Sunrise Cabin. Stacey Donovan

      In his office, Dylan finished booking his next upcoming trip to a conference in New York. Out on a Monday, back on a Thursday morning. He wasn’t looking forward to it. Hours of meetings. Awkward conversations with strangers. And delivering a presentation about how Hammersmith Capital was basically the most incredible firm on the planet. At least it was only a two-day conference, though after that he’d be meeting with a prospective client.

      He closed the laptop and shoved it into his bag. It was five-forty-five, and he had to slink out without looking like he was slinking. That was the only way he could make it to Dee’s party on time after buying her cupcakes at the grocery store.

      They’d probably be a lot cheaper than the cupcakes he’d bought for Paige. He’d surprised himself by doing that. He wasn’t in the habit of making random generous gestures. It had been for a good cause, he told himself. And seeing her blush had been a reward.

      Where did she live? Where had she gotten that sunny attitude of hers? What was she writing in that journal?

      It had been a random encounter at a coffee shop. That was all. He needed to get out more.

      And he needed to get out now. The first half of his route held no danger: the kitchen was on his way, and anyone might believe he was on his way for yet another cup of coffee.

      Brian Walker, whose cubicle was right by Dylan’s office, looked up. He was the new hire—or newer hire. He’d been hired a few months ago, and on his first day, he’d filled his cubicle with pictures of his family and friends. That had struck Dylan as soft and sentimental, but he’d dismissed it with a mental shrug. To each his own.

      Dylan hadn’t as much as said hello to the guy in three days, so he said, “Hey Brian, how’s it going?”

      Brian sighed. “Not great. I think this girl I went out with is avoiding me.”

      Seriously? In what world was How’s it going? an invitation to tell someone, a coworker no less, how it was really going? Someone needed to explain this to him. But Dylan didn’t have time to go into the finer points of what passed for social interaction at Hammersmith Capital. “Sorry to hear that,” he said lightly. “Hope she comes around.” He started to move on.

      “I don’t know,” Brian said, completely missing his cue to stop talking. “I should call her and ask what’s up, right? Are we a thing or not a thing?”

      Dylan could think of no reasonable way to get out of the conversation. “I wouldn’t do that.” It sounded needy. In any relationship, business or otherwise, the person who cared more had less of the power. “You don’t want to be too nice. I’d wait for her to call.”

      “Yeah, maybe.” Brian looked unconvinced.

      “Well, good luck.” Dylan continued toward the exit before the guy could say anything else. He passed his coworker Josh’s office, where Kyle stood talking to Josh. “Did you see the look on his face? I thought he was going to cry.” Both men laughed. Kyle caught Dylan’s eye and Dylan automatically smiled, as if he’d be in on the joke if he had the time.

      “Hey Cain,” Kyle said, coming over to the office door. “Got your email about Wakefield Properties. Why do you think that tax break is going away?”

      “It’s for green companies, and they’re not green.” It irritated Dylan. The tax break had been intended for undeveloped forestland, not commercially run golf courses.

      Kyle’s broad, freckled face lit up with amusement. “It’s crazy, right? It’s a ton of money, too. But we already checked it out. It’s totally legal.”

      “Yeah, all right.”

      “You worry too much,” Kyle said good-naturedly as he retreated back into Josh’s office. Finally, Dylan was alone to make his escape.

      He was almost to the exit when the door to the men’s room opened and his boss emerged.

      “Hey, Mark,” Dylan said.

      Mark squinted at him. From behind the glint of his glasses, his small blue eyes, almost colorless, were barely visible. “You getting takeout? I might want something. Unless you’re going to Jade Palace. That place is trash.” Dylan loved Jade Palace.

      Restaurant runs were common around this time of day. The company paid for them: a thoughtful perk to encourage them to work through the dinner hour and beyond.

      “I’ve actually got to head out. It’s a family thing.” Dylan hoped the tone of his voice suggested some kind of emergency rather than a grown sibling’s birthday party.

      Mark blinked and licked his lips, his tongue flicking out quickly like a lizard’s. Dylan braced himself. Mark did that every time he had a last-minute job for someone. “I need you to take another look at the modeling for Hartley. We’ve got some new inputs.”

      “Another look” meant a couple of hours at least. “I’ll be in tomorrow morning at five.”

      Dylan could almost hear his future self cursing as he climbed out of bed.

      His boss pursed his chapped lips. “Did you hear Jeffries is no longer with us?”

      Kevin Jeffries? He’d been hired less than a year ago. Had he left, or had he been fired? “Is that right?” Dylan asked.

      Mark nodded. “We’re not making a big announcement.”

      Fired, then. They never announced that. Everyone pretended the person had never existed. Dylan got a heavy feeling in his chest. Kevin and his wife had just had a baby girl.

      It wasn’t a job for a new dad. Maybe Kevin would be better off in the long run.

      Elaine approached them, her purse over her shoulder. “I’m going to Jade Palace,” she said. “Dylan, you want your usual?”

      Elaine, a heavyset brunette who was always perfectly put together, was a few years older than Dylan. That made her the oldest person there who hadn’t made VP yet.

      “Thanks, but I’ve got to go,” Dylan said. “Family emergency.” Elaine made a noncommittal mmm noise that might’ve meant she didn’t believe him. Dylan half-raised a hand in an awkward farewell and headed for the exit.