I nodded.
Just before I walked out of his office, he added, “I’d like to keep communications through the proper chain of command in the future. I spoke to Chase about it as well this morning.”
I nodded again.
Although I thought it unnecessary, I couldn’t blame him for feeling the way he did. And I was curious at how his conversation with Chase had gone this morning. Normally, I heard or saw Chase around the office a few times during the day. But his blinds and door had been closed whenever I passed by today. His absence was noticeable, and by the time the end of the day rolled around, it had started to make me feel anxious.
I waited until after the office began to empty out—after Josh, specifically, had left for the day—before making another trip down the boss’s hall. Just as I rounded the corner, Chase’s door opened, and he walked out with a woman. I’d never seen her in the office before. She was attractive, with blonde hair pulled back in a neat ponytail that worked with her business-casual look. They shook hands, and I assumed it had been some sort of a business meeting…until she put her other hand on top of their joined hands. It was a small, yet intimate gesture. She said something I couldn’t hear, and I suddenly felt like I was intruding as I walked up to them, but I couldn’t very well back up.
They both looked over at me, realizing in unison that someone else was in the hallway. My heart started to beat a little faster.
“Hi…umm…I thought I’d stop by before I left since I haven’t seen you all day.”
The woman looked back and forth between the two of us. “I better run anyway. It was good to see you, again.”
Chase nodded.
Oddly, I felt even more uncomfortable after the woman left. Yet in my internal battle between uncomfortable and curious, curiosity won out.
“Who was that?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
Instead of answering my question, Chase spoke curtly. “I have a lot of work to get back to.”
My uneasiness grew. “Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then? I guess?”
He didn’t look at me as he nodded, and I jumped at the sound of his office door slamming behind him. What the hell is going on?
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that whatever it was, I was about to get hurt.
Chapter 29
Reese
Chase didn’t show up at work the next day. My uneasiness had worked its way into an overall sinking feeling, and my stomach was upset because I knew something had changed. I had no idea if it had something to do with the woman coming out of Chase’s office last night, or maybe with the reaction Josh had had to our couple-status news, but my anxiety over the unknown was killing me.
There had been no response to my text checking in on him either. Even though my phone was set to make a sound whenever a new text arrived, I found myself checking it every two minutes.
I was fast losing the little focus I’d brought with me to work. A tiny voice in my head whispered, See? This is what you get for having an affair at the office. Don’t you ever learn your lesson?
I tried to ignore it. Toward the end of the day, I stopped by Chase’s secretary’s desk and attempted to sound casual. “Do you know when the boss will be back?”
“He didn’t say. Just received a one-line email saying he wouldn’t be in.” Her brows drew together, and she shrugged. “Not really like him.”
I stayed at the office until after seven. Still not hearing anything from Chase, I picked up the phone and called before I left. Voicemail answered on the first ring. Moving from anxious to worried, I sent another text. The second one never even showed delivered. Whatever was going on, his phone was off, and he didn’t want to be reached. I struggled with what to do next.
Show up at his house unannounced? We were in a relationship; it was normal for me to be concerned that I hadn’t heard from him, right?
Then again, if he’d wanted to hear from me, I would have spoken to him by now. Unlike him, I was exactly where I was supposed to be. And completely accessible in any number of ways—text, voice, email, office phone. He could certainly reach me.
Unless.
Unless something was wrong.
Oh my God. Something was wrong.
What the hell was I doing sitting in the office?
Practically sprinting to the subway, I hopped on the first train and traveled uptown. I rang the bell, but Chase’s brownstone was dark. The mail hadn’t been taken in for a day…maybe even two. Not knowing what else to do, I reluctantly went home after a while. First thing in the morning, I’d go see Sam if I still hadn’t heard from him.