THE ROAD AHEAD

se, her heels clicking on the tile floor. The woman is dressed in a short, low-cut dress, her hair perfectly styled. "That's strange," Jane mutters. "I wonder who that is." Th

n't believe what she's seeing. Michael breaks the kiss, looking stunned. "I'm sorry," he says. "You have the wrong idea. I'm not interested in you like that." The

not what I heard," she says. "From what I understand, you've been telling people that we're in a relationship." Jane's heart sinks as she realizes what's happening. She f

ke me think I'm crazy." Michael's eyes widen. "That's not what I'm doing," he says. "I'm just telling the truth. I don't want to hurt you, but I'm not intere

oment later, he turns and sees Jane at the window, watching the whole scene play out. He looks ashamed and embarrassed. "Jane,"

standing there, looking shaken. She walks over to him and puts her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?" she asks, her voice soft and gentle. Michael

gh his hair. "I met her once, briefly," he says. "She was a friend of a friend, and we had a drink together. I didn't realize she would take it so far." Jane raises an

ctor. "It's just a business deal," she says, looking at Michael. "We have a contract that we need to honor. Nothing more." Michael nods. "You're right," he says. "I'm sorry if thi

hope you sleep well." Jane returns the smile. "You too," she says. "See you in the morning." With that, she goes to her room and settles into bed, read

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has the weekend off, and he's excited to spend some time with Jane. He gets out of bed and gets dressed, then walks to the kitchen. To his surprise,

t have to make breakfast. I could have done it myself." "I know," Jane says, "but I wanted to. I enjoy cooking, and I wanted to do something nice for everyon

I love this place, and I feel like I've barely explored it. Would you like to join me?" Jane nods. "I'd love to," she says. "It would be nice to get some fresh air and

walk, they chat about their lives and their plans for the future. They talk about their families, their hobbies, and their dreams. The conversation i

ough the branches of the trees, creating a dappled effect on her face. She looks like an angel, and he can't help but feel a surge of affection for her. He looks away

y. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just... I just..." He trails off, at a loss for words. Jane takes a deep breath. "It's okay," she says. "I appreciate t

ances at him out of the corner of her eye, admiring his strong jawline, his broad shoulders, and his piercing blue eyes. She feels her heart race as sh

ty between them, but neither of them knows what to do. Finally, Jane can't stand the tension any longer. She reaches out and takes Michael's hand in hers. He is surprised by her