“Yeah, he gets a little…overzealous sometimes.”
“Am I ever going to meet Mr. Biter? You’ve been together for what? Over two months now?” Her eyebrow quirked, her expression demanding an answer.
“It’s complicated,” I explained with a sigh.
“Well?” She motioned with her hand for me to explain.
I looked from side to side, right in time to catch Mark entering.
“Later, okay?”
I returned my attention to the coffee pot and poured myself a fresh cup. Caroline saddled up next to me as we waited for Mark to leave.
As soon as he was out of earshot she was on me again, unrelenting. “What the hell is the big secret, Delilah?”
It was never a good thing when she used my full name. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Dinner?”
She studied me, her bitch brow quirked. “Fine. But no more bullshit, that’s all you’ve been feeding me for weeks. I want to know everything. Everything. Hear me, missy?”
I nodded in agreement. “You better bring some wine.”
“Oh shit, it’s that kind of talk?”
I thought about it for a moment before changing my suggestion to something stronger. “Maybe some tequila.”
Caroline wrapped me into a hug and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Fuck. Who the hell are you messed up with? I can see you’re in deep, and that worries me. Because you know I’ll fuck him up if he hurts you, right?”
I gave her a hug in thanks before agreeing. I headed back to my office with a fresh cup, thankful that I’d met her. Caroline was such a great friend, and one of the few I’d divulged my past to. It was strange and so wonderful to have someone who cared so much about me.
My hopes were high that Jennifer was gone, but alas she was still there.
Twenty-five excruciating minutes later, she left, and I was free to turn and glare at Nathan. He smirked at me and chuckled at my obvious disdain. All I could think the entire time she was there was, how in the hell did she make it through law school let alone pass the Bar?
The realization she was acting stupid popped into my head, and I wanted to slam my hand on the desk at the hilarity. She was stupid, just not law-stupid. She really thought he’d be interested in her if she acted like a dumb blonde?
An email showed up from Caroline, pulling me from my inner thoughts and reminding me to warn Nathan not to come over. I pulled my phone out of my purse and typed up a quick message, and sent it off to him.
Change of plans. Caroline is coming over. I can’t hide you from her any longer. I trust her. I’ll come over once she leaves.
In my peripheral, I could see him looking down toward his hip where his phone rested. His features scrunched up before returning to the computer screen in front of him.
The afternoon wore on, and at about half-past-five Nathan said goodnight, and I decided it was time to call it a day. I gathered up my belongings and walked down the hall to Caroline’s office. We headed down to the parking lot, talking about our day before separating and driving to my place.
As soon as we walked in, Caroline headed to the bathroom, and I walked into my bedroom, stripping off my skirt suit and finding some shorts and a tank top to slip on, as well as a set for Caroline.
I was surprised when not five minutes after we had arrived, my front door opened.
What surprised me even more was when I shuffled out of the bedroom, and found Nathan setting down a few bags on my kitchen counter.
He greeted me with a smile. “Hey. I picked us up some food to make dinner with. I was thinking that chicken bake you made a couple of weeks ago. God, that was good.”
My eyes were wide as I looked back to the bathroom door, willing Caroline to stay in until I could shoo him out.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, shocked he would still come over.
Didn’t he get my text? I needed to get him out before Caroline found him.