She knew Stacie wasn’t a socialite or a business associate. There was no reason to take Stacie unless I wanted her there.

Georgia’s face went white. She looked unsteady on her feet, like the lightest breeze could knock her over. She tried to keep her voice level when she asked if Stacie and I were seeing each other, and when I answered, “thinking about it,” she offered a wooden nod.

She went back to her desk and sat there for a few minutes, not typing or writing or doing any of the things she should be doing. After a couple more minutes, she got up, grabbed her purse, and disappeared. Shayna appeared in my doorway shortly after to let me know Georgia hadn’t been feeling well and had to go home, so she would be filling in for her for the rest of the day.

The next day Georgia came back, appearing fully recovered, as bright and cheerful as she usually was.

I knew she hadn’t been pouting or in any way trying to punish or manipulate me the day before. She went home because I’d truly hurt her, and if it would truly hurt her to see me with Stacie on occasion… well, it wasn’t worth that.

I certainly couldn’t take Stacie to the gala.

So, I told Georgia something came up and Stacie couldn’t go, after all. I asked if she could fill in for her, and I never saw Stacie outside of the bank she works at again.

Also, I had a really nice time taking Georgia to the gala. I’d been too afraid before that taking her someplace like that would give her ideas, muddy the waters. If it felt like a date that night, I worried we wouldn’t be able to go back to the boss-employee dynamic the next day.

I’d been worried for nothing, though. At the gala, it was like being in another world with her, one where I was free to touch her hip or the small of her back and the intimacy seemed casual. Just part of the experience.

It did feel like a date and I spent half the night thinking about what it would be like to fuck her afterward. But I didn’t act on it, so Monday morning at work, everything flowed as smoothly as it had before. I discovered I could have pockets of time like that with her without putting our relationship at risk, and since then, I’ve been looking forward to another opportunity like that one.

As soon as I received the Morelli Christmas ball invite, I knew this was it. I could’ve told Georgia about it much sooner, but I wanted her to think I hadn’t been able to find a date, or hadn’t had time. Really, I never considered going with anyone but her.