Chapter 60

Icould still smell her in my bed. Last night, I had to sleep alone, but soon, I hoped that would change. I wasn't sure how long we would have to do the pretend thing in front of Sloane, but I hoped I could sneak into her room after Sloane was asleep. Or vice versa. If nothing else living together would provide more opportunities for us to sneak in some quality time.

Her plan would work. And I was kind of looking forward to a restart on our relationship. We got to flirt and pretend it was all innocent. Sloane would see the relationship spark to life and blossom into something beautiful.

And I remembered how thrilling it had been in the beginning—our stolen glances that turned into lingering looks, small gestures of kindness that slowly became deliberate acts of love. We had been teenagers back then, but I still remembered every detail.

I got up and showered, put on a suit and got ready for another day at the office without Isadora.

I pulled out my phone and quickly typed out a quick message to her, wishing her good luck on her first day at her new job. It was a small gesture, but I hoped it would let her know that I was thinking of her. It sucked that she wasn't working with me anymore, but I had to let her do her thing. She wanted to spread her wings and fly. I just had to be the guy supporting her from afar.

She replied to my text with a heart emoji.

I went to the office, meeting Spencer for coffee like I always did. I found myself absentmindedly stirring my cup. I kept looking toward the doors as if she would come in.

"It still feels weird not having Isadora around," I admitted.

"You sound lovesick," he said.

"I am," I sighed. "I want to be with her right now. I always want to be around her."

"How is the house situation coming along?"

"Good," I said, nodding. "Things are moving fast. I got an email from the realtor this morning. It's going to close sooner than we thought."

"And how are you going to handle living with the woman you want but can't have?"

"Very carefully." I laughed.

"Any chance you'll get Isadora to come back to work for you?"

"No." I shook my head. "I doubt it. I think that's probably for the best. I think me being her boss, roommate, and secret boyfriend might be a little much. But it sucks that she's not here."

Spencer nodded in agreement. "She was a great addition to the team."

"Now, I have to find an assistant."

"Do you have interviews set up?"

I nodded. "Today. The thought of finding someone new to fill her shoes is daunting. I don't think there will ever be another person that will be as good as she is."

Spencer chuckled, shaking his head. "Such a hopeless romantic you've become."

"I've always been a hopeless romantic when it comes to Isadora," I admitted.

He clapped my shoulder in a friendly gesture, standing from the table. "Good luck with those interviews, man. You're going to need it. Try not to fall in love with your next assistant, too."

I watched him leave, contemplating my coffee for a long moment before tossing back the rest of it and heading for the office. For better or worse, I had a slew of interviews to conduct and a company to run.

The interviews were more exhausting than I'd anticipated. Each candidate seemed less suited to fill the gaping hole Isadora left than the last. None of them seemed to measure up to the standard she had set. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Spencer appeared in my office doorway. "Since you no longer have a standing date for lunch, I was thinking I could be your date."

"You're not my type."

He chuckled. "I'm everyone's type. Come on, it's pork tacos today. Let's eat."

"Fine," I sighed. "I need to eat before I have to do another interview."

We ordered tacos from the stand in the lobby of our building. We sat down at one of the tables, Spencer started on his food with gusto while I found myself poking at mine. I took a small bite, not really feeling it.

"Are there any potential replacements yet?" he asked.

"Nope. Not even someone I could see myself training to be her replacement. They lack… everything."

"Hey, you're not going to find an Isadora clone in a day," Spencer said.

"I'm not looking for a clone."

"You're comparing every candidate to Isadora. It's not fair, you know? She was way overqualified for that job."

"I know," I sighed.

We discussed the candidates I had interviewed so far, but my mind was elsewhere. He seemed to notice as well.

"What's with you?" I asked.

"I'm fine," he replied with a forced smile, but his words lacked conviction.

"No, you aren't. What's up?"

"I'm being left behind," he said.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm sitting here watching the rest of you find love while I remain single," he said.

"It's not like that."

"It's like I'm the last one standing," he admitted. "I want what you and Isadora have, what you all have found. You guys have great home lives and I'm still the guy playing the field."

"You'll find it, Spencer. If we can all stumble upon it, you can too. You just have to keep looking, keep believing that it's out there for you. The right one is going to stumble into your life."

"Yeah, I suppose." He tried to smile, shrugging nonchalantly. "Maybe she's in one of your interviews today. Imagine the look on your face if I swoop in and sweep her off her feet."

"I don't think so."

"Hey, it could happen." He chuckled.

"Don't you dare. I don't want to lose another assistant. And I don't want my assistant hooking up with you when she's supposed to be doing my work."

Spencer's laughter echoed around the lunchroom. "Maybe I should help you conduct the interviews."

"No, thanks."

"You can't replace Isadora. But you can find someone who can help you keep things running smoothly. Maybe even someone who'll bring something new to the table. Just keep an open mind."

"I'll try," I said, finishing my taco and standing up. "I'd better get back to it."

The final interview of the day proved to be a breath of fresh air. The candidate, a highly recommended individual, exuded confidence and competence, impressing me with his knowledge and experience. I liked the idea of a guy assistant. Isadora would never have to worry about anything happening. I didn't want her to get suspicious if I was working late.

By the end of the interview, I knew that I had found the right person for the job. Without hesitation, I extended an offer of employment, feeling relief as we finalized the details.

He shook my hand. "Thank you. I promise, I won't let you down."

"I hope not," I said. "You're filling some pretty big shoes."

At the end of the day, I called Isadora. I wanted to check in with her to see how her day was going.

"Hi," I greeted as soon as she picked up. "Are you on your way to get Sloane?"

"I am." She nodded.

"I was thinking I could bring dinner over tonight? Chinese food, your favorite. What do you say?"

"I'd like that," she said, sounding tired. "I can blame you for the takeout and Sloane won't make fun of me for not cooking."

"It was your first day," I said. "You're allowed a little leeway. So how was it?"

"I'll tell you all about it when you get to my place," she replied. "I'm at the school. I'll let Sloane know you're coming over. She'll be thrilled."

"I can't wait," I replied. "I'll see you both soon."

Spencer walked into my office not long after. "Did you find someone?" he asked.

"I did." I nodded, looking up from my desk. "He'll be starting in a couple of days."

"Oh, a he?" Spencer raised an eyebrow. "Never thought I'd see the day where you'd hire a man."

"Well, things change," I replied. "Plus, his qualifications were phenomenal. I think he'll make a fine assistant. And you won't be sneaking off with him."

Spencer nodded, looking thoughtful. "Good for you. And good for him."

"Thanks." I smiled.

"How about dinner?" Spencer asked after a pause.

I chuckled. "Another time, Spencer. I'm going to Isadora's. I want to find out how her first day went at the new job."

He snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure that's all you want."

"Stop."

"Hey, it's cool, go off and be happy. I'll just be sitting here all alone."

"You can get twenty dates," I told him.

"I date all the time," he said. "But none of them are worth dating a second time."

"Then stop picking up random women at the bar that are only going to be one-night stands. You look at a woman and think of the many different ways you can have sex with her."

He snorted. "Duh."

"But you don't put in enough effort to build anything meaningful with any of them," I finished, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest.

Spencer scoffed, crossing his own arms defensively. "I'm not you. I don't want a fairy tale romance or whatever it is you have going on with Isadora."

"You just said we were all settling down and you were left alone."

"I know, but honestly, I'm not sure I'm cut out for the domesticated thing."

"Maybe you should try it," I suggested, standing up and pushing my chair away from the desk. "It might do you some good."

Spencer simply rolled his eyes but didn't respond otherwise. "Yeah, I don't know. Part of me wants to settle down, but then I think about never having another woman again. Variety is the spice of life."

I shrugged, patting him on the shoulder sympathetically. "Spencer, the right woman could be more than enough for you. You just haven't met her yet. Trust me, I'm not complaining about only being with Isadora for the rest of my days."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe you're right." He stared at me for a moment before shaking his head with a chuckle. "I can't believe I'm getting relationship advice from you."

"Well, I did just hire a male assistant," I retorted, smirking as I grabbed my coat off the back of my chair. "That's progress. Isadora is never going to have to wonder what I'm doing."

"Yeah, yeah," Spencer grumbled as he turned toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

I quickly placed the order for our dinner and then left the office. I couldn't wait to see Isadora. I was going to find a way to sneak at least one kiss, if not more.