𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐞 [COMPLETE]

𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝟔𝟐 { Hold On A Little Longer }

Stepping into my unoccupied office, I finally felt like I could breathe without my every move being critiqued. I let my purse fall onto my very disorganized desk and took a seat in my chair before my legs gave out in these stupid heels Stacey bought for me.

I began to rearrange a few files and last-minute payment receipts that needed to be verified by our financial team into their respective folders when a knock at my door grabs my attention. The words come in didn't get to leave my lips before a familiar brunette peeks her head through the tiny gap of the door opening.

"Cora?" The stack of thick manila folders slipped from my grasp harder than I intended. The loud thud fills the unavoidable silence. "What are you doing here?"

She smiles dropping her head.

"I mean, how can I assist you?" I throw a weak smile back in her direction but I'm sure she sees right through my facade. Victoria always said I was bad at hiding my emotions.

"Sage, I think I might have left the wrong impression last night." She fully enters the room, closing the door behind her. My eyes can't help but roam up and down her casual yet business-formal attire. I tried not to let it affect me but she was a version of beauty I couldn't compare to. Prettier. Thinner. Happier. I let the insecurities I had buried long ago crawl forth and back to my core. Guess six feet wasn't deep enough.

"I'm engaged."

Yup this wasn't good.

Thinking fast, I responded with a simple nod. "I heard. I meant to congratulate both of you before I left so suddenly."

"To my wife." She holds up her phone that brightly lit up with a selfie of the two of them smiling in front of a beach view. "I work for Zach as his full time sports agent. We aren't together and well men aren't exactly my type."

Now I felt and looked like a complete idiot.

I hate that relief flooded my chest. "Oh, w-well that's...congratulations." I sputtered out like I had lost all sense of my vocabulary. I try to avoid her gaze but she's scrutinizing my expression for a specific reaction. "You two seemed pretty close last night, but it was wrong of me to just assume."

"No, no, I get it. It's just Zach has never been seen with a woman during his entire football career and people online are really pushy about it, saying rude things about his sexuality and now he tends to get nervous at these public events. So sometimes I go as his date to these things so they won't hound on him, you know?"

"That's awful." I knew all too well how critical people behind a screen could be.

"Yeah, unfortunately it comes with the job. I noticed Zach disappeared after you left. Was it because of you or?"

"Y-Yeah I got caught up with the paparazzi and he—sort of helped." I leave out the details of the remainder of our encounter. The things we left unsaid, the tingle of his breath fanning against my ear, the way his eyes couldn't stop studying me from head to toe. We both were on the verge of losing control and it hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours since we saw each other.

"Right, he was adamant about getting ahold of those photos before they got the chance to leak. Don't worry, they won't be."

I nod in appreciation. "Was there anything else you...needed or?"