Page 62 of Kiss and Tell

Ms. Browning,

Something has come up so I will need to cancel our meeting. Employee interviews are next week. We can connect then.

- Connor Moore.

A stab of heartache hit me right in the chest.

He was being so formal. I suppose that was exactly what I’d suggested. We needed to go back to having a professional relationship only. This was the kind of email colleagues sent each other.

My fingers curled around the pen in my hands.

I hated it. I hated that stiff tone coming from Connor.

Every time I thought about him I was filled with guilt and regret. Not regret over the night we’d spent together. I had been telling the truth when I said it had been amazing.

It was regret over misleading him. Regret that I’d hurt him. If I’d known he would take things the wrong way, I might never have given in to our desires. I might have tried harder to fight our attraction.

But the things Connor had made me feel that night… They were things no one had ever made me feel before. I wouldn’t give up those memories for anything.

Was Connor feeling the same? Despite his hurt, was he treasuring those moments as much as I was? Was he holding them close to his heart?

Or was he wishing the whole night had never happened?

Had my rejection affected any growing feelings he had about me?

That thought made my heart clench painfully.

When my email dinged again, I clicked it open listlessly, my mind still whirling over Connor’s curt words.

Peter had sent an email with the details.

My hands balled into fists, shaking with fury.

I wanted to ignore it. I wanted to send the email straight to the trash bin.

Instead, I filed the email carefully away into a specific folder in my inbox. I’d collected quite a few of those emails over the last few months. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do with them yet, but creating a paper trail was essential.

That didn’t solve my immediate problem, though.

Leaning back into my chair, I let out a disheartened sigh.

I knew I was going to end up doing that presentation. Maybe I should have been brave enough, strong enough, to tell Peter off. But I couldn’t risk testing him. I couldn't risk he would go through with his threat.

After all, look at me. With the company for barely more than two years and I was already getting solo assignments and had my very own office. I knew how that looked. Word would spread, and although not everyone would believe it, I knew enough people might.

Just a few more months,I promised myself.

If I could just hang in there it would all be worth it.

Hands still shaking, I downloaded the file Peter had sent me and saved it into my to-do list.

This was going to be another long week.

Twenty

Connor was not goingto enjoy this.

I already knew before I'd even walked into the bar that Connor wasn’t going to like doing these employee interviews. He was the kind of guy who went with his gut feelings, but this part of the project needed a more rational touch. We would need to analyze the words and behavior of the interviewees, ask them probing questions and see if their answers stood up to our scrutiny.