Crossing the Line by Maggie Cole

Author:Maggie Cole [Cole, Maggie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pulse Press
Published: 2020-03-30T16:00:00+00:00

19

Piper

As much as I want to be in the meetings with Noah, I understand now why he tried to hide his reasons from me. Big pharma is nothing to mess with, and while I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I’ve read enough stories about people who go against them disappearing to know that Noah’s concern is legitimate.

I agree that I’ll stay in his office and listen and stick to interaction only with him on the Google sheets, but that’s it.

The meeting with the first company, Cosoner, lasts about forty-five minutes. It seems to go well, and they are definitely interested in selling. Noah is careful to keep mentioning every part of their company and only touch a little on the insulin.

From time to time, I type a question or reminder on the Google sheet for him, and anything I type, he addresses in the meeting.

When the meeting is over, he returns to his personal office.

“That seemed to have gone well,” I cautiously state.

He nods. “You had good input.”

I smile at him. “Thanks.”

There is an uncomfortable silence. So many thoughts are racing through my head, but the biggest one is that this hurts so bad.

I want Noah, I do, but I still can’t risk anything. My career is all I have, and I know one day he will wake up and realize that I’m not someone long term for him because I won’t be able to give him what he should have. So I can’t risk it.

Noah absentmindedly says, “I need some air.”

“Me, too,” I admit then stop.

Noah stares at me, but I turn away from him. “Piper.”

I slowly gaze at him.

“Let’s go be work colleagues and grab some lunch.”

Lunch sounds good, but I don’t know if I can be that close to Noah.

He stands. “Come on. You don’t know New York, and I know a great Thai place.”

I freeze, wanting to go but not able to commit.

“It’s just lunch.”

My stomach grumbles, and he raises his eyebrows at me. I finally give in. “Okay.”

Within minutes, we are out of the building and strolling down the street. I almost hold his hand but stop myself.

It’s a quiet walk and we arrive to the Thai restaurant reasonably quick. The hostess seats us in a quiet booth in the corner. The waitress comes quickly, I order my usual spicy shrimp, and Noah orders a curry.

I’m staring at him. I know I am but can’t help it, and Noah gives me his sad eyes back.

“Sorry,” I say, and continue to stare.

He appears hopeful for a moment. “About?”

I want to tell him that I’m sorry I ran out of his room. That I love him, too, and that I want to be with him and trust that he won’t wake up one day and resent me and leave me because of it, but instead, I focus on my fork and bite my lip.

Noah sighs.

In the small booth, my legs have no other option but to rest against his, which is creating a never-ending wave of voltage running through my body.

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