A Heart to Trust A.L. Brooks (romantic story to read .txt) 📖

was flawless. He also smelled delicious, and Jenny made a note to ask him what cologne he wore. She liked to mix it up a little with so-called male fragrances, and his might work for her too.

“You didn’t have to wake up next to him.” Carl squirmed away when Solomon poked him in the ribs. “He was groaning like he was in labor.”

“I told all of you earlier in the evening tequila was not my drink,” Solomon said. “But did any of you listen? No. And so, suffer the consequences.” He sipped from his gin and tonic and threw them an “I told you so” look.

Jenny laughed, then snagged the waiter as he walked by. She ordered a vodka cranberry, then stood. “I need the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

The washrooms were buried way down the back of the joint. The place styled itself as one of those old-fashioned, wood-lined bars and eating houses. It was filled with bankers, city types, and the odd tourist.

She took care of business and left the washroom. As she started back along the dimly lit room to their booth, her eye was caught by a swish of blonde hair to her left. Much to Jenny’s surprise, across the room at one of the higher tables sat Chrissy. Jenny was just about to wave to get her attention when her gaze fell on Chrissy’s dinner partner, and she froze.

Derek.

And he was—oh my God, seriously?—about to feed Chrissy a mouthful of his pasta from his fork.

Derek and Chrissy?

Jenny’s brain connected all the dots, and her stomach roiled.

Derek was the boyfriend she’d talked up all this time.

Derek, who was their boss. And married.

Jenny’s heart hammered as she hurried back to the booth. When she got there, Tamara and Roz were shucking their coats and scarves, beaming at her from across the table. Their smiles fell at whatever was displayed on Jenny’s face. Jenny could only imagine how she looked: shocked, disgusted, disappointed.

“What?” Tamara asked a millisecond before anyone else.

Jenny slid into the booth and leaned in. Four faces looked wide-eyed back at her. “You know Chrissy, the woman I work with?”

“High-maintenance, manipulative one?” Solomon asked.

Everyone stared at him.

“What? I listen!”

“I like him.” Roz winked at Carl.

“Anyway.” Jenny tapped the table to regain their attention. Everyone fell silent once more. “She’d told me she and Derek, our boss, had known each other before C&V. I didn’t think anything of it, but now they’re at one of those tables over there having dinner and he’s feeding her from his own fork!”

“Like seductively?” Roz asked.

“Yes! I think they’re together. You know, together.” Jenny’s hands trembled.

“Your boss and your colleague, a colleague you are in competition with to get one of those jobs, are currently having a romantic dinner for two?” Tamara’s voice was neutral, but her eyes narrowed and her entire body tensed.

“This is bad, isn’t it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Wait, they might just be good friends.” Carl looked around at them all. “I mean, if they go back long enough, it might be something they do.” Even he didn’t sound convinced by his own words.

Tamara snorted. “Doubtful. I’ve known all you for nearly ten years and I’ve never done that with any of you.”

“What does she look like?” Roz slid out of her seat.

“What are you up to?” Tamara asked.

“She doesn’t know me. I can scope them out and report back.” Roz winked at her girlfriend, who shook her head and motioned for Jenny to speak.

“Lots of blonde hair. She’s wearing a dark-pink sweater. He’s in a white shirt that doesn’t fit properly.”

Roz snorted, then scurried away.

The others said very little while they waited for her return. When she appeared from the opposite direction, they all jumped.

“If they’re just friends, I’m Hillary Clinton.” Roz placed her phone on the table and pointed at the screen.

Jenny leaned in first, and what she saw made her stomach churn once more. The photo was perfectly in focus, though Roz had obviously zoomed quite a way in. And what it showed was perfectly clear too: Chrissy and Derek kissing. Not on the cheeks like friends would do but with mouths open, tongues everywhere.

The confirmation drained all the blood from Jenny’s limbs. “Oh. My. God,” she managed to squeak out.

“Yup.” Roz cast Jenny a sympathetic look.

“I don’t even know what to do with this.”

“I do,” Tamara said grimly.

Chapter 25

On Thursday morning, Jenny walked into the office like a zombie; her gaze was directed at the floor and her legs moved on autopilot. She knew she had to do what she planned, but that didn’t mean she had to feel good about it. Tucked safely away in her bag were the notes she’d made when talking to the employment lawyer Tamara had put her in touch with.

Nia was one of the many contacts Tamara had made through networking at conferences and other events. She’d agreed to meet with Jenny and offer some advice in exchange for an ice cream.

“You want ice cream in January?” Jenny had asked her when she’d returned Jenny’s call.

“I want ice cream at any time of year.” Nia laughed. “I’ll meet you at seven tonight at the gelato place on Pier 25.”

Jenny hadn’t even known there was a gelato place on Pier 25 or that it would be open all year, but she’d found it okay, and her forty minutes spent with Nia was more than useful.

Nia had asked her to check the company handbook for the official policy on relationships between colleagues and C&Vs official complaints procedure. With those two things on the table between them as they ate their ice cream cups, Nia talked Jenny through what her options were. Nia spoke quickly but succinctly, words leaving her mouth in a staccato beat.

“I hate that I’m considering being a snitch.” Jenny gazed morosely into her empty ice cream cup at the end of the meeting.

“I get that.” Nia pursed her lips. “And I know we don’t know the circumstances of this relationship. Is it genuine? Is he putting her under pressure