took me off guard, and I swallowed hard, not sure whether to believe him or not. “You were jealous?”
“Yes.” He didn’t even flinch.
We both just stared at each other, and my face felt like it was on fire. Worse than that, it seemed as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room, and I couldn’t catch my breath. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
He sat up straight, resting his arms on the desk, the smile on his handsome face fading slightly. “I’m not asking you to say anything.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “Doesn’t change our situation. We’re only friends, and that’s all we’ll ever be.”
I had no idea how to decipher that. Figuring out Easton was like trying to piece together a puzzle when several of the pieces were missing. “Okay…”
“Don’t overthink it, Maya. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No problem. I won’t give it another thought.” I put my hand on the doorknob and was about to turn it when he spoke up.
“By the way, I haven’t forgotten about your appointment tomorrow. Stop by my office when it’s time to leave. I’ll drive.”
I nodded and walked out, my heart thrumming in my chest, my face hotter than hot. I didn’t understand. He was jealous. He didn’t want me to think about Bruce, but nothing was changing. What was that supposed to mean? He had feelings for me but didn’t plan on doing anything about it? So confusing.
Verity glanced up at me as I walked out and then picked up her phone to dial a number. She put the phone down and did a double take. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” I sped past her and down the hall until I came to the restroom, my heart pounding in my chest. Once inside, I burst into one of the stalls and sat on the toilet seat, needing a moment to pull myself together before I returned to my office.
This thing with Easton was crazy. What had I gotten myself into?
Whatever happened, I couldn’t share this information with Charlotte. She would take it and run with it, and I’d never gain control of the situation after that.
After my heart rate slowed down, a smile spread across my face. Easton felt something for me. He hadn’t said that exactly, but he’d implied it when he told me he was jealous. What all of it meant, I had no idea, but the fluttering in my stomach confirmed that I liked it.
My head dropped in my hands, and I let out a breath. I was in so much trouble.
Chapter 14
Easton
Why did I tell her I was jealous? Was I insane? Groaning, I put my head down on the desk and knocked it a few times for good measure. Why did I say that? It felt like the right thing to do at the time, but now it seemed…idiotic.
Way to go, Easton. You just made your newest employee extremely uncomfortable.
I’d smooth it over tomorrow. Tell her I didn’t mean to make it sound as if… What did I mean exactly?
We had a friendship, but did I want more? For a few seconds, I stared out the side window and allowed myself to picture what it would be like to have a relationship with Maya. Warmth flooded through me at the thought of us together, and my heart swelled.
Verity’s voice sounded through the intercom. “Easton, you have a call on line one.”
I pushed those thoughts to the furthest part of my mind and pressed the button to speak to her. “Thank you.” I picked up line one. “Hello?”
“Hi, Easton, this is Darren Finley. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.”
I perked up, glad he was finally calling about that training consultation. “Oh, hey, Darren. Not a problem. Good to hear from you.”
“I wanted to let you know I can see you tomorrow to go over the training regimen. I know it’s short notice but—”
“Tomorrow isn’t good. Do you have anything else available?” I would have to fly to Texas to see him, and I needed to return in time to take Maya to her appointment.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not free any other day. I just found out that I have to return to work the day after tomorrow, and I can’t take more time off.”
My stomach clenched, and I leaned forward, tapping my fingers on my desk. “What about a Saturday or Sunday?”
“Both days are full for the next month. I’ve already scheduled four-hour appointments with