Page 42 of The Perfect Secret
She pinched the bridge of her nose to stop the tears that threatened to overflow. “Okay,” she whispered.
Chapter Twelve
Hannah dragged herself to meet Aviva for coffee the next morning. As they stood in line for their caffeine fix, she filled her in on the Fortex saga. It was easier to talk about work while standing in line. Once they sat, she told her more details about her split from Dan.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” Aviva squeezed her hand. Hannah focused on the froth in her coffee cup rather than Aviva’s sympathetic tone, or she’d risk losing it in the middle of the crowded coffee bar.
“I don’t know what to do,” Hannah said. “I can’t talk toBubbe, though she wants me to. I can’t talk to Dan. And I can’t talk to Jim.”
“I’m glad you’re talking to me. I think you were right. You do need a break. You need some time to step back and think. Don’t make any decisions now.”
Hannah nodded and took a sip of her coffee. The nutty aroma filled her nostrils but the warm liquid sloshed in her stomach. She hadn’t eaten since Dan walked out.
“I have to say, though, I can’t believe Jim did that to you,” Aviva said over the rim of her coffee cup.
“I know. I thought he would have believed me. I wish I knew a way to prove him wrong.” She pushed the cup to the side and knotted her hands on the table.
Aviva reached across and squeezed her hand again. “Sometimes I hate this job.”
“Me too. And Dan’s suggestions were out in left field.”
“Wait, what did he say?”
When she explained Dan’s response, Aviva paused, a wry smile on her face, and shook her head. “That is so typically male. Guys want to fix things. They don’t understand anything other than,you have a problem and I need to fix it.”
“I know! First he wanted to talk to Jim for me—can you imagine what would happen if my boyfriend called my boss? Then he appeared at my apartment talking to my grandmother. He wanted to have some long conversation about all the different things I could do, and all I wanted was to have the day end, get some space and stop thinking about it. If he, of all people, can’t understand, I don’t know how I can be with him.”
Aviva leaned back in her seat. “I totally understand. He’s a pretty closed-up guy and he should be able to deal with your wishes. I think you need to take a breath, give yourself some time and see what happens next week. You don’t want to make a rash decision—about your job or Dan.”
Hannah sipped her coffee before she answered. It still didn’t calm her stomach, but she needed the caffeine. “You’re right. In the meantime, I’ll get my résumé ready, because while I can’t afford not to have a job, I can’t work for someone who is ready to sacrifice me the second things get complicated.”
“Good for you,” said Aviva. “Will you see if there’s an opening in another department? I’d love to have my best friend work with me.”
She shook her head. “Don’t you remember what happened to Regina? She had a problem in one department, switched to another and became the office pariah.”
“Oh, right. I don’t know how I forgot about her.”
“Must be getting old.”
Aviva made a funny face and stuck out her tongue. “Going back to Dan, take some time to think about him too. He seems like a great guy. I’d hate for you to regret your decision.”
Monday as he dressed, Dan’s phone buzzed. He looked at the ID on the screen, clenched his jaw and let it go to voicemail. Turning it off, he stuffed it in his briefcase and left for work. Hannah wanted a break? Every time he recalled her saying it, a dark cloud enveloped him and he couldn’t breathe. But she’d said she needed a break, so he’d give her one.
He’d spent more time working on his puzzle this weekend than he thought possible, and made zero progress on it.
Because he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
His anger burned hot. Every time he tried to distract himself, he was reminded of her. The bright colors of the puzzle reminded him of her hair and her eyes. Shopping with Tess reminded him of their trip to the flea market. Eating reminded him how much he wanted to cook for her. But he learned something too. He could be inundated with thoughts of her without losing control.
Even if she drove him crazy.
Lisa was waiting for him when he arrived at the office. “We have a problem.”
Great, eight-thirty in the morning.He motioned her inside.
“You know how we said we needed to keep the information about Fortex quiet until the last possible minute?” Lisa asked.
Swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth at the mention of the company, he nodded. “Yeah.”