The machinations of others
brings out Bella's protective side.

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.

Thanks to:
Di, my editor,
Paige, Aileen, and Renee, my prereaders.

Stupid Little Game
Chapter 11

On Monday, I dressed in mourning to match the color under my eyes—black lace top, black vest, black flare pants. Last, I stepped into jade pumps, then pushed a big pair of sunglasses onto my nose.

It had been a toss-and-turn weekend of sleep for me. The feeling that I was at the precipice of something big had kept me on the edge of dreams. During the day, it kept me on the edge of wherever I was sitting. I'd consumed an entire pint of Chunky Monkey ice cream while watching old episodes of Grey's Anatomy, and as a result, had started to narrate my life like the show's main character.

There's this person in my head: she is brilliant, capable, and easy-going. She can discern a winning campaign idea in record time, admit when she's hurting and needs support, and face any problem—or person—from her past head-on. She's me, only so much better.

The real me—anxious, hungry, and sleepless—looked much tougher than I felt as I walked to work. With my sunglasses on, and the shade cast onto the sidewalks from the tall buildings surrounding me, my view was a dark and shadowy one. When I reached my office building, businessmen carrying briefcases eyed me with appreciative gazes, making me feel ill at ease. Today, I just wanted to be invisible. To hide behind my cubicle walls. To deal with the day unobtrusively.

While waiting for the elevator, someone moved close beside me. My skin prickled and my breath caught as I smelled the familiar aftershave.

Edward.

Wearing a dark gray suit with an ice gray tie, his eyebrow raised as I glanced up at him. God, he was tall. The top of my head barely cleared his shoulder.

"Don't you look fierce," he murmured, sending my body temperature up a few notches.

"And you're wearing gray," I said. "As usual."

His lips curved. "You notice what I wear?"

I turned my head away. Shit, walked straight into that one.

All efforts to remain unnoticed are failing abysmally. She hasn't even arrived at her desk yet, and already she's stuck her foot in her mouth.

He leaned down. "Are you still all right? I mean, after last week?"

Was he really asking me about my breakdown? Even worse, did he think dealing with it gave him a free license now?

I frowned at the inconveniently still-closed elevator doors, sliding away from Edward, closer to the nearest person waiting in line. My nose wrinkled as a cloud of overpowering potpourri hit me; there must have been about fifteen of us standing there waiting, and everyone seemed to be wearing a scent.

Jesus God.

I slid back. Like an antsy idiot.

"I'm just checking in with you," Edward added softly. "Making sure you don't have any other questions or comments. The rest of last week was crazy busy, so I didn't get a chance to follow up with you." He lowered his voice further. "I want to know what you're thinking."

Coupled with the gaze in his eyes, his words calmed me down, making me feel a little foolish for jumping to the wrong conclusion. I had to give him credit; he was certainly trying to make nice.

"I'm fine," I answered. "You explained your reasons for saying what you did, and I still accept them. Thank you, um, for mentioning something to Riley. Working with him is much easier now."

There. That wasn't difficult. Thanking him hurt only a little.

But when I saw Edward's answering smile—and I could tell he tried not to at first—my unease dissolved into a sense of lightness. He had a disarming smile when he was genuinely happy.

I looked away quickly.

"I'm relieved you don't still think I'm the bad guy." His voice was warm, still holding a smile.

"I've never had a boss who cared so much about what I thought before," I noted as I studied the back of the man a few paces away, wondering if he was listening to us. "Are you this conscientious with all your employees?"

"Sometimes, if the situation warrants it," Edward murmured. "But maybe I'm a little more so with you, considering our history. I value you as an employee, Bella, and I don't want you to feel as if you've made a mistake coming to work for me."

I blinked. Damn, he was on a roll today.

"I don't," I admitted, and his smile was back in full force, so powerful I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling back.

"You can smile," he told me. "I don't think I've ever seen it before."

"That's because there was never anything to smile about around you," I said unthinkingly. As his face stiffened, I winced.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to say that and kill your good mood."

He bent close to whisper. "No, I realize I'm the heartless asshole who used to hurt you. I'm aware that I have some atoning to do."

Uh-oh, mayday.

I removed my sunglasses, pushing them to the top of my head, so he could see I wasn't bluffing as I whispered back.

"I didn't take this job to make you answer for the past. I took it in spite of you, and you know it. And I'm sorry again for bringing it up, but can we please not go there now?"

I saw the remorse in his expression. "You're right, this isn't the time."

He said it as if he assumed there would be a place and time, and even though I'd tentatively made up my mind to talk to him about the past, my pulse shot through the roof.

"During my interview, you said we'd behave like polite strangers. And later, that we'd be professional acquaintances," I reminded him.

His jaw flexed as he gave me a look of regret. "You said behaving like strangers was what you wanted, but I never agreed to it."

I looked up at him in confused outrage. "Semantics. You know I wouldn't have agreed to work here otherwise."

The elevator dinged, the doors finally sliding open.

Edward reached out and took my arm, pulling me a few feet away from the elevator and the people waiting to get into it. I was taken aback, both by his touch and by the imploring look on his face. He was stupidly beautiful when he looked like he was in pain.

"How am I supposed to show you who I am now if I'm not around you to do so?"

"I know you've changed. I've seen it; I'm not an idiot," I told him, seeing his expression relax. "But we're not operating on your timetable."

"The only time I see you is at work."

"Hah," I barked. "Not true. You seem to have a penchant for following me."

"Edward?"

Face tensing, his eyes closed briefly as he registered the voice behind him.

When I leaned around him, I saw Tanya, breathtaking in a cream trench coat dress, standing there with a look of confusion on her face. Jesus, was she wearing false eyelashes?

"Good morning," she said coolly.

Before I could answer, Edward turned around and placed his hand on my shoulder, ushering me forward. He was certainly handsy today, and I wasn't sure if I liked it.

"Good morning, Tanya," he said succinctly.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," she replied, visibly stung at his tone.

Edward didn't reply, and the tension was crushing. I wanted to disappear through the floor.

"You two looked deep in conversation," Tanya said to me, curiosity evident in her voice and on her face. And she hadn't wanted to interrupt?

Wow, she wasn't obvious at all, but couldn't she sense Edward's mood?

Aiming a quick glance up at his face, I saw he looked impassive. He was definitely trying to brush her off, and I felt sick witnessing it.

"Edward was giving me tips on how to handle difficult co-workers," I explained with a pained smile, feeling his gaze snap to me.

Abruptly, I realized it was the first time I'd ever said his name aloud in his presence, and flushed at his continued regard.

"Really?" she asked, glancing at him. "How odd. Is someone giving you a hard time?"

Was she really asking me such a thing? I let her question hang for a moment, but either she was oblivious, or just acted like it.

"No one I can't handle," I replied, then aimed a glare at Edward.

Stop. Staring.

As if he heard me, he looked away.

The next few minutes were excruciatingly silent as we waited for the elevator again, yet loud with every word not spoken. As Edward pulled out his phone, Tanya aimed another furtive glance his way. It made me wonder what people felt when it was just Edward and me, since Alice said the tension between us could be cut with a knife.

Because, well, the same could be said about him and Tanya. And it sure made for an uncomfortable situation.

Once the elevator doors slid open, Tanya moved in beside Edward. Tucking her hair behind her ear in a flirtatious manner, she whispered something to him I couldn't hear. Because she was nearly as tall as he was, she didn't have to lean far to reach his ear.

"Sorry, I can't. I'm too busy," he replied, his gaze settling on her only briefly, before it was back on his phone. Because I was watching them so closely, I saw Tanya deflate in response.

Then, her eyes swung my way. "How about you, Bella? Want to grab lunch with me today?"

The tone of voice she used was leading, as if she wanted to spurn Edward for turning her down.

"I . . ." Fuck, I'd rather starve, but she was looking at me. "Sure, why not?"

When Tanya smiled and bent her head to dig into her purse, Edward flashed me a what the hell kind of look.

"Your fault," I mouthed at him with a glare.

"Sorry," he mouthed back with a tiny smile, but his eyes were worried.

It made me wonder what he was worried about.

. . .

"Well, this is nice," Tanya said as we settled ourselves into a booth at Goodwin's. "Just you and me."

I smiled at her as I peeled the wax paper away from my turkey wrap. I had the distinct impression she didn't like me, yet there she was trying terribly to make nice with me.

It didn't make me feel queasy at all.

"I never get to go out to lunch with you girls. It seems like we're all on different schedules," Tanya said as she made a process of unfolding her napkin and placing it on her lap.

"I usually just eat at my desk," I replied.

Tanya gave me an odd look. "But I see you and Alice leave together at least once a week."

Who was she, the Smith and Devaney hall monitor? I knew she noticed Edward's comings and goings, but did she keep track of everyone else, too?

"We usually talk shop," I explained. "They're more like working lunches."

"Oh, are they?"

Yes, actually, but it was obvious she didn't believe me. And were we both going to keep second-guessing each other like this?

"That's a lovely outfit you're wearing today," I told her.

"It's Ann Everett," she said nasally, fingering one of the lapels.

I didn't know Ann Everett from Jane Doe, but figured she must be a big deal by the way Tanya pronounced her name.

"Chicago's not exactly known for high fashion," I noted. "I think it's more about baseball caps and khakis."

Tanya gave me a fake smile, then stabbed a salad olive and popped it into her mouth.

I picked up half of my sandwich and took a bite, but I wasn't hungry. This lunch was like walking barefoot across thumbtacks.

"Better be careful eating too much bread," she said while eyeing my wrap. "You don't want to gain weight."

My blood went cold. Considering my past when I was overweight, it was the worst thing she could have said. Although I often ate what I wanted, I made sure to work it off in the gym or at the pool.

"I figured out the trick of balancing food and fitness back in college. I'd get bored eating salads every day," I replied with a heavy glance at hers.

Tanya's eyes flew wide as if she just realized something, and she eyed what she could see of my body above the table. "I would never have guessed you'd been fat."

I gritted my teeth. How obnoxiously astute of her.

"Well, it's certainly given me compassion for others," I noted. "Haven't you ever noticed that appearances can be deceiving? I've found some of the most unattractive people have the best hearts, while some of the most beautiful people seem to have the worst attitudes. It's like they believe a perfect body and good looks can make up for all their shortcomings. It's sad, really."

The barb flew right over her head. "Oh, I know. More than a few of my girlfriends fit that definition."

As she launched into a diatribe about one of them, the food I ate sank like a rock to my stomach. It amazed me that one narcissist could be friends with another seeming narcissist; it appeared to be a recipe for disaster. And it was, to hear her talk about it.

I had nothing to say in response. I kept chewing.

"So, how do you like working here?" Tanya asked, surprising the hell out of me. "You seem to be flying through the ranks like a regular Effie the Expert."

It startled a laugh out of me. "Who's Effie?"

She waved a hand at me. "Stephenie. The person whose position you took. Effie was her nickname."

"She was an expert?"

"Well, she thought she was. She was never invited to a strategy meeting, though."

I sighed inwardly at her sharp tone and gaze. Apparently, Tanya still wanted to grind that ax.

"That was a one-time thing, I'm sure," I said.

"I'm not so sure," she replied immediately. "I've seen how Edward seems to favor you. In a room full of intelligent women with a longer company track record, it stands out."

At her pointed attack, my brain went blank for a few seconds.

She was so jealous. So obvious. And it would have been laughable, except for the odd look of despair on her face.

But was it true? Did Edward favor me?

Nooooo.

"He definitely doesn't favor me," I said firmly, hoping it wasn't true. "I'm just the new kid on the block. While I am good at what I do, I've had a few lucky breaks on the account I began with. That's all."

Her eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious. He's grooming you for a new Senior Account Manager's position."

Jesus, save me from butt-hurt, jealous coworkers.

"Well, this is certainly news to me. And you know this how?"

"Bella, you can't be this obtuse. Do you know how many times I've been inside his office? Never. And I've been here for over two years. You've been invited to his office twice now. Behind closed doors. What's that about, if not blatant favoritism?"

Not favoritism, I wanted to say. Both times Edward had essentially been calling me onto the carpet. The first time for behaving so angrily during the employee outing, and the second for thinking something was wrong about his behavior.

But her words also made me wonder if Tanya had invited me to lunch just to have this conversation with me. Maybe I was giving her too much credit, but it felt like she was punishing me because Edward had said no.

"I don't owe you any explanations, and I don't appreciate being grilled like this," I said, just barely maintaining my control. "And not that it's any of your business, but both times I was in his office had nothing to do with a new position title."

Her eyebrows arched in surprise.

"Well, what then?" she asked, as I slid my chair back to stand. "No, wait."

"I'm done," I said, gathering my uneaten lunch. Everything I said seemed to anger her more. "You'll have to keep jumping to conclusions on your own."

She glared up at me in confusion. "So, you're not interested in setting the record straight?"

I set my palm on the table and leaned across it. "What record? There's nothing to set straight. Nothing untoward has gone on. It was all work-related issues, which you don't need to be privy to. And if I were you, I would be wary of starting any rumors otherwise."

She dropped her fork with a clang. "Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a fact. Or don't you believe that I could report you to Human Resources as easily as you could me?"

She made a face and shook her head. "I wouldn't be reporting you," she scoffed.

An unexpected, protective instinct for Edward had me straightening. I thought she'd simply been hurt that he'd ignored her, and was envious of whoever claimed his attention, but now it seemed as if what she felt was ugly and went deeper.

Was it worth trying to reason with her?

"I don't think that would go too well for you, Tanya. Your accusations are unfounded. More than that, several people have noticed your fixation with Edward. It might seem as if you have a score to settle. Do you really want to jeopardize your job over a misunderstanding?"

Over your jealousy, I wanted to say.

"Well, so much for hoping we could be friends," she said, leaning back in her chair petulantly and crossing her legs.

I looked at her in surprise. If she was looking for a friend, she had absolutely no idea how to go about being one. It made me sad for her.

"I doubt that's possible right now, seeing as how we couldn't even get through lunch," I answered. "But I hope you've heard what I've been trying to say. I hope you don't want to stir up that kind of trouble."

She looked away from me to the side, avoiding my eyes, remaining noncommittal. I noticed the droop of her mouth, and how wide her eyes were. She seemed genuinely upset. Also surprised, as if our discussion had gotten out of control. Maybe she hadn't meant to reveal so much. Maybe she was just hoping I might have some insight about why she'd been passed over.

Which was absurd, as I had no clues about Edward's actions or decisions, but then, she didn't know my history with him.

But was she serious about wanting to report him? I was torn; did I stay and try to convince her otherwise, risking a chance that she would think I had a personal stake when I didn't, or should I just let it go?

As she continued her childlike stance of avoidance, I decided to let it go; she was shutting me out. But maybe I could throw her a bone.

"Tanya? I'm genuinely sorry you feel overlooked. My suggestion is to talk to Edward about it."

Her chin rose proudly as she glanced at me and gave me a tiny nod.

Not really sure what to do then, other than the fact that I didn't want to throw more gas onto the fire, I left. My mind was whirling with Tanya's hurt and anger, and the idea that she might do something reckless purely out of spite. It astonished me that she might risk her job that way. That she would try to jeopardize Edward's.

When I got back upstairs to my desk, Alice gave me a comical look of apprehension from her chair.

"How did your little lunch go?"

The last twenty minutes filtered through my brain like a horror movie in fast-forward, and I winced. "Let's just say, Tanya and I solidified our stance as frenemies."

Alice bent her head over her desk, her shoulders shaking as she laughed silently.

Before I sat, I aimed a quick glance at Edward's office across the room. He had the blinds drawn against the midday sun, and was focused on his computer. But as if he felt my gaze, his face turned and our eyes met. His expression was openly curious.

Shaking my head sparingly, I turned away.

If I was out for revenge or just to be petty, I could have kept Tanya's outburst to myself. I could have let Edward find out the hard way that one of his employees felt overlooked. As it was, I couldn't, in good conscience, let it go. There was something that told me he needed to be warned.

So, I sent him a private Teams message.

Tanya is considering reporting you to HR. She is still resentful that the new kid was invited to a strategy meeting, and believes you favor me because I've been in your office behind closed doors. It appears you should be more conscientious with her as well.

He read it almost immediately, but it was a few minutes before he replied.

Thank you, Bella.

I wanted to turn around, to look his way again to see how he was taking the news, but I didn't dare. Too much staring could be noticed and misconstrued. Alice had already said I sometimes mooned at him, and God knew, I didn't want to be regarded by my coworkers as someone else with an Edward fixation.

I shuddered in horror.

Then, I deleted the message.