He stared at me in disbelief and then stood, turning for the door. He twisted the knob but hesitated, looking over his shoulder. “You can still catch a ride with me to and from work until you figure out the car situation.”

“Thank you,” I said. “But I’ve got something worked out with Val.”

He shook his head and blinked, and then he opened the door before closing it behind him. He turned right instead of left toward his office, and I knew he was going to the fitness room.

In the time it took Thomas to clear the security doors, Val scurried into my office and sat down. “That looked ugly.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s done.”

“What’s done?”

“We…kind of had a thing over the weekend. It’s over.”

“Already? He looks miserable. What did you do to him?”

“Why is it automatically my fault?” I snapped. When Val arched an eyebrow, I continued, “I agreed to try something similar to a relationship, and then he admitted to still being in love with Camille. Then, he called me Camille, so…” I played with the pencils in their holder, trying to keep from getting angry about it all over again.

“He called Camille?” she asked, confused.

“No, he called me Camille—as in, called me by her name by mistake.”

“In bed?” she shrieked.

“No,” I said, my face twisting into disgust. “On the beach. We were arguing. I’m still not sure about what.”

“Oh, this sounds promising. I guess we should have known two control freaks weren’t going to get along.”

“That’s what he said, too. Oh, by the way, you and I have a lunch date.”

“We do?”

“That’s what I told Thomas, so yes.”

“But I have plans with Marks.”

“Oh no, you owe me.”

“Fine,” she said, resting her elbow on my desk and then pointing at me. “But you’re going to give details about the whole weekend.”

“Sure. Right after you tell me all about your marriage.”

She rolled her eyes. “No!” she whined. “See? This is why I didn’t want you to know.”

“Realizing that not everyone wants to spill their every thought, feeling, and secret is a good lesson for you to learn. Glad I finally have some leverage.”

She glared at me. “You’re a bad friend. See you at lunch.”

I smiled at her, situating my headphones back onto my ears, and Val returned to her desk.

The rest of the day went on as usual as did the day after that.

Val would wait for me every morning, right outside the building. The better days were when I wouldn’t catch Thomas in the elevator. For the most part, he would be polite. He stopped coming to my office, instead directing me through emails from Constance.