Truth or Date by Susan Hatler Page A

texted Chris back: I’m sorry. I just can’t .
    Painfully masochistic, I slid my fingers across my phone and searched the web until I found Never Say Never by The Fray. The first time through brought tears to my eyes as I remembered every smile, every touch, every kiss from tonight.
    Chirp! Chirp!
    The sound stunned my heart and my throat went dry as I clicked it open: Come on, honey. I didn’t break up with you, remember? So don’t break up with me.  
    Automatically my finger poised to reply. Every part of me wanted to give in and keep pretending. Because that’s what we were doing, pretending we were together. I had to force myself to close out the screen, which tortured me to do so.
    As I listened to Never Say Never over and over again, the couple always came together in the end. Because it was only a song. Not real life.
     
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    Breakfast with Kristen the next morning was all kinds of weird. I mean, she ignored her oatmeal and ate my chocolate puff cereal instead. When I inquired as to what went wrong in the world to make her fall off her health kick (hope the cookie dough dare didn’t start it), she claimed to be late for work and took off.
    I kept my office door closed all morning at work, but I knew when Chris showed up because he responded to the dozen group emails with subject lines like Good Luck, We’ll Miss You, and Rock On Stud (that last one had been from Melinda Morgan in customer service, who flirted with all the hot guys in the office). A group email came from Human Resources soon after stating that any comments with sexual intent or innuendo were not proper for the workplace.
    Oh, please. Tell that to our biggest competitor’s H.R. manager.
    Since I was coordinating Chris’s going away party, I had to arrive early to pay the caterers and show them where we were setting up in the conference room. I asked Ginger Nielsen to come help me in case Chris arrived before the party and wanted to talk.
    He didn’t.
    Most likely he was slammed tying up loose ends on his last day, but possibly he’d moved on to his next date. The thought made my stomach clench.
    “Where’s Ellen today?” Ginger twisted her neck in my direction as she set plates at the beginning of the conference table for the buffet-style lunch.
    “Tomorrow’s the wedding so she took the day off.” Tension filled my shoulders and I kept flicking glances toward the entrance as people filed in to serve themselves up a freebie lunch. “Then she and Henry are honeymooning in Hawaii.”
    “Which island?”
    “Kauai. South shore, I think.” I ducked my head as Chris strode through the doorway, hoping Ginger blocked his view of me. “They’ll be there two weeks.”
    “Sounds divine.” She drawled her words completely oblivious to my distress. “An island vacation is exactly what I need. Manning the reception desk is pure exhaustion. Rich Woodward says he has his eye on me though so I’m hoping that means a promotion in the near future.”
    Ginger had a college degree and had taken the receptionist position here to get her foot in the door. She worked hard and knew her stuff. I could definitely see her moving up as she paid her dues. “I’ll cross my fingers that Rich advances you soon.”
    As if his ears were burning, Rich Woodward, the president of our software company, Woodward Systems Corporation, strolled in. Rumor had it he fought to keep Chris here and wasn’t too happy that he’d gone over to the dark side. Still, once the room was full, he made a short speech wishing Chris all the best in his future endeavors. Then he excused himself for a meeting across town.
    A meeting during the lunch hour? Not likely.
    “Guess I’m lucky he showed up at all.” Chris had leaned over my shoulder and whispered the words in my ear.
    Embarrassed that he’d snuck up and caught me off guard when I’d been trying to hide, my face lit on fire. “I’m sure he’s just sorry to see you go.”
    “True enough.” He studied