The Secret Rules of Romance by Leah Heart

Author:Leah Heart [Heart, Leah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732277915
Publisher: Leah Heart

Twenty-Seven

I didn’t hear from Tristan the rest of the weekend.

When Monday rolled around, dread consumed me like no other as I headed to work, unsure of how to react when I saw him. Nonchalant? Distant? What was the proper protocol for this sort of thing?

“Morning,” Linda said as I entered through the mahogany doors of our firm.

“Hi, Linda. How are your fur babies?” I scanned the office for any sign of Tristan.

“They’re doing great. Thanks for asking.” Linda burst into a smile, adjusting her glasses. “Not-Phinxy was real feisty this weekend, though.” The phone trilled, and she held up a finger, indicating I should hold my thought. “Murphy, Brown, and Stevens. How can I help you?”

The call seemed important, so I waved goodbye then navigated through the maze of cubicles. Heart pounding, I rounded the corner but stopped before Tristan’s aisle. With my back flat against the wall, I crossed my fingers and slowly peeked several rows down at his desk. Nobody was there.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I slipped into my cubby. Stop freaking out. It’ll be okay, I told myself, reviewing the to-do list scribbled on my yellow legal pad.

As I waited for my computer to boot up, I stood on my tippy-toes to peep over the partition one more time. All I glimpsed were the lifeless screen of Tristan’s monitor and his empty swivel chair.

Maybe he took the day off. I relaxed and strolled down the hallway to get my morning coffee. Tristan was the type to show up early every day, so if he wasn’t at his desk by that point, he probably wasn’t coming in. I’d been fretting over nothing.

My concerns evaporated with each step I took until I was patrolling the hallways with confidence. I greeted everyone who passed by, whether I knew them or not, even slapping a few high fives and pointing finger guns along the way. But the second I stepped into the break room, my confidence shattered. Tristan was there—standing right in front of me.

I gulped.

“Good morning,” he said, his tone even.

“Morning.” I averted my eyes, making my way to the coffee machine.

He walked off without another word.

So that was how we would be from then on—back to chilly, distant, nothing more than coworkers. I guess he doesn’t like me, I thought, slightly disappointed. While I wasn’t expecting him to profess his love, I’d hoped for something more than a casual hello. But it was fine. It probably wouldn’t have worked anyway—he drank his coffee black. Only a psychopath would drink their coffee black.

I took the long way back to my desk to avoid passing Tristan’s cubicle. When I budged my mouse, the screen flickered to life with a scenic beach pic of Bora Bora. One of these days, I needed to Photoshop myself into that wallpaper. At least virtual Ally could have a decent life filled with luxurious vacations.

As I checked my emails, the sound of heels scuffing against the floor grew louder until I glanced up at Dee’s oversized lips.

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