Elude [H.S.]

THREE

A couple of weeks have passed since the charity dinner and there haven't been anymore work events - including ones held at Conrad's residence.

At work, the Monday after the dinner, Greyson asked to grab lunch with me at the deli down the street.

"Admit it, you like her," he teases me as he chows down on his Italian sub.

I scoff and shake my head, taking a sip of my sparkling water. "You're delusional, Greyson. I don't even hardly know her. How could I like her?"

Greyson rolls his eyes, wiping the corners of his mouth with his napkin. "Okay, sure. You're so full of shit, Harry."

I grab the little bit of sandwich bread I have left over from my meal and start to pick it apart, staring down at my hands.

"I just...I feel the need to be kind to her. To be there to reassure her when he says something that completely puts her down."

Hesitantly, I look up and meet Greyson's eyes again and I can see he's taken a pause in his chewing, a little taken back by what I've said.

"Oh fuck. You really do like her," he gasps after swallowing his food.

"Can you please stop saying that?" I groan, closing my eyes and rolling my head back on my shoulders.

"I'm only saying it because it's the truth. But c'mon, Harry. She's engaged. To your boss. An intimidating boss at that. You need to get your head out of the clouds before you make a mistake and ruin your career."

"But don't you and Lynette want different for her?" I question. "I'm not saying that's what she's going to get with me but wouldn't you rather see her with someone who makes her feel good about herself than someone who belittles her all the time?"

Greyson sighs and drops his crumbled up napkin onto his empty paper plate. "Of course we do. I can't tell you how many times I've sat with Lynette and held her as she's cried to me about her friend. How much she wants to help her. But there's only so much us outsiders can do. Maeve has to want that change herself and she's never once lead Lynette and I to believe that's something she wants."

"You mentioned someone said something to Lynette after the dinner at Conrad's. Maeve was talking to her about me, wasn't she?"

"She was, yeah," Greyson responds, fiddling with the watch strapped onto his wrist. "Said you were polite. That she enjoyed getting away from everyone else and sitting with you in the garden. Lynette was surprised to hear it and she did say that Maeve got all lovey eyed when talking about you but that was it. She hasn't mentioned you since."