ARLENE

“You like Liam, don’t you?” Olivia asked as we made our way out of the office.

She had stopped by to convince me to take a break. I protested, insisting I still had a lot to get done, but after a series of pleas and some very salient points on why I needed to rest, I gave in.

I took a few minutes to jot down some notes for the next day. I thought making her wait while I organized my table and scribbled reminders would make her impatient and reschedule dinner—but she didn’t budge.

That was my cue that this dinner was happening regardless of anything I did...