For the first time since I'd been an Ultra Beauty and Spa employee, I was glad for the anniversary event. It always required intense work hours, backbreaking shifts, frantic phone calls to suppliers and all-nighters.

And that was only for the preparations prior to the event.

On the event itself, which typically lasted a whole week, it was like every day was the Miss Venezuela. Perfect hair, makeup and a blinding smile for ten hours a day, in the face of customers who weren't satisfied with fifty percent discounts and extra freebies.

It was exactly what I needed to get my mind off of things. Things, being my newly developed nightly nightmares about planes going down, mingling with other sort of dreams about my seat mate that were more pleasant but nonetheless scary.

It was the Friday before the event week. After spending several days in a row sleeping for three hours—partially because I needed to use the wee hours to align with our new South Korean suppliers—I had agreed to go on an outing tonight with Tae Yang to try this famous barbecue he talked about.

I defined it as an outing because it was just a dinner among new friends, not a date. Dawn kept saying I needed more friends around my age, so that was what I was trying to do here. Nothing else.

Even so, it was all I could think about as I sat in the middle of a team huddle with Bryce, the investors, a rep for the shop floor assistants, the marketing team, HR and Dawn. I sat beside her exclusively so we could exchange pointed looks every time Bryce was being Bryce. Like now.

"What do you mean we don't have all shifts covered?" he asked Lily, the most senior shop floor assistant, who acted as the team lead for all the part-timers. "We've been working on this for months, why is it so hard to coordinate?"

Lily was visibly sweating as she said, "Well, Kyle quit because he moved out of state and Hayley's about to give birth."

"Why don't we have replacements?" Bryce volleyed back.

Why couldn't we replace him? Ugh.

"Lily," I said. "If we can't fit everyone in the schedule I'll help you out."

She sagged in her seat. "Thank you so much, Cee."

Unfortunately, my offer made Bryce zero in on me. "By the way, are we sure we'll receive the new product shipments in time?"

"Yes." I nodded. After begging for days, I'd managed to overnight enough products to tide us over for the week. "We'll receive the crates tomorrow and I'll work over the weekend to catalogue them and stock them."

All by myself. With copious amounts of coffee and an assorted string of curse words keeping me motivated.

The main investor of our brand, who was no other than Bryce's Mom, turned to me. "I hope we won't need to airfreight anymore in the future. As an employee of this company, you need to think of our bottom line."

Like mother, like son. As if it weren't her offspring who demanded to have these products in stock for the anniversary event. The implication that it was somehow my incompetence what led to extra airfreight fees made me want to take off my stiletto and throw it, pointy end at her.

She'd never liked me, but ever since she discovered I'd dated her precious son and dared to break up with him, while daring to remain in his employ, she absolutely hated my guts.

I blinked. "I'm sure I can still call them and cancel the whole thing. It would certainly save us money."

"No," Bryce barked. "We need those products. Without them we're behind the competition and if we want to stay in this business, we can't afford to continue on that trend."

His Mom gave me the stink eye and I put on my best beauty pageant face, the same one I had when I stood on the stage, expecting to lose.

Dawn leaned to me and whispered, "Good job."

"Thanks but I still feel like I lost," I said, especially since I was the one who had to work like a horse to please one or the other.

As the meeting continued, my phone pinged with a text. I turned it over so the screen faced me and saw that it was from Tae Yang. It read, Strongly advise that u don't have a heavy lunch.

Quickly, I typed back, Deal.

At least I had that to look forward to, after this stupid meeting.

And then Bryce said, "To thank everyone for your exhaustive efforts in putting this event together, I would like to invite you all to clock out for the day and join me for a team happy hour."

Dawn pressed her lips so tight they turned white. I rubbed her shoulder because whew, it was a mood.

Larry, the HR guy, stood up and clapped. "I sure could use with a beer!"

His enthusiasm was met with mostly reluctant agreement from everyone else because we all knew what this meant, it was just a ploy to continue the meeting in a different location.

I waited until everyone trickled out of the meeting room to catch up with my boss. "Is this happy hour gonna take long? Because I have other plans."

"What could possibly be more important than bonding with the team?" Bryce stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trousers and tilted his head. "Wait, do you have a date?"

I checked my watch. It was five in the afternoon and Tae Yang and I had agreed to meet at the restaurant at seven.

"No, I just don't want to be rude but as a heads up, I'm leaving at around six thirty."

He followed in stride as I left the office to join the rest of the group, and nudged me with his shoulder. "How did you find time to meet other guys?"

I shouldn't have said anything. Fuck curtesy, I should've just walked right out of happy hour.

Sighing, I said, "C'mon, we're straggling behind the others."

I hurried to catch up, at least so I didn't feel alone with Bryce.

Our usual happy hour spot was a bar restaurant that was just a minute's walk from our main store. It was the main perk of being located smack in the middle of one of the city's busiest malls.

I planned to drive after this, so I asked for unsweet ice tea. The downside was it would make this gathering even less fun, especially considering I ended up sitting next to Mrs. Montgomery.

"Really?" She motioned at my drink as soon as a waiter put it on the table. "You should have a stronger team spirit, Miss Luna. Why don't you join us for a beer?"

I gave her a pinched smile. "Sorry, I have to drive after this."

"One little drink won't hurt anybody." And without waiting for my response, she flagged the waiter. "Excuse me, get this young lady an IPA."

Bitch. Was she trying to get me in jail?

Actually, I wouldn't put it past her. After all, she had authored one or two comments around me about how more immigrants should be deported for the safety of the citizens.

But even as the beer was placed before me, I didn't touch it the entire time. Amid the conversation, I sneaked out my cellphone and texted my new buddy.

I got roped into a dumb happy hour with my colleagues. Might be late.

A minute later he responded. LMK if u need SOS.

I might. If only so I didn't murder anyone.

"Our Cecilia here will have to leave us early because she has a date," Bryce announced from the head of the table.

I took a deep breath and counted uno, dos, tres, as everyone turned to me and started talking over each other.

"A date?" Larry said, leaning forward to see me around everyone else. "Give us the details."

Absolutely not.

"With whom?" Claire from marketing asked.

Nobody.

Lily gasped. "Wait, is it with the guy I heard about?"

Time to derail this conversation.

"Anyway, is anyone able to help me out this weekend?" As soon as I asked, everyone's focus turned to their drinks and their neighbors.

"I'll help you out, my dear," Dawn said, reaching across the table to pat my hand.

Bless her, and only her.

"It must be nice to be young, beautiful and dating a lot," Bryce's Mom said beside me, giving me the side eye over the rim of her beer glass.

Dawn, who had still been patting my hand, grabbed onto it in a vise that was probably as likely to refrain me and herself from violence.

I pretended to look at my phone and said, "Oh, excuse me. I have a phone call."

Which I did not, I just didn't want to acknowledge she'd called me a slut in more words.

From what Bryce had told me in the past, his parents had met in high school and married in college. Both were whiter than paper and with more green paper in their bank accounts than they knew what to do with.

The fuck would she know about me and my life?

In the bathroom, I texted Tae Yang, Change of plans, I'm very unhappy in this happy hour. What if I meet you early instead?

Should I pick u up? He responded.

No, I'll just make up excuses and leave.

But he texted back with, Too bad, I just parked in front of the store.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and had a moment of panic. My makeup was kind of faded around my nose and my lips were bare, not to mention my hair was in a bun that was messy without intending to be. I dug into my purse for the tools I needed to fix this mess and my phone pinged again.

An employee told me where you are and I'm omw.

"Mierda," I whispered to myself, rushing a comb through my long hair.

When I was done, I texted him, I'll meet you outside, k?

I dashed out of the restroom looking better but not feeling it, and said, "Sorry, everyone. I have to leave now but I hope you have a good afternoon."

Larry waved at me. "Good luck with your hot date!"

"Oh my gosh, tell us the details afterwards," Lily said.

I smiled wide with tight teeth. "It is not a—never mind, happy weekend."

The last thing I saw before leaving was Dawn's wink. She was the only one who knew about my plans with Tae Yang, because Mom would incapacitate me with chancletazos, and Quinta would make my ears bleed with her own ideas of what I should do with The Cutie. Now that Dawn had volunteered to help me this weekend, I knew she would grill me for details.

But in any case, it wasn't a date.

That thought died in my mind as I left the restaurant and spotted Tae Yang strolling in my direction. He wore a cap as white as his shirt, a blue jean jacket and black, ripped jeans. For all intents and purposes, a casual look.

On him, the fit was straight out of a catalogue. If I'd been ten years younger I'd be losing my mind over the sight.

Glad to report that in my thirties, I was also losing my mind over the sight.

To deflect from that, I greeted him with, "How come you're here and early?"

He shrugged. "I swear I'm not a creep, I was actually doing some shopping and figured you could use with rescue."

"She doesn't need rescue," Bryce said behind me, making me jump out of my skin. "In fact, she never does."

No, why was this happening?

Tae Yang's expression remained neutral as Bryce offered his hand. "Hi, I'm Bryce Montgomery, Cee's boss."

Instead of acknowledging him, Tae Yang glanced at me for cues and found me grinding my teeth. To me, he said, "Ready to go?"

"Absolutely." I tossed a wave at Bryce, adding, "See you Monday."

Before I turned away, I caught Bryce studying Tae Yang as though he wanted to memorize the moment. Nothing good would come out of this.

SONG OF THE DAY: Mudvayne - Happy

suuuure, it's not a date