All through Monday, my mind kept thinking about how it was just a week ago when I returned from the most romantic trip with Eric. It was insane how life could be completely turned upside down in a blink of an eye.

I refused to talk to Ryan all day, and he tried. He tried getting in the elevator with me alone. To which I responded by getting out and taking the stairs instead. He tried to call me into his office for work-related issues, but I would beg Ashlee to go find out what he wanted first. I would tell her that Adam had me doing so much that I couldn't step away for even a moment. Luckily, she believed me, since it wasn't a complete lie, and she would go see Ryan.

Seven times out of ten, the things he told her all sounded like bogus tasks. Which confirmed to me that he was only trying to find a way to get me alone.

While I refused to speak to Ryan. Eric wouldn't speak to me. I tried calling him several times on Sunday, but it went straight to voicemail every time. So on Monday, I tried calling him at his work number. The receptionist who answered would transfer me, and when he picked up and heard my voice, he'd disconnect the call. Then I tried again, and the receptionist would give me some excuse as to why she couldn't transfer me.

I was frustrated by it and considered going to go see him at his office during lunch. But fate was working against me, and Adam requested we work on the presentation project while we could. He even asked Peter to allow Ashlee to go grab us lunch, so we didn't lose the momentum.

Though I must not have been as useful as Adam wanted me to be. Because shortly after lunch, he suggested I leave work and go home for the rest of the day. He could tell my mind wasn't entirely focused on the task and preferred I come back on Tuesday, ready to finalize everything before our official presentation on Wednesday. I took up his offer and promised I'd be better by then.

Sasha and Becca were still at work, and I didn't have a key, so going to their place wasn't an option. I considered going back to my apartment and just staying there until Eric got home to talk things out. But then I decided I couldn't wait until six or seven to talk to him. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea, but nevertheless, I decided to go see Eric in person right then. 

My heart raced lightly during the train ride to his stop. But the closer I got to his building, it was pounding so fast and hard that I thought it could match the sound of the jackhammer burrowing into the street outside his office building.

I didn't even know what I wanted to say, but I hoped it would come to me as soon as I saw him.

My finger had a hard time finding its way to the button to take the elevator to his floor. I had to grab my hand with my other hand to hold it steady enough to land on the button. The doors closed, and instantly tears started welling up again. I took deep breaths, trying to keep the tears at bay. I didn't need to talk to the receptionist or Eric looking like a raccoon.

"Hi there," I greeted the receptionist who sat behind the tall counter, just by the elevator doors.

She was on the phone, placing calls on hold and transferring. She looked at me, clearly annoyed that I was disrupting her flow. But not annoyed enough to look unprofessional. I was about to tell her who I was there to see, when I saw Eric, just behind her, walking with his colleagues, George and Brian, towards his office.

"Eric!" I said loud enough to get his attention, but not loud enough to capture the audience of all the working people between him and me.

His head snapped in my direction. He looked like he was going to smile at me for a split second, but instead, he kept his face emotionless. He excused himself and separated from the others and walked purposely over to me. "What are you doing here, Vicky?"

I kept my eyes on him as firm as I could. Though his searching gaze made me feel almost shy then. "I was hoping we could talk. I tried calling you yesterday and today."

He moved me away from the reception desk and closer to where the elevator doors were. "I would have thought, that me not answering, would have given you the hint that I do not want to talk to you. Now, will you please leave."

"What can I do to make us okay again?" I begged, ignoring his request for me to leave.

"Not much that I can think of," he said harshly. "You broke my heart, Vic. You knew about the past I shared with Ryan, and yet you still went ahead and fucked him. Now I can imagine that he may have played a large role in seducing you, because I know he's been holding that shit against me since I did it to him. But I didn't think you would have actually fallen for his crap. Let alone fall for it for a fucking month!"

While Eric's voice was low, and he was smart enough not to draw attention from anyone in the office, I noticed the receptionist was no longer on the phone. Now she was staring intensely at us. I blushed, thinking she could hear even one of Eric's comments.

"But," Eric sighed, also realizing that he was still at work. "This isn't the time or place to get into this discussion."

"If we don't get into it now, then when? Please can we meet so we can discuss this like adults?"

Eric huffed at my questions. "You're not an adult, Vicky. You're still a goddamn child playing with her goddamn dolls and tossing them aside when a new shiny one comes along."

That one hurt. It was so hurtful, I couldn't stop the tears from falling now. "Okay." I nodded and pushed the elevator call button. The doors instantly opened, since I arrived not more than a few minutes before, and the elevator hadn't moved.

"I'll call you when I, I am ready to talk to you. Until then, please just leave me alone." Eric looked sad and angry and stubborn all at the same time.

I nodded, stepped into the elevator once again, and let the doors close as I watched Eric turn and walk away.

**************

I went through the next two days in a haze. I almost became numb and robotic. Ryan had a work trip planned in Connecticut, which meant I didn't have to worry about seeing him for the rest of the week. This made getting through the workdays a little easier.

I was even able to help Adam put on the best presentation to our potential clients. I was energetic and charming like I had been during the dinner with the Upton's and the other members of our California project. By the end of the presentation, the clients were no longer potential and signed the contracts right then and there.

Adam requested that we take them out to dinner to discuss any questions they had as well as celebrate our new partnership. While I wasn't really in the mood to get dressed up and go out, I knew I couldn't say no.

That night, Sasha let me borrow one of her outfits for dinner, as all my semi-formal outfits were hanging up in my apartment. I wore a twofer dress with a black and white polka dot ruffled blouse that hugged my neck lightly. It was attached to a high-waist black bodycon skirt with a faux belt that had a gold rectangular clasp. It zipped up in the back to show a smooth front.

I added my black ankle boots and a pair of small, rectangular hooped earrings that matched the belt trim. Sasha helped me French-braid my hair as I wasn't too good at doing that kind of braid on my own.

"You can admire yourself a little, you know. You look beautiful." Sasha finished tying up the end of my hair. She noticed I wasn't really smiling at my reflection in the mirror.

"Thanks. And while I appreciate your help and think I look good, I know I don't look beautiful. Beautiful people are beautiful inside and out. That's what makes them beautiful."

Sasha hugged me lightly from behind before allowing me to stand up and step away from her vanity. "You are beautiful inside and out. You just fucked up. That's what makes you human, sweetie."

Becca then shouted to us from the other room that Adam had arrived and was waiting outside by the car.

I nodded at Sasha. "I don't know what time we'll be done tonight. Hopefully, I won't be home too late. If for any reason, the dinner goes late, I can just crash at the office or something."

"Oh, hush, you." Sasha led the way out to the living area.

Becca beamed at my look. "Girl, how you never became a model is beside me!"

I laughed as I threw on my coat and gloves. "It's because I like eating."

"I hear that!" Sasha laughed. She raised her hand in the air to give me a high five, which I did. "Here, take my key. You can let yourself in. Don't worry about what time you get back. Becca and I are pretty heavy sleepers."

"Okay. Thank you." I hugged them and made my way down the stairs to the first level of their quadruplex.

Adam greeted me with a light hug and kissed both of my cheeks before we got into the chauffeured car.

Though the car zigged and zagged through the busy streets, I didn't feel the same motion sickness I tended to get when the New York cab drivers did the same thing. I was impressed by the driver's skill. The restaurant wasn't too far from where we were, and before I knew it, we were pulling up to the entrance.

The valet opened our door and helped me step out by holding my hand. We were at a very fancy restaurant. I almost wondered if I wasn't dressed up enough.

We walked in, and Adam introduced himself to the host. She advised that we were the first to arrive, as Adam planned. She requested to take our coats so they could be hung in the coat closet nearby.

"Wow, Vicky. You look amazing. As always," Adam complimented.

I naturally blushed and thanked him.

We followed the hostess back through the maze of filled tables and booths to our four-top table she presented us with. Adam thanked her and directed me to sit across from him.

Adam was looking over the drink list while I started to scan my menu. I hadn't really eaten much the last few days, and seeing the meals the others around us were eating was starting to bring back my appetite.

Adam shut the menu and placed it down on the table. "Before Dr. Nicholson and Ms. Lowery arrive, I want to take another moment to really thank you for all your hard work on this project."

"Thank you. It was really a lot of fun working on it, and I've learned so much about architecture and construction plans from a seller's point of view," I said as the server came over, filling our empty glasses to the brim with iced water.

"We'll take a bottle of champagne for the table, please," Adam ordered. The server nodded without writing the order down and walked away. "I'm glad. You are definitely an asset to the company. I can assure you. I'm just sorry it took us this long to see the potential you had. I know working for Ryan must have seemed like a waste of your degree."

I wobbled my head as I didn't know if I should nod in agreement or shake it to disagree. "It wasn't too terrible. It was a good way to ease into the industry instead of just being thrown to the wolfs, so-to-speak. Though, speaking of assisting Ryan." I paused to sip my water. "Do you know how much longer it might be that I'll be assisting him? I mean, have you, or the company I mean, found his new assistant yet?"

Adam smiled kindly and sipped his water too. "We actually have a few interviews lined up to meet with him next week. He requested to be included in the hiring process this time."

"That's a good idea."

"I'm still so sorry for how he was towards you. Has he been better to work with this time?"

I didn't know how to answer that. Thankfully, I didn't have to, as our clients were being escorted to our table just then. Adam and I both rose to greet them.

Dr. Nicholson was probably around the same age as my dad, but with a lot more hair. He almost reminded me of those men in the dandruff commercials with thick heads of hair. My dad would have been jealous, to say the least. 

Ms. Lowery was closer to my age, as she was the assistant to Dr. Nicholson. Though I was impressed with how much say she really had during the presentation. It was enough to persuade Dr. Nicholson to sign on to the project without taking too much time to consider everything.

All through dinner, they asked a few additional questions about the project. They wanted to know when they could expect to break ground and start building the private school they wanted to open. Adam was more than happy to answer all the questions they had. He was impressed when I'd add a few extra details that he either forgot or just didn't think to include.

By the end of the evening, the conversation shifted to learning about the clients on a personal level. Dr. Nicholson was a highly sought after child psychologist who hated what the public school system did to the nerves of young developing and influential minds. He even mentioned, with Ms. Lowery's permission, that she was one of his clients when she was a young teen. She had struggled with school because of a learning disability. Also, She struggled with all the social stresses that come with school life in general.

When she graduated from college a few years ago, Dr. Nicholson hired her as an assistant at his office. Which was when they came up with a plan to create a private school that was inclusive for all and helped struggling students excel beyond what they could have in the standard public school system.

"Well, this was a delightful dinner if I do say so myself." Dr. Nicholson threw on his trench coat at the front of the restaurant. "Not only are we hiring a great company, but we are hiring great people too. Not many other commercial builders would take the time on such a small and insignificant project like ours. Let alone treat us to dinner at such a ritzy place."

Adam extended his hand to Dr. Nicholson. "It was our pleasure. I hope we can meet again sometime during the actual building phase."

"Oh, I'm sure we will see you plenty. At least Anna will." Dr. Nicholson tilted his head towards Ms. Lowery.

"Anna, it was great speaking with you too." Adam shook her hand as well.

I followed behind Adam, repeating his gesture and thanking them again.

We stepped outside, and Adam and I waited to get into our car until Dr. Nicholson, and Ms. Lowery got into their cab and drove away. 

"What time is it?" Adam asked me, noticing me looking at my phone as I took my seat in the car.

I was secretly hoping to see a message or a missed call from Eric. But there wasn't anything. "It's just past nine."

"That was almost two hours? Wow, time flew by, huh?" He huffed and looked out his window as the car started to drive away.

"Yeah, it really does."

"Do you feel like time is flying when it comes to your wedding? I always heard women say that the closer it gets to their wedding, the longer it seems to take." Adam didn't realize the expression of my face changing as he commented about my wedding. But when I didn't respond and saw my saddened face, he seemed to have realized he had triggered something. "Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?"

Then, without much control, I started crying again. I thought I had been numbed over the last few days that any talk of Eric or the wedding wouldn't phase me. But then when he mentioned how it really wasn't that far away, it just triggered all my repressed emotions again. "I'm sorry," I stammered through a breath caught in my throat. "I don't even know if there's going to be a wedding."

Saying it out loud made me cry even harder. Adam instantly scooted to the middle seat and draped his arm around my shoulder and hugged me into him. When I started calming down enough to hear him, he cleared his throat. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I sat back up straight and looked at him. I knew I had to explain something. But I didn't know what to say. "Could we just go get a drink somewhere instead?"

Adam smiled at my request. "I know just the place."