Chapter 9 My Colleague Notices the Ring

Barbara's POV

I stared at the ring, momentarily transported back to that strange moment when Levi had slipped it onto my finger. I remembered how he had held my gaze for just a second longer than necessary, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes.

Heat crept up my neck and into my cheeks.

"It's not that fancy," I said, trying to sound casual. "No diamonds or anything."

"But it's so elegant," Jenny insisted, leaning closer to examine it. "And the craftsmanship is amazing. Can I... can I try it on? Just for a second?"

Her eyes were shining with such earnest admiration that for a moment, I almost said yes.

"I'm sorry, Jenny," I said, gently pulling my hand away. "I can't. It's... it's my wedding ring."

Jenny's expression shifted rapidly — surprise, then curiosity, then something I couldn't quite identify flashed across her face before settling into embarrassment.

"Oh! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth. "I had no idea you were married! I shouldn't have asked. That was totally inappropriate."

"It's okay," I assured her. "It's pretty new. I haven't really told anyone at work yet."

But Jenny wasn't listening anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the ring, a curious intensity in her gaze that made me oddly uncomfortable. Then it was gone, replaced by her usual bright smile.

"Well, congratulations on that too! You're just full of exciting news today, aren't you? Promotion and marriage!" She laughed, the sound slightly too high-pitched. "Anyway, we should get back to work."

Just like that, we returned to our task lists, and finally when I printed out the transition document and handed it to Jenny with a sense of finality, hours had passed.

"That should cover everything," I said, watching as she added it to her growing pile of materials.

Jenny clutched the papers to her chest like precious treasures. "Thank you so much, Barbara. I really appreciate all your help."

Her sweet sincerity made my chest ache. At least someone in this office didn't think I had screwed my way to the top.

"No problem," I replied, glancing at the clock on the wall. 12:05 already. Where had the morning gone?

Jenny followed my gaze and perked up. "Oh, it's lunchtime!" She bit her lower lip, suddenly looking uncertain. "Would you mind if we grabbed lunch together? I could ask you some questions about work, and you could walk me through things one last time?"

I hesitated, dreading the thought of spending my lunch hour reviewing work procedures.

Sensing my reluctance, Jenny's face crumpled into an expression of pure anxiety. "I'm just so worried I'll mess something up," she confessed, her voice small. "If I don't get this right, I might not pass my internship."

Damn it. How was I supposed to say no to that? Those puppy-dog eyes could probably convince hardened criminals to donate to charity.

"Sure," I conceded with a sigh. "We can do lunch."

Jenny's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Great! Let's go!"

"Here? We're eating lunch here?" I stared up at the gleaming facade of the Harbordale Hotel, my mouth slightly agape. This wasn't just any hotel — it was THE hotel in Harbordale, the kind of place where celebrities stayed when they came to town.

Jenny, who had been confidently leading the way, spun around at my question. In one fluid motion, she looped her arm through mine, linking us together like we were old friends rather than workplace acquaintances.

"Yes! The nicest place I can thought of," she chirped, her face glowing with excitement.

I tugged against her grip. "But isn't this too expensive for lunch?"

Jenny's grip on my arm tightened almost imperceptibly. "Oh, Barbara, I want to thank you properly! Besides," she added with a dismissive wave of her free hand, "I've already made the reservation. It would be a waste not to use it."

Before I could protest further, she was pulling me through the revolving doors. The sudden shift from bright sunlight to the dimly lit hotel lobby momentarily disoriented me, before we were led into a private room.

"Holy shit," I whispered before I could stop myself. My eyes narrowed as I turned to Jenny. "Are you secretly loaded or something?"

Jenny just smiled mysteriously, neither confirming nor denying my suspicion. I sat down as she gestured for me to take a seat, my brain recalculating everything I thought I knew about this intern. If she was some wealthy heiress playing at having a regular job, that would explain how she could drop hundreds of dollars on a casual lunch.

"Excuse me," I said while she ordered. "I need to use the restroom."

The private dining room had its own bathroom — of course it did. When I returned, several appetizers were already arranged on the table, along with two tall glasses filled with what looked like fruit juice.

"Perfect timing!" Jenny exclaimed, raising her glass as I sat down. "To your promotion, Barbara! Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Jenny," I replied, picking up my own glass and clinking it against hers.

I took a small sip of the juice; it was sweet and tangy, with some kind of tropical flavor I couldn't quite identify. Jenny, however, kept her eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me slightly uncomfortable.

"Drink up, Barbara!" she insisted as she saw I had barely touched my drink. "We're celebrating your promotion!"

I looked down at my glass. She had a point. And this was merely juice. The worst it could do was give me a sugar rush.

I lifted the glass and downed the remaining juice in large gulps. As I set the empty glass down, I caught a glimpse of Jenny's face. For just a split second, her smile shifted from bright to... satisfied? Triumphant? But then she was back to her usual sunny expression so quickly that I wondered if I had imagined it.

Huh, weird.