Mr. CEO(49)

Me: Hey chica, lunch?

I look up to talk to Logan, but he moves around to his desk and shakes his mouse to look at the computer screen. My phone pings.

Eva: Yup, where at?

Me: At the Blue Cafe on the corner.

Eva: See ya there.

I put my phone away. “I’m gonna meet her at the Blue Cafe.”

Logan relaxes. “Good. Do you want to use my limo?”

I shake my head, though I’m pleased by the offer. It’ll raise Eva’s eyebrows if I showed up in a limo to a cafe that was just two blocks from the building. She probably already knows what’s going on. I get the sense that a lot of people do. Still, Iately I’m feeling different about keeping my relationship with Logan a secret. If it weren’t for his reluctance to have a real relationship, I’d want the world to know.

But the way he’s acting now has me wondering.

“No, I’ll walk.” I step forward and give him a quick peck. “Thanks for offering though.”

“And thank you for being so understanding,” Logan says before picking up his phone and taking it off of hold. “Are you there? …Alright.” Logan gives me a distracted wave as I leave, and I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong as I walk out of his office.

Outside it feels good, a cool breeze sweeping up the street. The sky is clear, and the deep blue color would take my breath away if I wasn’t in such a sour mood.

If this is the beginning of the end, then it will be no less than I deserve. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten involved with him.

I make it halfway down the block, lost in my thoughts and hardly watching where I’m going, when I feel a prickling sensation on my neck. Someone’s watching me. I turn around, scanning behind me. There are a couple of people walking on either side of the street, entering businesses, and cars driving by, but no one stands out.

For a minute, I continue to scan, my eyes darting everywhere, but I eventually give up.

After a moment, I turn and continue on, thinking, Relax, Charlotte. You’re just being paranoid.



“Did you see what happened with that celebrity guy in the news?” Eva asks me as she takes a bite out of her blueberry bagel that’s covered with cream cheese. We’re sitting in the Blue Cafe in the corner. It’s secluded and private which is nice. It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten in a place that has a dollar menu, but I’m happy to see Eva and catch up on corporate gossip and talk about the project we’re working on together.

As usual, Eva’s dressed sharp as a tack in a red pantsuit and matching lipstick, her hair pulled back into an elegant ponytail. I need her to be my stylist.

I pause, peeling the plastic wrap from around my banana nut muffin. I’m trying to be cheerful with Eva, but I just have a bad feeling. I don’t like how distant Logan was with me in his office. “What guy?”

“It was what’s his face,” Eva snaps her fingers together multiple times trying to jog her memory, “the hot young guy that plays a president on that one show and he cheats on his wife with an intern.” She motions at me as if I’m supposed to be a psychic and give her the answer. “You know, that guy.”

Actually, I have no idea who that guy is. I’m drawing a blank. Since starting the new job, I don’t watch much TV, and the only hot guy in my life is Logan. “I don’t know who you’re talking about-”

“Jake Goldwater!” Eva yells and slaps her hand on the table. “That’s it!”

I vaguely know who she’s talking about, I think I’ve watched a few movies he’s been in. I don’t think he’s anything special. “What about him?”

“Well supposedly, in real life he also heads his own company, Goldwater Productions.” She taps a finger against her chin thoughtfully. “I think he even owns a building several blocks from here. Anyway, he got caught banging one of his secretaries... on video.”

“Damn,” I mutter, shaking my head. “I’d hate to be that girl. She’ll be humiliated for the rest of her life.”

Eva gives a short laugh. “You’d be one of the only ones. There’s probably scores of women who’d sleep with him on camera.”

“Good for them,” I mutter darkly.

Eva bringing up Jake’s scandal hits close to home. The parallels are freaky. I’m not Logan’s secretary, but I am sleeping with him. It makes me feel ashamed that I just don’t come out and tell Eva. I almost feel like a fraud.

It would be nice to have someone to confide in, someone I can tell my doubts about Logan to. Someone who can tell me that I’m insane for staying with a guy, even if he is rich, that won’t commit.