances at the open door behind her, then back at me. “What the heck are you talking about?”
I shake my head. “Never mind. I think I just need more coffee today.”
“I think you need something all right,” Thea replies dryly.
I turn back to the laptop and open my email. At least I can have some fake productivity.
My old mentor is in the inbox again with a list of businesses I could buy into. One of them is even putting together an IPO. I feel heavy just looking at it.
This is what I said I wanted. This is what I went to college for. To become some big-shot CEO or entrepreneur…and I hate it.
My phone rings, and I automatically reach for it and answer the call. “Hello?”
“Hello. Glad I finally have your attention.” It’s Thea.
I glance up sharply to see her holding her phone up to her ear, looking at me with concern.
“Are you all right?” she asks as we both hang up our phones.
“I’m sorry, Thea. I didn’t mean to zone out there.” I rub a hand over my face.
“It’s okay. I know it happens sometimes, but you seem to be doing that a lot lately.”
“I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Does the thing on your mind live with you?” she asks with a little smirk.
That startles a grunt out of me. “Yes. But don’t tell anyone.”
Thea shakes her head. “As long as you’re still being nice to her, I don’t see how your guys’ relationship is anyone else’s business.”
I nod as I lean forward to whisper, “I think I like her.”
Thea grins. “I would honestly be concerned if you lived with her and didn’t develop a crush. Lucy is special.”
“You keep saying that.”
Thea’s eyebrows shoot up. “You mean to tell me you don’t see it? The woman is one of the kindest, most welcoming people you’ll ever meet…but there’s a layer of strength there. I know she’s had some hard stuff in her life.”
It’s not my place to share things with Thea, but I nod in agreement. “She has.”
“Then I don’t see why it’s shocking that you would start to fall for her.” Thea takes a long sip from her coffee cup. “You really should come to me for relationship advice more often. I can solve anything.”
Well, there’s the tiny problem where I married her and promised it wouldn’t get complicated.