A few days later, they were photographed in the park together. Bright and early on Saturday morning, they went for a jog. Both dressed in their workout clothes, they jogged down the path, somehow smiling even though they were in the midst of exercising.
Jogging in the park on a Saturday morning wasn’t something new couples did. They usually had to go on a few dates first because they did something so…casual. Wyatt clearly didn’t care about being photographed with her, and since he’d seen her more than once, that probably meant he liked her.
How could he not like her?
She was perfect.
She was smart, beautiful, and real. She didn’t play games and wore her heart on her sleeve. She comforted me when I needed it most, and she was an amazing kisser. She gave head like she’d done it a thousand times.
Had she done the same to him?
Had she fucked him yet?
She probably still felt like a virgin because she was so tight.
I didn’t want Wyatt to find out.
This was exactly what I’d wanted, so I shouldn’t care that she was seeing someone else. What did I expect her to do? Be alone forever? I guess I didn’t expect to know anything about her personal life at all…because I never expected her to date a high-profile guy. Now the news was in my face.
I should brush it off, but I couldn’t.
As time passed, I became more obsessed.
Was he fucking her?
Was he falling for her?
Did she think about me anymore?
Did she hate me?
She did warn me that she wouldn’t wait around. And she made good on her threat.
When I couldn’t take it anymore, I decided to head to her office. I could call her, but I feared she might not answer. That rejection would sting, and talking to her about this over the phone seemed lame anyway.
I greeted her assistant, who smiled when she recognized me. “Hey, Kathy. I just wanted to drop by and see if Monroe was free for lunch.”
“Well, she left for lunch about an hour ago. She should be back any minute.”
She was on a budget, and she would normally bring her lunch to work, so if she ate out, that probably meant someone else was paying for it.
Someone named Wyatt.
“Thanks, Kathy.” Just as I turned around, I came face-to-face with Monroe. Her hair was curled and pinned back, and she wore a halter dress with a bright blue cardigan. A gold necklace hung around her throat, and she looked like she was enjoying the last week of summer before it was officially gone.
Monroe stared at me with narrowed eyes, not the least bit happy to see me there. She was confused, uncomfortable, and a little angry.
And of course, Wyatt was with her.
Wyatt stood beside her, dressed in a navy blue suit with a black tie. He held himself like a powerful man, unflinching in my presence. It wasn’t clear if he knew about my relationship with Monroe, but he was restrained.
Monroe kept staring at me, her eyes shifting back and forth as she recovered from the shock. “What do you want, Slate?” The bitterness was unmistakable. She was just as pissed at me as she was when she left my penthouse. The rage burned in her eyes, along with the lingering effects of the heartbreak. She wasn’t afraid to be cold to me in front of both her assistant and the new man she was seeing, making me a public enemy.
I hadn’t anticipated this moment, and it was one of the rare times when I wasn’t sure what to do. I was caught off-balance, no longer in my element. I was chasing down an old lover, furious that she was with someone else. I hadn’t felt this way in a long time. “I was hoping we could talk.”
“About?” She kept up her hatred.
I glanced at her assistant and Wyatt. “Perhaps we could do this in private.”
“I just had lunch, so I need to get back to work.” She turned to Wyatt. “Thank you for lunch.”
“Of course.” He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth.
Right in front of me.
And she kissed him back.
Right in front of me.
He let the kiss linger longer than necessary before he walked off. He didn’t introduce himself or ask who I was—so he probably recognized me.
When she looked at me again, she was pissed. “I need to get to work, Slate. I’ll see you around.” She walked around me.
“Monroe.” I followed her, moving down the hallway to her office.
She halted and turned around. “I mean it. I have a meeting in fifteen minutes.”
“Then have dinner with me after work. We’ll talk then.” Seeing Wyatt kiss her only made me hate this even more, only made me more jealous. If she kissed him, then what else had she done? Wyatt got laid all the time. I doubted he would wait around if she didn’t put out.