Save the Date Read Online Free PDF Page B

he’d buy that we were discussing work.
    Riiiight.
    Ellen gave me a look, then whispered. “I’d better get back upstairs.”
    I nodded, flicking my eyes to where Rich had just exited the building.
    Ellen paused at the door to the back, then said in a stern voice, “Apologize to Rach. At lunch.” She raised a finger at me. “Or else.”
    I sighed, having no idea what to say to Rach. “I have something else to take care of at lunch, but I’ll think about what to tell her.”
    I used to know exactly how people could improve their situations, and never hesitated helping them. Now, I didn’t have a clue.
    The expiring lease on my cozy office in midtown flashed in my mind, piercing my chest. But, what could I do? My confidence in accessing human behavior was gone. I needed to move on to a new career. And I had the feeling an excellent position at Woodward Systems Corp was about to become available.
    ****
    I got off the elevator on the second floor, hurrying toward Noah’s office when Rach stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
    She put her hands on her hips. “I’ve gone through Noah’s cell phone, his filing cabinets, and his office desk. There’s no evidence he’s cheating on me. His dinner with Kate is strictly platonic.”
    Under her scrutinizing gaze, I forced a smile. “Good. I’m glad.”
    Her right brow lifted. “Admit you were wrong about him.”
    I held my palms up. “I never said he was cheating.”
    “But you said it’s a possibility, and it’s not.” Her voice wavered. “Noah would never do that to me.”
    My gut tightened. Noah didn’t seem like the type to stray, but I wasn’t going to assure her of his fidelity when I didn’t know for sure. “Rach, this is your relationship. You’re the one who needs to feel secure. It shouldn’t matter what I think.”
    She huffed, then strode toward the elevator.
    I’d given her my best advice, but apparently that had been the wrong thing. Shocker. In addition, the frustrating exchange had taken a bite out of my lunch hour, and I had research to do.
    Shaking my head, I continued down the hall, then knocked on the open door to Noah’s office. “Hey, Noah. Still all right that I use your computer during lunch?”
    “Yep.” He gathered his belongings, then gestured toward his desk. “I’m meeting a client uptown, so it’s all yours.”
    “Thanks.” I slid into the plush leather chair, pulled the keyboard closer, then brought up a search engine page. I had less than an hour to figure out if Chloe Campbell was about to give notice.
    “No problem.” Noah walked toward the door, paused, then closed it. “Can I ask you something?”
    My fingers froze over the keyboard, and I lifted my lashes to find Rach’s boyfriend staring at me. Noah Peterson was tall, well built, had sandy-brown hair, and sparkling blue eyes. He wasn’t deep and layered like Ethan—Noah was more likely to discuss baseball stats than world history—but still, he was friendly, good-looking, and it was obvious why Rach had been attracted to him.
    If only we knew whether or not he was hiding secrets from her.
    “What’s up, Noah?” I checked my watch, hoping this wouldn’t take long.
    He sat in a chair, then slouched forward with his elbows on his knees. “Something happened with Rach, and I could use some advice.”
    My stomach tightened, knowing I was the last person Noah should get advice from. “Maybe you should try Ellen? The clock’s ticking on my career counseling class, remember?”
    This was totally true. I needed to finish the class as a fallback in case my hunch was wrong and the human resources manager position wasn’t opening up. Or if I didn’t get it. Gasp.
    He stood, immediately. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get in your way.”
    My heart clenched, so I gestured for him to sit back down. “No, this can wait. What’s going on? I’m listening.”
    A look of appreciation crossed his face. “It could be nothing.”
    Famous last words from many of my