she had to

to sense that something wasn't

ld cat

ted her plan

was planting th

pointed comments into conver

work ethic, subtle suggest

thing outrigh

for whispe

ame th

the office had cleared out, R

to their blind spots. She

ped into one of the executive

ntracts and financi

he planted

r Anna's name, requesting acc

owing her ID had been scan

ticed, the story woul

g intern with too much ambit

an

e exited the room, her heart

a Banner would be nothing m

Ke

ever trust

use was d

been named the best-perfor

vin Wolfe's legacy as a leade

s buzzing with excitement, th

heir collect

crowd, watching Kelvin as he

atitude genuine, and h

swell of pride not just for

hip had chan

she had been able to take her

pened a flower shop for her; a

ut never tho

happy in a way Anna hadn't

d it all to

wn, Kelvin approached her, hi

s, he said, his voice low eno

ead, smiling. I'

ld hers. You are

herself standing in Kelvin's

y beyond the floor-

nvitation for dinner, not beca

d personal, but because

veryt

t was the conversation that l

pen. He asked about her mothe

d built outside

self sharing more

d and the wine glasses half

if

gaze steady, his voice quie

, her hea

, he continued, his tone raw,

use, more than the company.

e reached for her, his ha

think, before she could sto

, deliberate, and

, Kelvin rested his forehead a

is

ht. Not just now. I want you. I

brightens my day, I want to b

th you, I want to travel the wo

witho

r it. She told herself he was

s he

e

ectric tension, the fragile mo

ne in an

house, the echo of her absence

he couldn

too fast? Had

wisting through his mind unt

s fingers gripping it too ti

i

i

cem

ai

ag

th

n't ans

, pacing the length of the ro

t uncertainty he thrived on co

sto

with

s dro

ng or anything, he called the

ck

friend picked up, his voice t

p

Kelvin muttered.

ove to, but Samantha needs me

rely hear

eeping in where he didn't w

, someone who stayed. So

had n

vin grumbled, half-heartedly,

g in hi

married man and soon-to-

didn't

now, he wasn't

vin grabbed his keys, t

drink with him, he

laughter, glasses clinking, neo

ohol and ba

ey one glass, then two, then fi

spin

uor could chase away

A

she had r

lready l

the hell was he sup