Free Determined: To Win (Determined Trilogy Book 3) by Elizabeth Brown

took a deep breath and looked down at the floor and then back at me. “Okay, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise you won’t be mad.”
    Okay, now she really had me intrigued. What could she possibly have done? I examined her face and then held up my hand. “Scouts’ honor. Now tell me. You look like you’re in love or something.”
    She blushed. “Oh, no. Not love. But, uh…” She focused on the far end of the room, unable or unwilling to meet my gaze. “So you know your friend Greg?”
    Greg? “My neighbor?” I squeaked, my eyes growing wide. No, she didn’t.
    “Um, yeah. The one who came in the other week? Well, he came in yesterday looking for you again. And we got to talking…”
    I felt a small twinge in the pit of my stomach and immediately recognized how wrong it was. I mean, I loved David. Craved him with every fiber of my being. Why was I reacting with jealousy to Greg? I mean, sure, he was cute, but that was it.
    Kate must have continued talking while I had zoned out.
    “Sam, Sam? Are you listening?”
    I shook myself. “What? Sorry, yes. So you guys went out? That’s great.”
    Kate looked relieved. “Oh, I am so glad to hear you say that. I mean, Greg said you weren’t—I mean, I wasn’t sure if … I didn’t want to…”
    I managed a tight smile. “Kate, relax. I’m taken. He’s all yours. He’s not too old for you?” Kate was even younger than I was.
    Kate shook her head and beamed. She was pretty taken with him. It was cute.
    “So,” I said, redirecting the conversation, “what did you guys do last night? I mean, for a date?”
    Kate gave me a play-by-play of their dinner-and-a-movie date while we unpacked a few shipping boxes. The date sounded innocent enough, and in a way I was glad to not have to worry about Greg anymore. I turned my attention to the work in front of me. The pieces for the show next week had all arrived, and we just needed to check their condition before dismantling the current show. It was a pretty laid back afternoon, and very few customers came in. We got lots of work done and before I knew it, it was dark outside and time to go home.
    We gave Kate a ride to her apartment before jumping back onto the bridge to go back home. Home. I silently wondered when I’d get used to saying that. For now, it still felt like I was staying at David’s place.

12
    As I crossed the threshold into the apartment, I could tell David wasn’t there. My stomach dropped slightly and then almost if on cue, my phone vibrated.
    Need to work late. I’m sorry. I love you.
    Seriously? I mean, I was pretty understanding of the demands of his job, but lately it seemed like it had gotten worse. Way worse. My mind immediately jumped to the blond. I wondered if she was with him, if they were eating takeout on his conference table. I felt rather territorial toward that conference table. It was the same conference table that David liked to take me on whenever I surprised him at his office. Well, except for this last time. Yesterday when I visited he didn’t even let me in the door.
    I picked up the phone and dialed room service and ordered a hot fudge sundae. It was an exercise in defiance as much as comfort. David’s place was one of the twenty residential units in the hotel tower, and they enjoyed the same perks as the rest of the hotel guests. I knew Mr. Health-Freak would have frowned at my menu selection, but he wasn’t here now, was he?
    I changed into what was quickly becoming my nightly uniform of yoga pants and a sweatshirt just before the doorbell rang with the delivery. Part of me felt like a stereotype as the attendant wheeled in the cart; me, a girl, clearly alone on a Sunday night, ordering an ice-cream sundae in stretchy pants. So I tipped them generously, my face on fire, and prayed for the elevator doors to close quickly.
    I ate the ice cream slowly, savoring it as I watched a rom-com on HBO. Honestly, in different circumstances, it wouldn’t have been a bad night.