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signifying weeks of tension and dancing around an unexpected attraction that had cropped up.  
       I shook my head. “I mean, kind of, but she knows I’m with Blake.”  
       “Right.” He exhaled.  
       His relief gave me a little hope that he was more than a little interested in Simone. Maybe he didn’t want her knowing about our little moment any more than I wanted Blake to. The prospect of Blake knowing roiled my stomach. He was jealous enough of James.
       “How are you doing lately? You seemed pretty upset today.”  
       James had a way of picking up on my moods, no matter how carefully I tried to hide them behind my flimsy partition. It would do no good to hide how I really felt or to pretend all was well.  
       “I’m upset, I won’t lie,” I said. “To be honest, I wouldn’t mind beating someone to a pulp right now. I’m not sure if I’m more upset by Risa stabbing me in the back, or the effects all of this will have on the business.”
       “I can imagine. You trusted her. Hell, we all did.”
       I stared at my drink. “I feel so stupid. Like I should have seen this coming.”
       “There’s no way you could have known.”  
       I shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe if I hadn’t been so lost in my own head the past few weeks.”
       “All you did was work. I don’t know how you could have been more present with the business. Seriously, you were sleeping at the office most nights.”  
       I shook my head, my thoughts drifting to that time. A wave of fatigue hit me at the memory. I couldn’t remember being more worn down, more determined to wear myself down than I had been. And somehow Risa had been conspiring with Max the whole time, even as I worked tirelessly to move us forward. The whole sequence of events spun in my head, over and over. Every rotation made less sense, gave me that much less faith that I could stop their attempts. What could I really do?  
       I systematically pushed the sweat of my drink down the glass, saturating the small napkin underneath. James rubbed my shoulder gently.
       “Erica,” he murmured.  
       I looked up, my focus returning to the present as I transfixed on James’s deep blue eyes.  
       “You have the rest of us, and you have me. You know we’re solid, and we will get through this. Don’t give her the satisfaction of knowing she’s upset you. Give yourself a break this weekend, and we’ll figure all this out next week. I know how you get and worrying yourself into a nervous breakdown isn’t going to help anyone. We need you, remember?”
       I lifted my lips in a small smile. “Thanks, James.”  
       “Erica.”  
       A man’s voice rang out behind me. A possessive hand curved around my upper arm. Blake stood close behind me, his gaze trained on James. The bitterness in his eyes seemed to radiate and reflect back onto him as James barely suppressed a sneer in his direction. I wanted to rise and stand between the two men, to shut down any potential standoff before it could escalate.  
       “Blake.”  
       I doubted whether I’d said the word out loud until Blake answered, his eyes never losing their focus on James.  
       “We should go. We’re going to be late.”  
       James’s gaze went to Blake’s hand circled possessively around my upper arm. James’s jaw tightened and the muscles in his neck strained. That sick feeling washed over me again. He still believed Blake had hit me. I wanted to put that suspicion to rest, but I couldn’t without revealing more information than he needed to know.
       “I thought we had time for a drink.”
       I put a hand over Blake’s. His eyes flashed to mine, as if the small touch had broken a trance.
       “Change of plans,” he said quickly.
       I nodded and grabbed my purse, eager to diffuse this tension. I turned back to James and out of Blake’s hold. “I’ll see you next week.”
       James nodded and turned away from me. I