Heads or Tails

Chapter 21

The subway ride to the office the following day is weird. I want to feel excited and eager to return to work, but I feel nervous and unsure. I may be unable to avoid seeing Ben for the first time since Costa Rica.

Because of this, I put extra effort into my appearance by curling my hair and applying extra mascara. I also dress sexier than usual but still business casual: dark skinny jeans, a fitted rose-coloured blazer and nude pumps. I need to feel confident and unstoppable, but I'm worried seeing Ben will make my insides crumble.

That's why I devised a plan to avoid him. I am not ready to mix personal with business.

If my timing is right, my plan is foolproof. Every morning before work, Ben and I grab a coffee at Overflow Coffee Bar around 8:30 a.m. Ben won't be there if I make coffee at home and show up at the office around 8:00 a.m. If he follows our routine (which I'm sure he will because he is a creature of habit), he will arrive at the office shortly after 9:00 a.m. I will have one hour to quickly scan my files and then leave the office to attend client appointments. But if he does show up to the office before 9:00 a.m. I will look fabulous enough to remind him of what he left behind.

When I arrive at the office, I am greeted by Millie, a cute redhead with a bad case of freckles. She's the receptionist. As I approach her desk, she bends down to power on her computer.

"Hey, Megan," she waves. "I hear congratulations are in order. You snagged a Gold Coast listing."

"Thanks. Yeah. Apparently, I did."

"Jake told me Oprah is the client selling the property," she smiles. "How cool is that? You are going to be to meet Oprah."

I nod, trying to suppress my laughter. Mille is very gullible and subject to many pranks by Jake (a fellow realtor). Oprah is not my client on this property.

"How come you're here so early?" she asks.

"I have a lot of work to catch up on."

I walk forward and open the door to rows and rows of cubicles.

She nods, smiling. "Cool. Enjoy your day. Welcome back, Megan."

The office is quiet and relatively empty except for a few random employees.

But in less than an hour, employees will pack this office, phones will ring, and keyboards will click. I missed work- like a lot. Even with Ben's cubicle only two away from mine, this place is home to me.

I sit on my chair and place my cell phone on my desk.

Just as Emily promised, files are piled high beside my laptop. On top of the files, a yellow sticky note catches my attention. I notice Ben's familiar handwriting right away.

WE NEED TO TALK. PLEASE CALL ME.

I crumple the sticky note and toss it into the nearby garbage can. I can't believe this is how he decided to reach out to me. Why didn't he call or text me instead? Hell, he could have stopped by my place at any time. Instead, he writes me a sticky note at work and places it on my desk. What the hell? I am not the one who left on an early flight without a goodbye.

"Look who's here." I hear my boss, Clint Reitman, Owner of Reitman Realty LLC, say from behind me. He's a boisterous middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and a long nose.

I turn around to face him. "Good morning."

"How's my favourite realtor feeling today?" he asks, eyes narrowed. "Tell me you already contacted Ms. Dorothy van den Berg."

"I'm feeling much better, thank you," I say, stopping. "Who is Ms. Dorothy van den Berg?"

Clint frowns. "Your client. She's selling 1502 North Dearborn Parkway."