feelings…something I was currently missing from the men in my life.
I didn’t answer.
“How about someone to walk beside you in silence?”
I allowed a tiny smile.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
We walked a few blocks in silence before Luke spoke. “Okay, I can’t take it anymore. What happened in the twenty minutes since I last saw you?”
I looked around at the tall buildings and the people rushing by me. I spotted a bench up ahead, so I beelined it there and sat. Luke sat beside me, concern etched on his brow.
“My husband asked me to call our building’s maintenance guy because the water heater is out. I hate him sometimes.”
“The maintenance guy?”
“My husband.”
“So you’re married?”
I nodded. “And I think I’m in love with my boss, but I hate his guts.”
He chuckled. “Been there.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
He nodded. “My ex-wife. I loved her so much, but sometimes I really hated her, too. When you feel so much passion for someone, it’s easy for the lines between love and hate to blur. We got divorced when I realized that I didn’t actually like her anymore. I could deal with loving and hating her, but I couldn’t deal with not liking her.”
I thought about my feelings for the two men who were currently starring in my love life. I’d been so sure that I loved John. I didn’t hate him.
I disliked him.
He wasn’t the same man I’d fallen in love with, and the new version of him was easy to dislike. I didn’t feel the igniting spark of passion for him. I wasn’t sure if I ever really did.
And then there was Cole.
Cole set my blood on fire—one minute I wanted to strip his clothes off and straddle him, and the next minute he made me so fucking angry that I wanted to slap him across the face.
It was soul-crushing passion that I felt for him, and even when I hated the hell out of him, I never really disliked him.
And that was the difference. It literally took two minutes of talking to a complete stranger for me to sort out my feelings.
But the feelings I had were absolutely terrifying. I was thousands of miles away from my husband, but the man who’d somehow stolen my heart was just blocks away. I was considering ending my marriage and throwing away five years of my life for someone who looked at me as nothing more than his assistant.
“What happened with your boss?”
“He kissed me and we were interrupted by a knock at the door. I think it would’ve gone a lot farther than kissing, but then he called me his assistant.”
“Isn’t that what you are?”
I sighed. He didn’t get it. “It was the way he said it. I’m just his assistant.”
“And you’re married.”
I nodded.
“Here’s my advice. Take it or leave it. Tell your husband. I’ve been the guy who was left in the dark. Even if you don’t think you deserve it right now, everyone deserves happiness. Your husband included. Let him in or let him go.”
He was right. I sat in silence as I processed his words and these new revelations.
Finally, I said, “Thanks, Luke.”
He shrugged. “I’m just a guy who found a pretty lady to sit next to at a conference.”
“A pretty lady who is pretty screwed in the head at the moment.”
“We’ve all been there. You’ll get through it, and when you’re on the other side, you’ll look back and remember the sage advice of the dashing man from the conference.”
I chuckled. “You’re absolutely right.”
We watched the people walk by us for a few minutes, and then I said, “I think I need to call my husband.”
“Will I see you at dinner?”
I nodded. “Save me a seat.”
He stood, and I watched as he melted into the crowd on the busy sidewalk. I pulled up John’s contact information.
What was I going to say to him? I couldn’t end our marriage over the phone. But he had to know that I was done.
“I’m in love with someone else.” “I kissed my boss.” “I don’t love you anymore.” “I’m not your assistant. Call the
I didn’t answer.
“How about someone to walk beside you in silence?”
I allowed a tiny smile.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
We walked a few blocks in silence before Luke spoke. “Okay, I can’t take it anymore. What happened in the twenty minutes since I last saw you?”
I looked around at the tall buildings and the people rushing by me. I spotted a bench up ahead, so I beelined it there and sat. Luke sat beside me, concern etched on his brow.
“My husband asked me to call our building’s maintenance guy because the water heater is out. I hate him sometimes.”
“The maintenance guy?”
“My husband.”
“So you’re married?”
I nodded. “And I think I’m in love with my boss, but I hate his guts.”
He chuckled. “Been there.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
He nodded. “My ex-wife. I loved her so much, but sometimes I really hated her, too. When you feel so much passion for someone, it’s easy for the lines between love and hate to blur. We got divorced when I realized that I didn’t actually like her anymore. I could deal with loving and hating her, but I couldn’t deal with not liking her.”
I thought about my feelings for the two men who were currently starring in my love life. I’d been so sure that I loved John. I didn’t hate him.
I disliked him.
He wasn’t the same man I’d fallen in love with, and the new version of him was easy to dislike. I didn’t feel the igniting spark of passion for him. I wasn’t sure if I ever really did.
And then there was Cole.
Cole set my blood on fire—one minute I wanted to strip his clothes off and straddle him, and the next minute he made me so fucking angry that I wanted to slap him across the face.
It was soul-crushing passion that I felt for him, and even when I hated the hell out of him, I never really disliked him.
And that was the difference. It literally took two minutes of talking to a complete stranger for me to sort out my feelings.
But the feelings I had were absolutely terrifying. I was thousands of miles away from my husband, but the man who’d somehow stolen my heart was just blocks away. I was considering ending my marriage and throwing away five years of my life for someone who looked at me as nothing more than his assistant.
“What happened with your boss?”
“He kissed me and we were interrupted by a knock at the door. I think it would’ve gone a lot farther than kissing, but then he called me his assistant.”
“Isn’t that what you are?”
I sighed. He didn’t get it. “It was the way he said it. I’m just his assistant.”
“And you’re married.”
I nodded.
“Here’s my advice. Take it or leave it. Tell your husband. I’ve been the guy who was left in the dark. Even if you don’t think you deserve it right now, everyone deserves happiness. Your husband included. Let him in or let him go.”
He was right. I sat in silence as I processed his words and these new revelations.
Finally, I said, “Thanks, Luke.”
He shrugged. “I’m just a guy who found a pretty lady to sit next to at a conference.”
“A pretty lady who is pretty screwed in the head at the moment.”
“We’ve all been there. You’ll get through it, and when you’re on the other side, you’ll look back and remember the sage advice of the dashing man from the conference.”
I chuckled. “You’re absolutely right.”
We watched the people walk by us for a few minutes, and then I said, “I think I need to call my husband.”
“Will I see you at dinner?”
I nodded. “Save me a seat.”
He stood, and I watched as he melted into the crowd on the busy sidewalk. I pulled up John’s contact information.
What was I going to say to him? I couldn’t end our marriage over the phone. But he had to know that I was done.
“I’m in love with someone else.” “I kissed my boss.” “I don’t love you anymore.” “I’m not your assistant. Call the
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