Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 15 - Hypergamy

May 3, 2024

Friday

Dear diary,

Let me tell you about my day.
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[1/3]

Yesterday, just before our flight, Taj asked Emily if she could cover a shift today because a couple of our colleagues had fallen ill, leaving a gap in the schedule. Of course, Emily agreed—after all, our colleagues would have done the same for her if she were sick. That's just the vibe at Huntsman; we look out for each other like family.

Feeling solidarity for my best friend, I decided to join her at work. I didn't have to be there, but what else was I going to do with my free time? William has his own commitments today, and I hadn't yet heard from Bri about her being back in London. Since I do not have other friends here, my options were limited. Besides, I don't mind working, and it is a good opportunity to get ahead of next week's workload, since it all piled up with me being away for a couple of days.

When I walked into the office, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of Taj behind his desk. I hadn't mentioned to him that I was coming in, so his surprise was a pleasant one. A wide grin spread across his face as he saw me. "Maddie!" he exclaimed, standing up to give me one of his famous hugs—those hugs that make you feel safe and secure. "I didn't know you were coming in today."

"Yeah, I had some free time and thought, why not spend it productively by annoying my boss?" I joked as I hugged him back. God, I missed him. He's such a stable presence in my life that it's strange when I don't see him for a few days.

"You never irritate me, you know that," he said, releasing me from his hug and looking down at me with a smile. "You look good. Healthy and well-rested."

I chuckled, shaking my head in amusement. "That's probably thanks to all the sunshine I've been soaking up."

"Whatever the reason, you look good, kid," he complimented, heading over to our little tea corner to prepare a cup for me. "So, how was it?" he asked over his shoulder while hanging a tea bag into my mug.

"Thanks," I said as he handed me the steaming mug. "It was great. Brianna booked us this amazing hotel. It was so beautiful and fancy, it'll be a big adjustment going back to all-inclusive hotels," I joked, though it was partly true. The hotel was so spectacular that now I felt spoiled for life.

He laughed heartily. "Don't tell Grace about the hotel, then. She's been begging me to go on a 'babytrip'—or whatever she calls it—to Sicily. Ever since she heard you girls went there, she hasn't stopped talking about it."

I rolled my eyes, amused. "It's called a babymoon, and I'm definitely going to call her and tell her about it. She's about to give birth to a human being, so she deserves something nice and relaxing." Grace is amazing, and she deserves the world. Not that Taj isn't great, but he's not the one cooking some new life inside him.

He narrowed his eyes at me playfully. "I thought you were on my side."

I shook my head, waiting for my laptop to fire up. "You lost the 'best buddy' card when you introduced me to Grace."

"Lovely," he said, rolling his eyes. "Another person who thinks my other half—"

"Your better half, you mean," I interrupted, enjoying the banter.

"Alright, alright," he conceded, waving the topic off. "We're getting off track. How are you feeling? Did those couple of days do you good, mentally I mean?"