Donut Overthink It

by Shantel Tessier

  “Is that lover boy?” Andrea asks.

  “No. And it’s not love,” I inform her.

  “Sure, it’s not,” she says with a smirk. “Not sure I would risk my job for anything less than love.”

  I shrug. “He’s a lot more tolerable when he’s horny rather than when he’s a dick,” I say, trying to cover up the fact that I like him.

  She just smiles like she knows the truth. “You have feelings for him,” she states.

  “What?” I gasp. “I do not.”

  “Yes, you do,” she says matter-of-factly. “You wouldn’t have fucked him otherwise.”

  “Andrea.” I hiss her name.

  “What?” She looks around the donut shop. “Afraid someone may hear your secret?”

  I lower my eyes to my cream-filled donut and sigh. Is she right? Do I have feelings for him? No. He’s just a lay. And I’m just his secretary that he bent over her desk earlier today. “It’s not like that,” I tell her.

  “Hmm.” She hums before she takes a bite of her donut.

  “Hadley?”

  I look up to see Asher standing by the table with a smile on his face. “Hey, Mr. Kyle,” I say excitedly.

  “Mr. Kyle?” Andrea looks up at him with narrowed eyes. “So you’re the jackass?” she asks, sitting back in her seat.

  My eyes widen. “Andrea …”

  “I’ve been called worse,” Asher says, looking over at her. He looks hot as always, dressed in a pair of dark gray slacks and a white button up with a dark gray tie. His hair is slicked back, and his hands in his pockets. He stands with his wide shoulders back and a smile on his face. I could take a photo of him right here and now, and it would be magazine worthy.

  “I’m sure you have.” She crosses her arms over her chest and raises a brow in challenge. He smiles down at her.

  “Andrea, this is Asher Kyle. My boss’s twin brother,” I inform her.

  He looks her up and down the best he can since she’s sitting. “Asher Kyle.” He repeats his name as if I didn’t just say it and removes his right hand from his pocket to hold it out to her.

  She reaches out her hand but doesn’t apologize for mistaking him for Aiden. “Andrea Stikes.”

  He grabs her hand and bends over to lift it to his lips and gives it a soft kiss. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” He winks at her, his million-dollar smile in place.

  She watches him unaffected. Andrea doesn’t fall for charm. She doesn’t fall for anything actually. That’s why she’s still single. She likes to get in and get out. She doesn’t need you to buy her dinner or drinks. And after she’s done with you, she’ll leave without so much as a goodbye. That’s why men love her so much. She’s just like them.

  “Well, I will let you ladies get back to your lunch. It was nice to meet you, Andrea.” He nods to us, and we say our goodbyes.

  “So?” I ask, taking a sip of my coffee.

  “Are they identical?” she asks with a sigh. I nod. “Then I see why you gave it up.”

  I smile.

  “He kinda reminds me of Mark Cotes from high school. I tried to get him to sleep with me behind the bleachers after a football game senior year.” She frowns as if his rejection still hurts. “Wonder where he lives now.”

  “Mark was gay back then. And still is,” I remind her, taking a sip.

  She shrugs. “I’m into anal.”

  My coffee flies across the table and down my chin. I scramble for a napkin, and she laughs at me. “Andrea,” I squeal, and the little old ladies sitting next to us glare our way.

  “What?” She shrugs. “You were right.” She sighs, looking at the door where Asher exited. “They’re hot.” Her eyes meet mine. “And if you’re not willing to give it up, someone else will.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask; my skin heats with jealousy thinking of Aiden and another woman.

  She just smiles and says, “Don’t overthink it.”

  AIDEN

  I sit up in the conference room in a meeting with my father and brother when I pull out my cell.

  Me: Where are you?

  Hadley had told me earlier she was going out to the bakery down the street with her friend Andrea. And although I told her I didn’t want her to, she did it anyway.

  Hadley: On my way up.

  Me: Meet me in my office!

  She doesn’t respond, but it shows that she read it. I place my phone back down on the conference table and smile to myself. I plan on doing her in my office today as well. It’s like christening a new home. And she can bet her ass I’m gonna spank it for being late like usual.

  I excuse myself, telling them I have something else to do. Not like they care, my brother had just joined us from his lunch break.

  I walk into my office with a smile on my face, but it drops off the moment I see the brunette sitting at my desk. “Eve?”

  She stands, giving me a big smile; her brown hair is cut short and frames her oval face. The black dress she wears makes it look like she just walked off a runway in Paris. “Hey, handsome.”

  “What are you doing here?” I demand, shutting my door behind me.

  She frowns. “We have the benefit tonight.”

  “Fuck!” How could I have forgotten?

  “What’s wrong?”

  I meet her halfway and grab her upper arm. “You have to leave, Eve.”

  “What?” I start to drag her toward the door. “Aiden?” She yanks her arm from my grip, and I turn to face her. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  I quickly look at my door and then back at her. I had told Hadley to meet me in my office, and she should be walking in at any moment. “I just need you to leave.”

  She takes a step toward me and lifts her right hand to cup my face.

  I pull away from her and spin around to face my door when I hear it open, but it was too late. Hadley stands there, looking between the woman and me. “I’m sorry,” she says, taking a step back. “I didn’t know you were busy. I’ll come back.”

  “Hadley,” Eve says excitedly, and I close my eyes for a brief second.

  Fuck!

  “I’m sorry, do I know you?” Hadley asks her, tilting her head to the side.

  “Not officially but Aiden has told me so much about you.” She walks over to her and reaches out her right hand.

  I clear my throat. “Eve—”

  “I wanna thank you for all that you do for him. I know that he can be a real prick to work for,” she says, interrupting me.

  Hadley looks back and forth between us again, and I can see the gears turning in her mind. Trying to figure out what she has walked in on. “I’m sorry, but who are you?” she asks.

  “Oh, my apologies. I’m Eve Kyle. Aiden’s wife.”

  I close my eyes as my jaw tightens. Motherfucker… I open them and look at Hadley.

  There’s a silence that settles on us.

  “His wife?” she asks with wide eyes, taking a step back from her.

  Eve nods and then lifts her left hand to show off her six-carat rock that I gave her.

  I clear my throat as the air thickens in my office. My heart pounding. “Eve …”

  “I’ll let you guys get back to work,” Eve says, turning to face me. I stand stiff as a board as she gives me a kiss on my cheek, then pulls away. “I’ll go wait for you up in the penthouse.” And then she walks out, leaving me standing there with Hadley needing to explain myself.

  I run a hand down my unshaven face before I turn to look at Hadley. The look on her face makes my chest tighten. I never meant to hurt her …

  She takes a step back as she lifts her hands and starts to shake her head at me. “Don’t …” Then she turns around and storms out of my office.

  “Hadley?” I call out, causing everyone to stop and look at us. “Hadley?” I shout as she starts to run down the hallway.

  “Go to hell, Aiden!” she growls before ducking into her office and slamming her door.

  I open it up and walk in right behind her, slamm
ing it myself. When she turns around to face me, I’m not sure why I chased her in here. I should have let her go to avoid the conversation that I see written all over her face.

  “You’re married?” she demands. “You’re fucking married?” she asks, this time more in disbelief. Then her eyes lower to my left hand, and I run my thumb along the soft skin where my ring should be.

  “It’s complicated,” I tell her. God, I never wanted to have this conversation with anyone, let alone her here in the office of all places.

  She lets out a rough laugh. “Complicated? What the hell is complicated about are you married?” she shouts. “Tell me that that woman is just another one of your crazy exes who you spent one night with and then threw to the curb?”

  I say nothing. I hate that I’ve hurt her. That was never my intention. I should have just fired her.

  She steps up to me and demands, “Are you married or not?”

  My jaw tightens as I look down into her narrowed eyes. Taking a deep breath, I let it out and say, “Yes.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  HADLEY

  MY EYES WIDEN, AND I KNOW my mouth is on the floor, but I can’t seem to pick it up. I can’t wrap my head around what he just told me.

  He’s fucking married!

  My heart starts to pound in my chest at the thought I slept with a married man. Does that make me a whore? God, I’d rather be the prostitute I was arrested for than the other woman.

  “Hadley.” He reaches out and places his hand on my arm.

  I shove him away. “Don’t you dare touch me!”

  “I need you to understand.” He sighs.

  “Understand?” I gasp. “I understand that you are a lying, cheating piece of shit who fucks around on his wife,” I shout.

  My breath starts to come quicker when I realize that I’ve seen the man sleep with a ton of women over the past three months. “You make me sick, Aiden.”

  “Hadley …”

  “No!” I shout.

  I hear my office door open, and I turn my back to it, facing my window as I hear Millie speak. “You have a call, Mr. Kyle.” I can tell by the sound of her voice that she’s as confused as I am. That’s probably because I just screamed his first name as I ran to my office after his wife left his. Fuck, does everyone who works here know that he is married? Do they all keep it a secret from this wife that he is a manwhore?

  “I’ll call them back,” he growls before I hear my door shut. Then he sighs. “Can we talk tonight? After the benefit?”

  My eyes widen at the mention of the event that everyone from the firm has to attend.

  I turn to face him with my eyes still wide as if he’s insane. What would make him think I care what he has to say?

  He reaches up to cup my face, but I swat it away as my eyes narrow. “No, we can’t talk tonight,” I snap, angry with myself.

  “Hadley.” He sighs as if my rejection has truly hurt him.

  “Stop.” My voice cracks, and I try to swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t love the man, but he cheated on his wife. With me. God, I can feel that bile rising. And of course, she was gorgeous. Runway model gorgeous. She was tall, brunette, and had these beautiful green eyes—the exact opposite of me. I thought we had something. Fuck, I was stupid! It was just sex, Hadley. It meant nothing else.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he whispers.

  “Hurt me?” I repeat afraid how close to home he is. “Don’t flatter yourself, Aiden. I’m not the woman in this situation who you hurt.” I shove him out of my way and start for my door.

  “Where are you going?” he asks, following me.

  “I’m taking the rest of the day off,” I shout over my shoulder.

  “Hadley?” he calls out, and everyone in the office looks up to watch us once again.

  “Fire me if you want, Aiden,” I growl and then pound on the button for the elevator.

  Thankfully, it opens with a ding, and I jump inside. He doesn’t try to follow. I fall back against the cold wall and take a deep breath as the doors close me inside. “FUUCCKKK!” I shout, fisting my hands down by my side.

  AIDEN

  I stand in the silence of the office, everyone’s eyes on me now that Hadley is gone. You can still hear her voice through the closed doors as she cusses. I walk over to the other elevator and press the up button. I avoid eye contact as I enter and head up to my penthouse.

  “Eve?” I demand, barging in.

  “In here,” she calls out from the bathroom.

  I find her in the adjoining walk-in closet. “What are you doing?” I demand, entering behind her.

  “I’m looking for that red dress that has the slit up the right leg …” She trails off as she digs through her side of the closet. She’s doesn’t have much here anymore except for the stuff she never wears. She hasn’t stayed here in I don’t know how long. That is why I got this penthouse in the first place—to be alone.

  “Can you forget the dress for two fucking minutes?” I snap, grabbing her arm and spinning her around.

  “Aiden?” she growls. “What the hell …?” She trails off as her green eyes meet mine. She gives a little laugh, going back to digging through the closet. “You’ve slept with her.” It’s not a question. “Hadley,” she clarifies as if there was another woman who was just yelling at me downstairs.

  I say nothing.

  Her laughter grows. “You can admit it, Aiden. Not like either one of us are faithful.”

  I grind my teeth. “Doesn’t mean I wanted her to know about you.” Even if a woman who I took to bed looked up the public records here in Chicago, they wouldn’t find a marriage license for Eve and me. We tied the knot in her favorite city—New York.

  She finally stops searching for the fucking dress that I don’t even think is here and turns to face me once again. “What were you going to tell her tonight when she saw me at the benefit with you?”

  I run a hand through my hair. “I hadn’t got that far honestly.”

  She takes a step toward me and lifts her hands, placing them on my chest. “Just tell her the truth.”

  I snort, taking a step back from her, not in the mood to have her hands on me. “She’ll never understand. To her, what we’re doing is wrong.”

  “To most people, what we are doing is wrong.” She shrugs. “And that’s okay. I know that I love you, and you love me.”

  I nod as I let out a long breath not ready for what I have to do tonight because in a way Eve is right. I have to tell Hadley. She is not just some one-night stand that I can ignore from now on. She works for me. And I don’t want her to quit over this. Or hate herself over it. Or walk away from me. Our weekend together didn’t help me scratch my itch for her. It made me realize I want more. A lot more.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  HADLEY

  “YOU’RE STARING,” ANDREA WHISPERS in my ear. I made her come to this stupid benefit with me. I couldn’t face them alone. I didn’t wanna face them at all.

  “I can’t help it,” I say as I watch them across the ballroom. Aiden’s wife stands next to him in a red off the shoulder dress with a slit up her right thigh. He has his hand on the small of her back as she laughs, and he smiles at the couple who stands across from them. “She’s gorgeous,” I say softly. Why would he cheat on her? Why wouldn’t she be enough for him?

  “She’s okay,” she says, and I snort.

  “I don’t need you to be that friend right now,” I tell her.

  She steps in front of me, cutting off my view of what looks to be a happy couple, but I know the truth. I know how he fucks women and moves on like they’re nothing. While his wife waits at home for him. “I’ll always be that friend.”

  I roll my eyes before taking a sip of my champagne. “I feel so ashamed.”

  “Don’t do that to yourself, Hadley. You didn’t know.”

  I’ve been working for him for three months. How did I not know? Does no one at the office know? Asher and their father have to know. Do they not care how he
cheats on her? I wonder if Millie knows. That would explain why she was so shocked to see us in the break room. Then again in my office.” I take another drink of my champagne.

  “Hi, Hadley,” Bianca says, coming up to us.

  “Hi,” I mumble.

  She follows my line of sight and then looks back at me, and a smile spreads across her face. “That’s his wife.”

  My eyes narrow on hers. “Yes,” I snap. “I know that.” Well, that just answers my unspoken question if everyone at the office knows he’s married.

  “They’ve been together for a long time. Love at first sight—”

  “Can you excuse us?” Andrea interrupts her. “We were having a private conversation.”

  Bianca throws her a look, and then she looks back at me with sympathy in her eyes. “Don’t worry, honey. You weren’t the first one to fall for his lies.”

  “That’s it!” Andrea says, placing her hands on her shoulders and pushing her away. “Go!” She shoves her away, and thankfully, Andrea walks away with a bitch comment over her shoulder.

  So he’s slept with her too? Just fucking perfect! I take a drink, hoping the alcohol will numb the pain. “I’m such a horrible slut.”

  We both look up when we hear a man clear his throat. My cheeks redden when I see Asher standing by us. “How long have you been there?” I ask.

  “Long enough to hear you call yourself a slut,” he says with a smile.

  I narrow my eyes at him. “This is not funny,” I state and then point a finger at him. “Are you married as well?”

  “No,” he says, shaking his head, and then states, “Monogamy isn’t really my thing.”

  I huff. “It’s not your brother’s thing either, yet here he is. With his wife.”

  He frowns. “You shouldn’t judge him for things you don’t know.”

  “I know I fucked a married man,” I snap, and he clears his throat as an older couple walks by us.

  “Excuse us,” he tells them when their eyes narrow on me. “Watch your mouth,” Asher growls at me.

  “This is not her fault,” Andrea snaps at him. His eyes move to hers, and he stares at her for a few seconds. He opens his mouth but shuts it when a redhead steps up next to him.