Steel & Silk

u never get to say. Just silence... a

screen until t

ides that none of i

t, but because my mind had made t

on deadline blinked at me from the corner of my monitor like

om earlier sti

open it to know

d

through the phone, like

my passcode. Hovered

essed

ady knew what it would say. Something safe. Somethin

l to my office snapped m

She pushed the door open with her hip, holding two co

ctive," she said, striding in

cking my tablet screen as

sed neatly. "You've been staring at the same slide for twenty minut

been like this. Sharp as a knife.

only person who could call

e," I sa

coffee and narrowed her eyes

urse

d that

m S

name sounded

. And impossi

, watching the steam rise.

use you're human. You cared because you let

n't r

? I blame

never said

ter over scotch. Sparring in meetings with glances only we understood. It was alwa

it m

him

d of man who saw you and listened. And somewhere be

idn't a

oul

d to lose w

ad, I wa

Talk about other women.

did, it chipped so

I st

mil

d ask for my opinion on thing

omething... to tell him maybe there could b

he got he

e

lung to him lik

ays watched me,

e sh

d

s eng

o wore deceptio

at the engagement party and

is family

was "fam

gang's baby sister, and that

like pun

ur own funeral and be

ll in sick,"

used that excuse twice this year. And onc

outin," I de

won't work today. His mother calle

ed. "She

is there. She's always been special to Adam

hat part

I had with the

e tighter than she hugged h

d me I was the only one who

of it m

he cho

ear black. I'll stand at the back. And

oftened. "You're stro

. "Just for one night, I want to be self

you w

I w

oise was

no place in boardr

was Fay

old. Co

olutely

kirt. My blouse was ivory silk, tucked in cleanly. My heels clicked

orld kept movi

ething was sha

red if

that night I told

sed me the way

ubte

dam didn't

sions. They bo

ey mov

men li

ied the

"alm

s never quite real but felt mo

. "I'll be ready by sev

. "I'll br

smile. "Ma