Just seen pictures of you having dinner with Barton. We need to meet first thing in the morning.

I barely slept after reading that message from Leona.

She’d seen us on a date. I’d been so focused on Barton, and a bit on Tasha and Clyde, that I hadn’t even noticed anyone taking a photo. I’d forgotten that I was eating dinner with one of the most famous people in the city.

Now my boss knew, and she was going to go absolutely bananas.

Reading that email had been the coldest of cold showers imaginable. I’d been so ready to take Barton into my bedroom that I’d allowed myself to ignore our working relationship. I couldn’t pretend I’d forgotten; I was just conveniently pretending the problem didn’t exist.

Leona’s email had been a stark reminder. I couldn’t bring myself to kiss Barton again, no matter how much I wanted to. And boy, did I want to. He could have had me up against the door, and I wouldn’t have stopped him.

I went into the office at eight in the morning. Leona wouldn’t be there yet, but I wanted to be waiting for her when she arrived. Besides, I couldn’t sleep at home, and I needed to think of an excuse.

I could say it was a work dinner, I suppose. If I did that, I’d have to charge my time, so Barton would be paying to take me to dinner. What did that make me? Nope, that wouldn’t be a good excuse.

Perhaps I could use Tasha as an excuse? She’d used me as an excuse to get out of dates before, so I wouldn’t need to feel guilty about it. That might work, but it depended on just how mad Leona was. Regular mad? Or mad mad?

“Kristi, my office, now.”

The screech came from the other end of the hall, but she often communicated that way. I couldn’t read too much into it just yet.

“Morning, Leona,” I said politely. If I could convince myself I hadn’t done anything wrong, then perhaps I could convince Leona too.

“Mind telling me why you were on a date with our client last night?” Leona asked. She’d never been one for pleasant formalities.

“It wasn’t a date,” I insisted. “Turns out my sister is friends with one of Barton’s friends, so we hung out just the four of us.”

Leona swung her monitor round to face me. “These pictures make the two of you look fairly cozy.”

The amateur photographer had captured me looking longingly at Barton, and in another I was laughing at a comment of his about lawyers. It did look like a date, and helpfully Tasha and Clyde had been completely cut out.

“My sister is sitting right next to me. And I’m not even laughing at Barton,” I lied. “I’m laughing at a story Clyde told about my sister from college.”

Hopefully Leona didn’t know who Clyde was. If she did, she’d quickly figure out that he was younger than her and they couldn’t have gone to college together.

“It doesn’t even matter what the truth is,” Leona said. “You shouldn’t have put yourself in this position.”

“The sponsors like to see him out and about wearing their clothes.”

“Except he wasn’t wearing any clothes from sponsors.”

“Oh. Well, it’s important I maintain a close relationship with Barton. That way he’ll trust me.” And he’ll end up even more hurt when he finds out I’ve been lying to him this entire time.

“He’s already got good reason to trust you—the work you’ve been doing for him has paid off. He looks good—a little too good. You’ve got him going out in the evening looking respectable, and saying boring things on Twitter. No one wants this.”

“Except his team,” I snapped.

“Don’t get smart with me, Kristi. Do you want to keep working with Barton?”

“Of course I do, but—”

“Then do as you’re told.”

“I’ve given him control of his Twitter account. He’s bound to slip up eventually.”

Or maybe not. He hadn’t so far. He’d ignored all the comments from slutty women trying to get on his dick, and had replied to fans with just the right balance of humor and respect.

“Good,” Leona replied. “And the next time Barton wants to go to dinner, make sure he has some trashy blonde hanging off his arm. Use Jessie if you don’t have one available.”

I couldn’t imagine there would ever be a shortage of young women willing to fill that role.

“Will do,” I replied, unable to hide how defeated and dejected I now felt.

I stood up to leave, but Leona called me back as I was about to open the door.

“Good work on the hours, by the way. The bill is going to be huge this month.”

“Great.” I added a healthy dose of sarcasm, but it was lost on Leona. Probably for the best.

No one expected me to be around the office these days, so as soon as the meeting was over I went straight home. Barton had already texted to ask me about the meeting, but I ignored it. Hiding the truth was one thing, but lying was another altogether. Barton thought of me as a little goody-two-shoes, who wouldn’t do a thing wrong. I only wished that were true.

“No work today?” I asked Tasha, as I found her crashed out on the sofa watching television.

I didn’t hear Tasha come home last night, but her bedroom door had been closed when I’d left for work in the morning. I’d been up most of the night, so if she’d have brought Clyde home then chances were I’d have known about it.

“I’m working,” Tasha replied, pointing to the laptop open in front of her.

“When you get fired, how will we pay for this apartment?”

“I’m not getting fired. Believe it or not, when I put the effort in, I’m quite the competent journalist.”

“Hmm, if you say so. Is Clyde around?”

“No, he’s not,” Tasha replied pointedly. “He escorted me home and then we went our separate ways.”

“Oh. Sorry. You two seemed to be getting on well.”

“We were. We are. Just because we didn’t sleep together doesn’t mean we aren’t seeing each other again.”

“But you’ve seen him twice already. Why haven’t you slept with him yet?”

“Says the twenty-one-year-old virgin.”

“I’m not a virgin.”

“You might as well be. Can you even still remember how to do it?”

“You lie there and open your legs, Tasha. It’s not rocket science.”

“Oh sweetie, there is so much for you to learn.”

“I’m waiting for the right teacher.”

“Seems to me like you’ve already found him,” Tasha said. “I couldn’t help but notice he didn’t stay the night.”

“I guess Barton has more in common with Clyde than I first realized. He walked me home and that was it.” What harm was a little white lie?

“I can’t imagine Barton giving up that easily. He must have at least tried it on.”

As much as I trusted Tasha, I now had the distinct feeling that everything I said would make it back to Barton, via Clyde.

“Nothing’s going to happen with Barton,” I replied. “He’s my client.”

“Oh, don’t give me that crap again.

“It’s true. I just got an earful from my boss for going out with him last night.” I slumped down on the sofa next to Tasha, and she immediately put her arm around my shoulder. She always could sense when I needed a bit of sisterly affection. “I don’t know what to do. This sucks.”

“Do you like him?” Tasha asked.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Answer the question, Kristi.”

“Fine, yes, I like him. I guess. I know it’s just a crush though.”

“Know what you should do with a crush?” I shook my head. “Fuck them.”

“That’s your solution to everything,” I pointed out. “You even suggested that as the best way to get the cable fixed last year.”

“Hey, that cable guy was hot, and he hooked us up with all the channels for free. I’ve always found technicians surprisingly good in bed. They know where everything should go, and they’re good with their hands.”

“I’m not going to be able to watch HBO anymore without thinking about you having sex with the cable guy.”

“Maybe if you had a sex life of your own….”

“I’m not going to sleep with him. End of. Anyway, don’t think I haven’t noticed that you changed the subject from talking about you and Clyde. Come on, spill the beans.”

“There’s nothing to tell.”

“Like hell there isn’t.” I grabbed Tasha’s laptop and placed it on the floor. It’s not like she was using it anyway, and she sure as hell wasn’t working. “I want to know everything.”