What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

2.13: hayes

I'd been avoiding going home for the majority of the day because I wasn't sure what Sephine would say when she saw me. I hadn't meant to cross the line by kissing her cheek this morning, but it was meant as a joke just to tease her into lightening up. I hadn't heard from her all day, but I guess I also hadn't reached out to her either.

Grayson sent a brief text letting me know that the meeting had gone alright, but other than that, I'd been busy with paperwork I thought I'd be done with once I was promoted, but the pile keeps growing on my desk.

The fact that the purchase of Sutton's family's company fell through has only increased the pressure I've been feeling.

Reagan knocks sharply on the door, "Come in," I call out, not bothering to look up from the document I was proofreading before signing it. Something I made sure to do all the time now after Dad's little surprise. "Did you need something, Reagan?"

"Do you ever put the work down and have some fun?" A voice that does not belong to Reagan asks, and I glance up, surprised to see Sutton standing there.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, setting the pen down.

"Considering you've answered only one of my calls in the past month, I figured that since I was in town, I'd pop in and save you from whatever you've buried yourself in. Plus, I want to know when I'm meeting the woman that's captured enough of your unavailable heart in a manner of months that led to the cancellation of our companies merging." She sits on top of the desk, a smirk on her face. When we dated two years ago, this was her favorite past time—distracting me at work.

"Sutton, I don't have time to talk about this right now, I need to get this done," I say, leaning back in my chair.

"Oh calm your tits, you can take a break for dinner because I'm starved and in need of some good food." Sutton's smirk hasn't left her face knowing that I'm about to give in because I haven't eaten since this morning due to how busy I've been all day.

I glance at the stack of papers I'd gone through today for budget reports, but I wasn't entirely through the never-ending pile that would only grow if I left. "Sutton, I seriously can't. I have to get through this tonight. Sephine would probably prefer that I don't get home at midnight again."

She juts her lip out into a pout, "Please, just one meal, and I can explain to this girlfriend of yours that it was my fault, since I'm practically having to haul your ass out the door anyway. Or we can just bring her with us?" I do not like the deviant look in her eye as she comes up with that idea.

"I don't know what she has planned for tonight since I wasn't going to be home-" I start to say, but Sutton is already handing my phone to me from where it sat in the corner of my desk.

"Call her then! You're a grown-ass man, and she's your girlfriend, so don't be a wimp and just call her!" Sutton presses, and I sigh in defeat, taking the phone from her. I want to have dinner with Sephine just minus the part where Sutton is there.

I click Sephine's number in the favorites category of my contacts and hold the phone up to my ear as Sutton stares at me impatiently, swinging her legs.

It rings a few times, but then she picks up, "Hey Benson," She chimes, and I can tell by the lightness of her voice that it went well in the meeting.

"Hey Montgomery, are you by any chance doing anything right now?"

"Uh, I just got back from an NA meeting. Why?"

I had half wished Sephine had said she was busy so that she could avoid the questions and analyzing that Sutton is probably going to do at dinner. Don't get me wrong; I like Sutton just fine in small spurts of time, but spending time with my ex that I was supposed to be engaged to isn't my idea of fun. She has a mind of her own, making her even more unpredictable to the point that if Sephine hadn't agreed, I don't know what I would have done.