Page 42 of Line Change

Sutton St. James

It’s good enough. A little awkward, but fine.

I wipe my sweaty palms on my skirt before hitting the Send button. My heart races as I stare at the screen. Get a hold of yourself, Sutton. He’s probably an extremely busy man, and it’ll take time for him to respond. I force myself to close my inbox and open up the press release I need to read and approve announcing the team’s auction for the local children’s hospital.

“Hey,” Hadley says as she strolls into my office and plops down in the seat across from me.

“What’s up?” I tear my eyes away from the document and focus on my friend.

“Wanted to see how you were feeling. How things are going. Becca said you found a dress?”

Becca and I went dress shopping on Friday, and apparently it was my lucky day, because I found a dress in my size that I loved at the second place we went.

“I did, and since it just needed a few minor alterations, it should be ready tomorrow afternoon.”

“Good, good.”

“Perfect, you’re both here,” Becca says as she steps into my office.

“Sutton was filling me in on her dress,” Hadley says.

“You’re gorgeous in it,” Becca gushes. “Sebastian is going to lose his mind.”

I blush. “It’s not real between us, remember.”

“Well, it might be after he sees you in your dress,” Becca says.

“Do you like him that way? Do you want it to be real?” Hadley asks.

“I do,” I admit.

“So why did you turn him down all the times he asked you out?” Hadley asks.

“It’s complicated.” I fiddle with the pen on my desk. “Call it childhood trauma.”

Hadley and Becca exchange glances.

“What do you mean?” Becca asks.

I pick up the pen and twirl it between my fingers. “My father and all the men in his circle use their money to control people. I never wanted that.”

“So you didn’t want to date Sebastian because he’s got money, and you associate having money with control?” Becca asks.

Got it in one. “Yep.”

“But you know Sebastian and all the other guys on the team. None of them would do that. None of them are like that,” Hadley says.

“I know.” I finally look up, giving them a sad smile. “Call it a defense mechanism, a security blanket, I don’t know.” I toss the pen down onto the desk. “It was just easier to stick to the vow I made to myself, not to marry anyone rich, than to take the risk.”

“The risk being dating Sebastian?” Hadley asks.

“Basically.”

“But what if he’s your one?” Becca asks.

“Guess we’ll never know.”

“You could date him now. I’m sure he’d want to,” Hadley says.