Chapter 3

Finally back at her apartment, Natalie checked her mail and her phone messages. 37 messages in two weeks, all except the three from her mother were from tele-marketers. Her mail wasn't any better, bills and junk mail. She sighed as she threw the stack on the table by the door and proceeded to the bedroom. She pulled out her most comfortable P.J's and went to take shower. The warm water soothed her aching muscles, but did little to soothe the ache in her heart. So Stephen was going to work it out with Lisa. The thought kept coming back to her again and again. Every time she tried to put it out of her mind, it came back stronger. By the time she got out of the shower, she was in near tears.

"Why are you crying silly, he is your colleague, your team leader, he is a friend, no more."

"Keep telling yourself that," said a voice inside her, "you are afraid to say it, you love him."

"No I don't, yes he is handsome and strong, and smart, but he is stubborn, opinionated, too driven, and…. I have to work with him, I don't have time for a relationship; it would be totally wrong, inappropriate…"

"What is so wrong about loving him?" asked the voice.

"Only everything, for one he doesn't see me in that way, two he obviously still loves his wife, and three, office romances never work out, they just make everything harder. No, I just have to move on."