Mr. Simons’s assistant isn’t at her desk, but his office door is half-ajar, so I knock. My stomach feels a bit sour at the idea of having this conversation, but I’ve done harder things and dealt with the aftermath of my decisions before, so I push aside the fear that he’ll take offense.

The door opens slightly when I knock to reveal that Mr. Simons is sitting behind his desk and, lucky me, his fiancée is adhered to his lap.

Of course she is. Could anything in my life come easy?

He drags his attention away from the woman who I’d consider too young for me, and I’m thirty-four while Mr. Simons has a couple decades over me. He removes his hand from her hip and waves me in. “Andrew, come on in.”

“I can come back if you’re busy.” I nod at Bethaney. “Hi, Bethaney.”

“Andrew.”

A few months ago, after Mr. Simons proposed, he brought Bethaney around and introduced her to everyone. He said it was because we’d be seeing her around the law firm from time to time and wanted us all to be comfortable, but I suspect he was showing off his new prize, as though his new piece of arm candy negated the fact he’d divorced the mother of his children for her.

It wasn’t like he ever said that, but timing being what it was made it obvious.

“Nonsense, come on in. I was just trying to make Bethaney feel better.”

Bethaney’s pout looks perfectly practiced.

I take a few more steps into the office. “Everything okay?” I ask, feigning interest. What could this girl be upset about?

“The planner for our Christmas party quit. She said I was too demanding or something.” Her face twists into an expression to suggest the woman is crazy. “Now I have no one and the party is less than two months away. It’s going to be a disaster!” Her shoulders drop.

Mr. Simons wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. They’re one of those couples where, due to their age difference, you can’t help but think of them in bed and it’s not the best image to imagine.

“It’s okay, we’ll figure something out.” Mr. Simons kisses her temple.

“Ricky… you don’t get it.” She throws her arms around his neck, pressing herself to him.

Ricky? I barely stifle an eye roll.

“Everyone who’s any good won’t be able to take the job with this short of notice. This was supposed to be my coming-out party to your office. I wanted to throw the best party the company has ever had. I want everyone to like me.”