Chapter 30

HAILEY

“Alright, Hailey, I’ll start. Who was the man you were dining with? He seems familiar, but I can’t quite place him.”

“That’s my friend Alex. We met in the Maldives.”

Valerian’s gaze hardened slightly. “Ah, so he’s the one you spent the entire night chatting with when we were there.”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“And why is he here now?”

“He’s here primarily for work, but he said he could make some time to catch up with me.”

“Did you ask him to contact you?”

“No, I didn’t.” She bristled slightly at his insinuating tone.

“Then how did he know where to find you?”

“I asked him the same thing. He said he tracked me down because I’d mentioned where I work.”

“When I saw you two at dinner, was that a date?”

“No, it wasn’t. We were just catching up, like friends do.”

“Then why were you two feeding each other cake?”

“I don’t know. It seemed like a fun thing to do, I guess.”

“Fun? That’s your explanation, Hailey?”

“Well, would you prefer I lied to you?”

“No, that’s fine. Will you see him again?”

“Maybe, if he reaches out before he leaves.”

“I see,” Valerian said. “Alright, your turn.”

“Have you moved on from Charlize?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Are you certain? You always seem to go back to her, or so I’ve heard.”

“That’s true, but there’s absolutely nothing between us anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want her anymore, Hailey. I want someone else.” His gaze was steady on her.

“What made you finally decide you didn’t want her?”

“I’d grown tired of her a long time ago. Then I met you.”

“So, are you saying that if you grow tired of me, you’ll leave me just like you did her?”

“No, Hailey, that’s not what I’m saying. I’ll prove to you that I’m serious.”

“Okay, I’m done,” she said.

But Valerian wasn’t. “What about you and Matt? Was there something between you two? Will there be?”

“No, Matt is more like a brother to me. He’s been there for me for a long time, so I owe him that much. And to answer your other question, no, nothing has happened.”

“Alright, I understand. Your turn.”

“I think I’ve asked all I wanted about Charlize. I don’t have anything else.”

“Okay, why did you act like nothing happened in France?”

“Because I don’t want people to know I’m in a relationship with the boss.”

“Why not? Am I that terrible?”

“No, I just don’t want people to think I got this job because of our relationship. I want to be seen for who I am, not as someone who slept with the boss to get ahead.”

“That’s a fair point. So, what’s next for us, Hailey? Are we going to make this work? Yes or no?”

“Yes.”