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Let Him Go

By LuAnn K. Edwards

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Blake Conner stood inside our office suite and near my desk when I arrived on Monday morning—our first day back in the office after a business trip together. A lovely mixed bouquet in a clear glass vase sat on my desk.

“They’re beautiful.” I bent to smell them, straightened, and whispered. “Should you have sent these to me here? I thought we were going to keep our new friendship quiet?”

He frowned. “They’re not from me. They were on your desk when I arrived.” He sounded frustrated. “I’d give you roses.” He crossed his arms. “Maybe they’re from Wes. I’ve expected as much.”

I stepped over to our office suite door and closed it. “Wes is not your concern. I worked with him in the IT Department, and now we eat lunch together on occasion. That’s all.” Blake accused me of spending too much time with Wes in the past. I resented him bringing the topic up yet again. I shook my head. “Leave him out of this. They’re not from him.”

Blake’s eyes narrowed. “How many other admirers do you have?”

I responded in an irritated tone. “Perhaps I should open the card to find out.”

I grabbed the note from its holder and read to myself. “Keedryn, would you agree to double with Jenny and her husband?” At the bottom, the man included his cell number.

Careful not to react in front of Blake, I showed no emotion and said, “They’re from a man my daughter knows from her church.”

Blake took a step closer, his tone filled with displeasure. “You dating him?”

“I only met him once—at Jenny’s on my birthday a couple of months ago.” I pressed my lips together and tried not to smile. But looking at Blake and seeing him watching and waiting for my reaction was rather humorous. “I need to run downstairs and talk to Tauni about your presentation.”

I reviewed Blake’s PowerPoint slides before we left on our business trip to Albuquerque. He wanted another pair of eyes and called upon Tauni Fisher—an administrative assistant. But when Blake presented at the healthcare conference, he found his slides had been tampered with.

His mouth twitched. “What does the card say?”

I tapped my foot and crossed my arms. “Nothing important.”

“Right. Not with that smirk on your face.”

“He asked me out.” I handed the card to Blake. “Here. Take it.”

“Are you going on a date with him?” He flipped the card from front to back.

I sighed. “I’m not interested.” I walked behind my desk and placed my purse in my bottom drawer. I hurried past Blake, still staring at the card, and zipped out into the hallway.

Tauni greeted me with a smile. I stood inside her dull, gray cubicle and scanned the photos tacked on her wall. One was of her with her new boyfriend. She said the others were family members.

She asked me about the conference and congratulated me on my new promotion. I would soon become Boden Combs Healthcare’s new Admin Services Manager.

Tauni stood and hugged me. “I’ve applied for your current executive assistant position.” She pulled her long, blonde curls behind her ears. “I hope I have a chance.”

“I need to ask you something.” I lowered my voice. “The slides you reviewed for Blake the day before we left—did anyone else have access to them?”

“I don’t remember anything like that.” She peered toward the door that led to the hallway. “Wait. Wes stopped by to chat on his way out that afternoon, and he asked whose PowerPoint I was reviewing.”

“Wes? Did he ask anything else concerning it?”

“After I told him the presentation was for Blake, he said ‘goodbye’ and left.”

“Did you ever leave your desk while the PowerPoint was open?”

She fiddled with her necklace. “Yes, when Miranda Franks came by.”

“Why did someone from HR stop by?”

“She wanted to know which department managers planned to attend the holiday party this year.” Tauni shifted her weight to the opposite leg. “She asked me to check right then and there.”

“Odd she didn’t walk back and ask your manager herself,” I said.

“I thought that too.”

“How long were you gone?”

“Maybe a couple of minutes.” She tilted her head. “Why? What happened?”

“Blake’s presentation didn’t run smoothly.”

“Does he think I did something to it?” Tauni twisted a strand of her hair around her finger. “I didn’t change anything. Everything looked perfect to me.”

“I assured Blake you wouldn’t sabotage him or his presentation.”

We discussed how long it took her to read through the slides and what time she completed her review.

Tauni slumped into her chair. “Will this ruin my chance for the executive assistant position?”

“No,” I said, smiling. “I think you’re good.”

“Do you suppose Wes was jealous of you going with Blake to New Mexico?”

Oh, not the accusations about Wes again. In a firm tone, I said, “Wes and I are just friends.”

“Couldn’t be Miranda. What would she gain?” Tauni picked up a piece of paper from her desk, tore it in half, and tossed it into the trash. “Blake will think I messed up.”

I touched her shoulder. “Blake and I will figure everything out. I’ve got to run. I’ll see you later, and don’t worry about this.”

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