want Melinda to find out about Logan yet. I don’t believe she’d think his recommendation was influenced by our relationship, but I don’t know for sure. I’m already stressing out about my ability to do this. Not to mention...what will happen if the rest of the office finds out? I’ve been thinking that we should schedule another lunch date with Damien soon because Angela has been asking me about him constantly, but now bringing him into the office feels like a huge risk.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yes. But it seems to me like Melinda is rarely here.”
“True, but she will be for the next couple of weeks while we work on some major changes that have to happen as we implement Logan’s recommendations.”
Dang. That wasn’t good. “Then Damien needs to stay far away from here.”
“Agreed. We need to stage a breakup instead. How about on Friday?”
I smiled at how quickly she made decisions. “I’m sure he won’t mind. He makes his own schedule, so there shouldn’t be a problem. What are you thinking? An argument? A fight?”
Tessa narrowed her eyes and drummed her fingers on the desk thoughtfully. “No. That’s not quite my style. Or his either, I’d bet. Maybe instead of a breakup scene, it should be an attempted make up attempt. He can bring flowers, and I can reject him. How does that sound?”
I nodded. “Perfect.”
“And after a while, you’ll be clear to have him all to yourself without worries about breaking up your boss’s relationship.”
My mouth fell open.
Tessa tossed me a sly, curious grin. “Or am I wrong in thinking you might have a thing for him.”
“No. I mean, yes. You are wrong. The guy drives me insane, and every time we’re around each other, we seem to get ourselves into more trouble.”
“Yeah, but trouble with the right person can be a lot of fun.”
Huh. Damien had said the same thing once.
“Good morning,” a deep-toned, feminine voice said from the doorway behind me.
I recognized it immediately as Melinda’s and turned around. Then my heart crashed to a halt. Right behind her, smiling like a pleased kitten, stood Victoria.
“Good morning,” Tessa said brightly, her eyes flicking curiously past Melinda.
I said nothing at all as I fed more paper into the shredder. Busy hands would help me to keep my cool.
“Tori begged me to let her come hang out at the office this morning until she has to leave for her shift at the hospital. She’s been so busy with her residency lately that I don’t see enough of her.”
“That will be fun for you,” Tessa said, smiling—though it seemed forced to me. But maybe that was just because I knew her reason for being worried about having Victoria around.
And I couldn’t blame her, since I was positive that Victoria was only here to cause trouble, not spend time with her mother.
“Krista,” Melinda said, turning my way. But she had to wait awkwardly to continue since I’d just fed another stack of papers into the shredder, which was abnormally loud.
“Sorry,” I said politely when it was done, even though I wasn’t.
“That’s okay. So now we know why you looked familiar to me. Even though I never met you, I saw all the pictures of your mom and Martin’s wedding. It’s a small world, isn’t it?”
“Very.” Perhaps I put a bit too much emphasis on that. Oops.
“Tori told me how surprised you all were when she saw you at the wedding. So you’re friends with Damien, huh?” She looked at Tessa then, as if struck by the oddity of it. “And Tessa is dating him.”
It was too weirdly coincidental. Somehow I had to keep her from jumping to any accurate conclusions. “Yes. That’s how I met Tessa actually, through Damien.” The effort of managing double lies was making it hard to keep everything straight. “And she was so nice to suggest I come to work here. And I was happy to fill in as Damien’s date at the wedding when Tessa couldn’t go with him.”
Melinda mouth rounded in a silent Oh. “So that’s how it happened. Yes. We were in a tight spot getting someone to work with Logan who wouldn’t annoy him with a crush. I’m glad she thought of asking you. From what I’ve seen, you’ve done a great job. I don’t have my own secretary because it wouldn’t make sense when I’m rarely here these days, but I’m afraid that between Tessa and I, we’re going to run your legs off for the next few weeks.”
“That won’t