This entire situation was bizarre. My relationship with Theo, which I had for so long thought I was completely clear about, kept changing almost by the hour since he’d come here. I didn’t want to think too much about what that meant, because I knew that Theo didn’t actually want the real Alba. He wanted the Alba who had been his PA. The hustling go-getter who had it all figured out. The woman who never complained, needed no sleep, no rest, no help, and could handle business without ever missing a beat.

But what he didn’t know was that the Alba that did all that was worn out. That I lived in fear of saying or doing something that would undo everything I’d worked for. That whenever I saw my mother’s number a pit opened in my stomach, because it could be a call that once again forced me to put myself aside to fix problems I hadn’t caused. It wasn’t that I resented my mother, I knew she’d been dealt a shitty hand too. But for Theo, his striver mentality came with a safety net made up of Benjamins; all I had to fall back on was myself.

Still, no matter what his reasons were, he’d helped me out, and at the very least I owed him my thanks.

Bookish Boudoir: I do, actually. Because of you I was able to finish my presentation.

Theo.Ganas.2576: Chase is an asshole.

I could practically hear the pissed off growliness in his voice.

Bookish Boudoir: He is.

I really should’ve just left it at that. Thanked him for what he’d done as a coworker and not bring personal shit into the conversation. But here in Dallas I kept blurring those lines.

Bookish Boudoir: So you’ve been busy liking my posts, huh?

A couple of beats passed with the three dots jumping on my screen, until he finally answered.

Theo.Ganas.2576: They’re brilliant. You’re brilliant.

I had to breathe through that one, and then immediately fished for more compliments.

Bookish Boudoir: You’re just saying that because you know that it’ll upset Chase’s spirit.

I was never this thirsty. I was perfectly happy to hype myself, I knew my work was good, but there was something about praise from Theo Ganas that always left me wanting more.

Theo.Ganas.2576: You want me to show you what I think of you, Alba Serena?

Jesus. Why was I suddenly sweating?

Bookish Boudoir: Yeah... I do.

Less than a minute later there was a knock on my door.

“Come in.” I jumped up from the bed, my legs clearly not down with this plan to play it cool.