Page 48 of Big Daddy to Go

What the fuck? Is this Lexi’s big secret? She’s married? Has she been stepping out on her man?

My heart hammers at the thought. No, it can’t be. Something’s wrong here. My Lexi would never cheat. But what’s going on? Why the fuck does her husband look like me? And if she wanted to cheat on him, why would she pick someone who’s his doppelganger

I have so many fucking questions racing through my mind that I contemplate calling Lexi right now. I pick up the phone, but Joel comes over the intercom before I can dial her number.

“The representatives for Align Airways are in the conference room,” Joel informs me.

“Thanks. I’ll be right in,” I reply before letting out a frustrated sigh.

I decide it’s better to wait until I’m looking into Lexi’s deceitful eyes and have her explain everything to me then. Maybe she isn’t the person I think she is. Maybe she’s vindictive, callous, and materialistic like so many other people I know. Like all of those women I’ve tried so hard to avoid. How did I let her trap me?

Why did I ever develop feelings for someone who was supposed to be a one-night stand?

I go through the rest of the day in a foul-as-hell mood. For once in the past month, I’m not distracted because I’m fantasizing about Lexi. I’m distracted because I want answers.

As I head to the breakroom for Nancy’s retirement celebration, Joel claps a hand on my back.

“Kane, are you okay?” he asks.

“Have you ever allowed yourself to get excited about something and gotten a rude awakening instead?”

“Of course. Who hasn’t?” Joel says. “We’re all human.”

“I stopped getting excited about possibilities long ago. And I don’t know why I bothered to start hoping again,” I sneer.

“Is this professional or personal?”

I pat him on the back as we enter the breakroom.

“Forget I brought it up.”

I never talk about anything remotely personal at work. Lexi has me dropping my guard, and I don’t like that. How could I be such a lovesick puppy?

I try my best to keep a pleasant face on for Nancy’s retirement and through two other meetings. But as it gets closer to five o’clock, the initial shock and pain I felt is being replaced with anger and disgust.