The Fix Up by Kendall Ryan Page B

intent on pushing all this Sterling business from my brain.
    Hours later, I’m lost in work when a shriek from the office next door steals my attention.
    “What was that?” I ask Anna.
    “Not a clue. Come on.”
    I push out of my chair and follow her. Normally, I’m not one for office gossip, but I could use a little distraction from my lackluster day.
    Next door to our shared office is an open space containing six desks for a team of graphic designers. While they lack individual offices, the space is bright and open, and is often used as a communal gathering space for those hoping to catch the latest office gossip.
    “What’s going on?” Anna asks as we stroll up.
    Stopping near the workstation where they’re all gathered, I see a picture of Sterling on the computer screen. It appears to be a tabloid article. My stomach turns uneasy.
    “Just the latest on the gossip site’s latest obsession—Sterling Quinn. He’s rumored to be involved in a secret affair, which could jeopardize the whole marriage/inheritance thing.”
    “W-what do you mean?” Anna asks on my behalf, since I’ve suddenly found myself speechless.
    Leaning against the side of the desk, I force my gaze from the screen and down to a designer, who’s apparently got all the inside scoop.
    “Spill it, Rocky,” I say.
    And he does.
    “There’re pictures with him and some woman kissing in a corridor.”
    He scrolls down the web page, and I see it in all its glory. Sterling’s muscular form wrapped around some tall redhead, their mouths fused together.
    Asshole!
    Something inside my chest aches, and I feel light-headed. I blink, but the image remains.
    “Fuck.” I push off the desk and stalk away, utterly disgusted.
    Not only could this jeopardize our working relationship, and the money on the line, but more than that, I trusted him, believed in him, thought we’d made a special connection. Maybe as friends; maybe as more.
    Anna follows me back to our office. “Are you okay?” she asks, closing the door behind us.
    Nausea rolls through me as I drop into my office chair. “A woman came forward saying she spent the night with him recently. How do you think I’m doing?”
    Anna sighs softly, lowering herself into the chair across from me. “Maybe it’s for the best. I mean, this whole project was crazy. Very nineteenth century, the idea of an arranged marriage. And then with things getting complicated between the two of you? This was a recipe for disaster from the onset. You see that, don’t you?”
    I never imagined Sterling and I would have a connection like that. Of course, I think he’s attractive; even a blind nun could see that. I figured that maybe there would be some mild innuendo thrown around, some flirting, but I never accounted for the deeper attraction that sizzles below the surface.
    All the more reason to set him up for a date this weekend. It’s time to move on, and sticking with the original plan has never sounded better. Get Sterling successfully married off, and then collect my bonus.
    “I’m just pissed that he lied to me,” I grumble.
    “Amen, sister,” Anna says, nodding.
    Trying to immerse myself in work, I begin reviewing the campaign that Anna spent much of this week working on. She’s really been a godsend. She’s helped with my workload since she started last week, and every day promptly at two, she runs down to the coffee shop downstairs and returns with two iced lattes. I think that’s easily my favorite part.
    “I think we deserve a special treat today,” Anna announces, rising from her desk at ten to two.
    “Agreed.” Today has been stupid. “What are you thinking?”
    She lifts her purse from the back of her chair and winks at me. “It’s a surprise. Be back in ten.”
    I chuckle to myself and watch her go.
    I’m typing away, lost in my work, when just a few minutes later, I hear footsteps outside my office door. For a second, I think it’s Anna, that maybe she forgot her wallet. But