Cruel Heart

PART 9

"Tell me it's true!" Kallie squealed.

Mia jolted back against the fridge. Damn. She'd been avoiding Kallie all day only to be cornered in the office break room.

Mia's cheeks burned. "Um, what?" she asked. Even though she was fairly confident she knew exactly what Kallie was talking about.

Harlan plus Mia equaled a date. Waves of anxiety washed over her stomach, churning her insides like butter.

Kallie rolled her eyes with a 'get real' glare swimming in her stare. "You know," she affirmed.

She tossed back her rope of hair over her shoulder. Her braid was so tight Mia could see the women's scalp.

Mia slid out of Kallie's path. She took a step back out of the break room, nursing her coffee that had to be lukewarm by now.

Kallie's gossip already almost cost Mia's chance with Harlan. She didn't want to fall into another web of her rumors and blatant lies. Especially with the date right around the corner.

She'd be out of the building and on a date with Harlan in less than 20 minutes!

"Really, Kallie," Mia began. "Let's just drop it." Oof. Mia frowned. Did that sound bitchy? She didn't mean to sound bitchy. In fact, she quite liked Kallie-- most of the time, at least.

But she couldn't handle anymore Harlan gossip unless it was coming from Harlan himself.

Kallie giggled. "Drop it? But you're going out with Harlan Veers!" she shrieked.

Mia's hand flew up to cover Kallie's mouth. "Christ! Do you want the entire office to know?" Mia shushed. Although, if Kallie knew, then it was safe to say not only the entire office knew, but so did the entire building.

Damn.

So much for keeping it on the down low.

"It's just..." Mia trailed off as she took a quick scan around the break room. Double checking no one had walked in. Her shoulders sagged. There was no use in denying it now. "It's just a date, okay?" she admitted softly. "It's really not that big of a deal."

Kallie's jaw dropped. Like in a cartoon when their eyes double in size and their mouth hangs open like a door with rusty hinges."Not a big deal?" she echoed incredulously. "It's Harlan Veers!"

Mia shushed her. Again. "I know who it is, Kallie. And can you stop calling him by his full name? Weirds me out," she added.

Kallie's smile grew tenfold. "You gotta tell me how the sex is. With that body?" Kallie's eyes rolled back with a shoulder shimmy. "Oh, he must fuck like a God!" she exclaimed.

Mia's eyes bulged. "Kallie!" She wasn't a prude. But talking about having sex with her boss in the middle of the office wasn't exactly employee of the month material.

"It's a first date. Just dinner," she assured. She was already nervous. She didn't need any lingering images of sex with Harlan rattling in the back of her head.

Kallie winked. "Oh I'm sure."

"Bye, Kallie." Mia bid her a farewell before starting for the door.

"Wait!" Mia jumped as Kallie ran forward, blocking the break room's entrance.

Mia sighed. Her coffee would be cold by now. "What?"

Kallie lowered her voice. Which was pointless considering she'd just screamed about Harlan fucking like a God. "What about Lake?" Kallie asked.

Mia blinked. She hadn't expected to hear Lake's name ever again. She shook her head, trying to understand. "What about him?" For all she cared, he was dead. He had stolen enough years of her life already. Four to be exact. She refused to let him take anymore. Gigi included.