Secret Admirer by Ally Hayes Page B

wouldn’t satisfy her and she would continue to probe. I could easily imagine the conversation, so I took a different approach and offered her the statistics I assumed she craved.
    “Twenty-nine. I get along with my parents and only brother. I really loved my old job in Providence, but no promotions were available so I decided a transition was necessary for advancing my career and yes, to break out of a dating rut.” Her immaculate eyebrows shot up, so I continued. “I’m not running from or toward a guy or leaving behind a string of broken hearts. The only thing I left behind was a bunch of guys who never turned out to be more than good friends.”
    I wanted to stop there, but she rolled her fork full of lettuce, urging me to keep going.
    “I was ‘one of the guys,’ and ‘just Andi,’ to all of them. We dated casually and remained friendly, but when they moved on to serious relationships with other women, I got the message loud and clear. Now, it’s my turn. For me, I felt that meant moving onwards and upwards.” I stuffed a large crouton in my mouth to convey I was finished.
    “Wow, you made that easy. I guess it’s my turn to spill.” She was in a relationship, hoped to get married and stop working in the next five years, but was presently satisfied working as an entry-level accountant. She boasted about being considered the unofficial social director of her friends and co-workers.
    I wondered if that would now include me. Guessing she wanted me to ask about her boyfriend from the number of times she mentioned his existence, I played along.
    “Well,” she began, tossing back her loose curls. “Alec is an attorney. He graduated top of his class at NYU. He’s from an important family, but really driven and he’s a junior partner already.”
    She beamed with obvious pride, so I probed further. “Things are serious?”
    “Definitely,” she gushed. “We’ve been together for over three years and been discussing getting engaged since the summer. I thought it would’ve happened by now, but finding the time is difficult with his busy schedule.”
    She smiled as she told me, but I detected disappointment in her voice. She wanted that ring.
    In the afternoon, I met a few more co-workers and received my client assignments. As far as first days go, it wasn’t too bad. While shutting down my computer and tidying up the papers on my desk, I was visited again by my new friend.
    Bree poked her head into my office. “I usually arrange for a bunch of us to go out on Friday nights. It’s casual, just drinks and hanging out. Say you’ll join us.”
    I smirked, thinking I must have passed her test at lunch to receive an invitation. She wasn’t exactly asking or ordering me. I gathered this was her tactic to getting people to do what she wanted and still let them think they were exercising free will.
    “Sure, I’d love to,” I said honestly. I had no plans, didn’t know a soul yet, and couldn’t think of a valid reason or plausible lie to present. Bree seemed a bit intense, but harmless enough, and I’d be foolish to turn away the potential friendship.
    “Great, what’s your cell number?” She pulled out her smartphone, bejeweled with pink rhinestones.
    The ping indicating my receipt of her text sounded from my bag seconds later.
    “I’m off to yoga, catch you in the morning.”
    “I’d love to join a class or two once I get settled. Unpacking is my only exercise for now.” I spent the night searching through boxes for my workout gear.
    Waking up on Tuesday morning was less exciting as Monday, and I attributed it to first-day anxiety. I dragged myself to the shower and once the steam lifted my morning brain fog, I remembered Cute Coffee Shop Guy and felt fully alert.
    Minutes later, while pulling on my tall black boots, I thought how I’d worn them every day for the past few months, but now in my new surroundings, they seemed brand new. In fact, my whole wardrobe was refreshed, creating a nice bonus