She understood the limits. She understood the lines. Yes, they’dboth crossed them, Spencer with regard to her engagement, Rebecca with regardto her job. They’d both made the same mistake. But they’d talked about it. Sortof. They’d agreed that they’d like to be friends. And while Rebecca couldn’tspeak for Spencer, she did know that she enjoyed Spencer’s company more andmore, and she didn’t think she should feel bad about that, as Nick seemed tothink.
Laundry folded and put away, Rebecca pulled out her laptop and satdown on the couch, determined to catch up on some of the fitness reading shedid every Sunday evening. Notebook by her side, she’d jot down interestingthings she learned and how they could benefit which clients.
At the very least, it would take her mind off her conversationwith Nick. Off Spencer.
Until tomorrow, anyway.
Chapter Sixteen
“Have a good day.” Marti kissed the top of Spencer’s head as shewalked past her in the kitchen.
“You, too. See you tonight.” Spencer sat parked along thebreakfast bar, working on her laptop and sipping her coffee. She watched asMarti left, looking ridiculously entrepreneurial in her new charcoal gray suit.Spencer would be spending the evening with Marti at a nice restaurant with someof her work friends, as Marti had new clients to wine and dine. Her role ofpartner was demanding, but she seemed to be loving it. It was something she’dworked hard for; Spencer knew that, and she was proud of Marti.
Only one more class to get through this week. She’d managed bothMonday and Wednesday without too much personal contact with Rebecca. Which wasn’teasy. Sunday had been a bit of a wake-up call for Spencer. When the reality ofhow much she’d enjoyed spending time with Rebecca, of how much she’d haverather stayed on the barstool next to her than do just about any other thing inthe world, hit her, it hit her hard. Friends was one thing. Being friends withRebecca was fine. Perfectly acceptable. But being really close friends could bedangerous.
“Carefulthere…”
Mary Beth’s warning on Sunday night echoed through her head. Aftershe’d stopped at her parents and spent a little time with them, she’d calledMary Beth from the car on her way home, told her where she’d been that day.
“Carefulthere…”
It was all she’d said about it, but those two words weighed atonas they settled onSpencer’s shoulders. They’d stayed with her the rest of Sunday and into theweek. She’d gone to class. She’d enjoyed it, but every time she and Rebeccamade eye contact, every time Rebecca smiled at her, Spencer heard it.
“Carefulthere…”
She’d avoided spending any alone time with Rebecca all week andinstead, had focused on paying more attention to Marti, who barely seemed tonotice.
Spencer was starting to feel adrift. Nothing to hold on to. Noidea which direction would lead her where. Alone and lonely.
Thatwas it, and the realization was like a slap.
She was lonely.
In her relationship. In her life. She was lonely. And sherecognized now that she’d felt that way for a very long time, but hadn’t evenbeen able to put a name to it, to verbalize it.
She took a sip of coffee, but it burned like acid as it floweddown her throat, so she tossed the rest of it into the sink, gathered herthings, and headed for work. She needed other things to take her focus becausethis kind of thinking wasn’t helping her at all.
It wasn’t unusual for Spencer to be the first one in the office,and today was no exception. Realtors worked crazy hours, worse than retail, andhad to be at the beck and call of their clients. That meant their evenings andweekends were often marred by work. That also meant that very few of them werein by nine in the morning.
Spencer was okay with that. She enjoyed having the place toherself. It wasn’t a big office, but she sort of felt like it was her domain.The Realtors worked outside, at houses and condos, but the office? The officebelonged to Spencer. She took her time getting her things organized, checkingthe general email box, jotting down or forwarding any messages for therequested agents. She opened the miniblinds and watered the plants she’d addedhere and there to give the place a warm and inviting feel. Most importantly,she replenished the supplies around the Keurig. Her agents dranka lotof coffee.
She’d just doctored up her own cup when Jennifer arrived,consistently the first one there after Spencer.
“Good morning, Ms. Thompson,” Jennifer said, with a big smile.
“Hey,” Spencer said as they passed. She took a seat back at herdesk.
Jennifer put her purse into her bottom desk drawer, then went tothe coffee station and popped a pod into it. As she waited, she stared atSpencer, who could feel it.
With an audible sigh, she looked up from her computer. “What?” shesaid, staring back at Jennifer. “Why are you looking at me?”
The Keurig beeped and Jennifer poured powdered creamer into hercup, stirred it as she approached Spencer’s desk. She pulled up a chair and satat the end so she could cross her legs and stare some more. “You going to tellme what’s been bothering you?”
Goddamn it.She could never keep anything from Jennifer. Still, she tried. “What do youmean?”
“Seriously?” Jennifer simply cocked her head and said, “Why do youeven try?”
“I don’t know,” Spencer said, and dropped her head in defeat.Jennifer was a wizard at reading her and her moods. “Why aren’t you apsychologist or something?”
