“Good job with those summaries.”

Natasha sits down in the empty chair next to me and slides over to my workspace. It isn’t yet 9:00, and the editorial assistant who sits next to me, Ashley, isn’t in yet.

“Thank you! Yeah, I tried. You were right, with the first line being a good way to summarize.”

“But you went above and beyond. You didn’t just grab the first line in the articles. You put a little bit of extra thought and effort into it.”

She glides back over to the neighboring workspace and gets up, sliding the chair back into position.

“Thank you!”

It’s true. I did put a little bit of extra effort into summarizing the articles. Even when I realized that many of the assistants around me seemed to be texting with their phones hidden under their desks, I carefully perused each article assigned to me.

And it isn’t just because I was looking for Drew’s name.

Okay, maybe that was part of it, but it isn’t the whole story.

“We have our eye on you, Molly. Excellent first week here. And I’m sure you’ll be moving up soon, if that’s what you want.”

Natasha smiles and goes back to her desk.

Is that still what I want? It would be a very simple trajectory, and I can see myself on it already. Editorial assistant, then editor for a few years, then executive editor.

I’m on a good path, a sure path, a path that is predictable and sets me up for success. And all I have to do is make sure nothing gets in my way.

Too bad that’s already happened, and it’s too bad that Drew has thrown my whole world into disarray.

The stupid leaky sink. If it wasn’t for old plumbing, we never would have met again, and my life would still be perfect. I’d still know what I want. I’d still be excited about my job.

But now, I’m not sure what I want.

I can’t stop thinking about him, even now more than ever. About his hands, his body, his lips caressing mine.

The rooftop terrace he brought me to was like a fantasy. The helicopter rider - in his helicopter! - was like a dream. It represented everything I’ve ever wanted, all in that moment. All of the wishing and hoping and planning and making sure everything was always just right - the right schools, the right internships - nothing could have made me believe I would be that close to it all, in such close proximity, breathing it all in and seeing it all up close.

I finally feel like I haven’t just made it to the city, but that I am actually part of something bigger than myself. And I realize it was what I’ve always wanted. That’s what Drew was asking when he asked what I really wanted.

And of course, I’m afraid now, more than ever, that it will be taken away from me.

Drew Anderson, self-made billionaire real estate mogul, master of all trades, and infamous playboy. And now I’m his.

But it’s not like I accomplished this status on my own. It’s not like when I put in the hard work to land a dream job. Drew is someone I never would have gone for before getting to know him.

And because he just fell into my lap by pure luck and chance, because I didn’t have to work hard to earn him, I’m afraid he’ll be taken away.

To make matters even more confounding, visiting his mom’s house with him has made me see him in a different way.

Drew worked for everything he has. He’s secure in the fact that it can’t just be taken away. He has his name written all over his buildings, his deals, his fingerprint on the sleek interiors he’s designed, his DNA encoded in the makeup of his company.

I don’t have that.

And when I woke up this morning, I was waking up from more than just one dream.

It’s still before 9:00, and the work day hasn’t technically started yet, so I decide to check out the front page of the paper online.

Call it research. I do work for a newspaper, after all.

I click on the gossip page. This part feels a little bit like cheating, but I want to see if there is anything about Drew online.

Even though he’s been laying low, I know there is certainly the possibility that his case will be reported on. Maybe I’ll find something about his brother.

Oh, shoot.

There she is, with the other guy.

It’s Clarissa with the very same guy I caught her with while I was shopping a few days ago.

And the headline isn’t kind, either.

Heiress Sneaks Out With New Man

The article is even worse. It describes Drew as a work-obsessed guy who neglected his fiancee. It quotes a source who claims to be close to Clarissa. The article doesn’t mention that Clarissa broke off the engagement with Drew to be with her ex, Robert Crandall. It just states that she has a new man, and shows a picture of her with this other guy, who I know to not be Robert.

One thing is clear - if anyone who knows Drew and the situation with Clarissa sees the story, they’ll know Clarissa is messing around with two different guys right now.

This is the story I had a few days ago, the one I kept to myself for fear of embarrassing Drew. This is the story I knew would look bad for everyone involved - not just Clarissa, but Drew, too.

I take out my phone and text him to ask if he’s looked at the news this morning.

He texts me back quickly.

Haven’t seen it yet, about to go into meeting. Sorry, talk later babe.

I want to tell him, but I don’t want to distract him.