Crossing the Line Part One (A Novella) by Samantha Long Page B

you an awesome office space.
I am good at what I do. We can ignore the fact that our parents are
working against us. Or we can make them happy and go out. I do love
my mother very much, and this would make her very happy."
    She couldn't help but smile. He was a
charmer. "How about you design my awesome office space and we
ignore our parents?"
    "Sure, we can do that. But you can't blame a
man for trying." Nick turned to the room. "So, the space?"
    "Well, first of all I want that hideous
receptionist counter gone. Demolish it. I need an office of my own
in the back, and a small break room with room for counter space, a
table, and a fridge. I'm going to design it like a regular kitchen,
without the oven. I'll need a unisex bathroom." She continued with
details while he took notes.
    "This shouldn't be hard to do. I'll have to
start the designs and get your approval before going for the
permit." He tucked the notebook back in his pocket, the pencil
behind his ear.
    "How long will the designs take?" She looked
out toward the parking lot, past it toward the beach. Anywhere but
at him. She couldn't let herself be tempted. A man was a
complication she didn't need. Not with her daughters and her
expanding business.
    "A week, tops. I have a job I'm finishing
now but it shouldn't take too much of my time."
    The door opened and her dad stepped back
inside. "Your mother was having a small dinner crisis. Needs me to
pick up some stuff on my way home."
    "Does she now?" Victoria narrowed her eyes
so that he'd know she knew exactly what he was trying to do. Her
dad deftly avoided eye contact. "Anyway, we're done here so I'm
going to head home." She handed Nick her business card and tried to
ignore the laughter in his eyes as she left.

Chapter Two
    Victoria walked
into her house and the sound of music from the living room
assaulted her ears. Her feet screamed for relief so she slipped off
her stilettos and carried them through the small foyer into the
living room.
    Her daughters and Addie danced across the
white carpet with the Wii remotes in their hands, concentration and
laughter on their faces. Lucia and Helena's identical features,
black hair and hazel eyes, belied their different personalities.
Victoria watched them dance, and not for the first time wished she
could've chosen better for their father. No other excuse than she
was young and stupid.
    Her family was supportive, not wanting to
tell her Roger wasn't good enough, wanting her only to be happy.
All except Addie, who'd protested loud and often that he was
nothing but a douche. Victoria watched her sister keep up with the
girls and smiled. Her sisters had helped her through the past year
and without them, she didn't know what she would have done.
    "Hey, Mom." Lucia waved when the game came
to a lull. "I'm beating Addie to a pulp."
    Addie glanced over, blue eyes from their
mother lit with a competitive fire. It didn't matter that the girls
were younger. Addie had to win.
    Victoria noticed Helena didn't say anything
but guessed she was too focused on the game. She continued through
the living room and into the kitchen, immediately going for a
bottle of wine. She hated that Roger still got to her, even after
all these years. His attitude toward marriage--toward her--had been
the same for the last twelve years. He wasn't going to change just
because they were divorced.
    "Pour me a glass." Addie's long black hair
fell down her back in a straight waterfall, her make-up light.
"Teaching third graders can be stressful. I'll be gray by the time
I'm your age."
    Victoria lifted a brow, poured the wine into
two wine glasses. "Mom always taught us that more wine equaled less
gray."
    Addie lifted the wine in a toast. "That she
did."
    The wine warmed her throat and stomach after
she sipped. "Thanks for picking up the girls."
    "You know you don't have to thank me for
that. I love spending time with them."
    Victoria moved to the fridge, trying to
decide what to make for dinner. "I met with Dad and