From: Sophia

To: BigSpoon

Subject: Honesty is the best policy

Spoon,

I want you to know how much I’ve enjoyed talking to you these past few weeks. I really do feel like we’ve formed a friendship, and I want you to know how much that means to me. But I need to be honest with you.

There’s someone else.

I felt that you had a right to know considering how we came to meet. I truly cherish the friendship you and I have built, but that’s all I have to give you. Friendship.

I hope that’s enough.

I wasn’t expecting it, and I tried really hard to fight it. I’m not even sure where it’s going between us, but I want to give it a shot. I’m scared to death, and the shitty thing is I have no one to talk with about it. He’s my best friend’s brother, and I don’t want to put her in the middle of our drama, especially with her wedding right around the corner. What’s worse is because of this competition, I have to keep it a secret or the station will throw a fit.

I kind of feel like I’m losing my mind.

~Sophia

* * *

From: BigSpoon

To: Sophia

Re: Honesty is the best policy

Sweet Sophia,

I’m not going to lie, this is a bit of a bruise to my ego, but nothing I won’t recover from. ;) I really appreciate the honesty and cherish your friendship as well, so that’s more than enough for me.

I had a feeling there was someone else when you asked me about forgiveness a while back. Is this the guy? The one who hurt you?

I hope he knows what a lucky bastard he is that you gave him another shot.

~Your friend,

BS

* * *

From: Sophia

To: BigSpoon

Re: Honesty is the best policy

He is. We were together a long time ago and it ended badly. We got into a fight and I said a lot of things I didn’t mean. I basically broke up with him, but I didn’t mean it. I went to try and make things better and found him with another woman. It gutted me. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to forgive him. Hell, I’m still not sure I totally forgive him.

Am I an idiot for even trying this? I don’t have a clue what I’m doing and I feel so alone in this. Please, tell me what to do.

~Sophia

* * *

From: BigSpoon

To: Sophia

Re: Honesty is the best policy

You are NOT an idiot. And you’re not alone. You have me. Friends lean on each other when life gets tough, so lean on me, Soph. That’s what I’m here for.

In the spirit of full disclosure, when I decided to fill out that questionnaire for the contest, it wasn’t because I was looking for love, or even a long-lasting relationship.

I did it because I thought it might be a good way to get my mind off the woman I lost.

I know what it’s like to lose someone you love, so I hope you take my advice to heart when I tell you that you have to go with your gut, babe. If being with this guy is really what you want, then you owe it to yourself to give it your all. There’s nothing worse in life than regret. Trust me, I know.

It might work between you guys this time, and it might not. There’s no way to tell the future, but at least at the end of the day you can say you did everything you could.

~BS

* * *

From: Sophia

To: BigSpoon

Re: Honesty is the best policy

Spoon,

When did you get so smart? LOL.

Does your woman know you have a gift for saying the right thing? Because if she did, she’d definitely come back.

I’m sorry for what you’re going through, and I hope with all my heart that you get what you want, because I know you’re a good guy with a kind heart.

Since you’ve proven yourself to be a true friend and an awesome shoulder to lean on, it’s my turn to return the favor.

Don’t give up on her. Don’t quit fighting to make it right.

If she’s the one, you have to show her. Words don’t mean nearly as much to us as actions, so you have to SHOW her. If she’s smart and worth your time, she’ll eventually catch on.

And something tells me you aren’t the kind of guy to give your heart to someone unworthy.

~Your shoulder

Soph

* * *

I hit Send on my most recent e-mail with BigSpoon and smiled to myself. It was nice to finally be able to return the favor and give him some good advice for a change.

I just hoped it worked out for him. He was such a good guy. I wanted him to end up with the woman he loved.

“What are you over there smiling about?”

Lola’s voice pulled my attention back to the present. I snapped my head up from my computer to find her and Daphne staring at me, looking equal parts curious and suspicious.

“What?” I asked defensively. “I’m not allowed to smile?”

“Well, yeah. But….” Daphne studied my face closer. “That’s your ‘I’ve got a secret’ smile. That’s the smile you get whenever you’re keeping something to yourself.”

I snorted. “I don’t have an ‘I’ve got a secret’ smile.” I totally had a secret smile. Damn it.

“You so do,” Lola exclaimed. “It’s similar to your ‘I had great sex last night’ smile, but different from your ‘this chocolate is soooo good’ smile.” Realizing what she just said, she sucked in a shocked gasp. “Oh my God! Did you have sex last night?”

Shit, shit, shit! This was bad, really bad. Dominic and I had spent practically every night together since we first had sex two and a half weeks ago, and it had been fantastic. I’d enjoyed every single second I spent with him, but Lola could not find out. No one could. Or that pressure we had successfully avoided being put on our relationship would become a very real thing and undoubtedly burst the happy little bubble we’d been living in.

“Pfft. No! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I objected a little too loudly.

“Holy shit, she is! She’s totally having sex!” Daphne cried.

I looked over to make sure the door to our office was closed so no one could overhear.

“No I’m not!” I whisper-yelled. “And can you keep your damn voices down? You know the walls in this office are paper-thin!”

They used their feet to roll their chairs across the floor to me. Leaning in like two excited schoolgirls, they propped their elbows on my desk and rested their chins on their fists.

“Who was it?” Lola asked.

“Was he good?” That was Daphne.

“Was it one of the dudes from the contest?”

“Ooh, yeah!” Daphne bounced in her seat. “Is it one of them? Is it BigSpoon?”

“Okay,” I clipped. “You know what? I’m not doing this. I’m not sleeping with anybody, and even if I were, I wouldn’t tell either of you nosey little heifers. Now if you’ll excuse me—” I stood from my desk and grabbed my purse, throwing it over my shoulder. “—I’m going to get lunch. By myself, since the two of you are annoying me right now.” I lifted my chin snootily and stomped out the door on my designer heels to the sound of my best friends’ laughter.

The cows.

My stilettos click-clacked along the tile floor as I headed for the elevators. I hit the Down button and climbed into the car, but instead of pressing the button for the lobby, I chose the one that would take me to Dominic’s floor.