Chapter 22

It was strange, though. Over the next few weeks, people who’d ignored me or had made fun came up to my desk every so often, and they seemed to really want to be around me. Many apologized for their behavior toward me in the past and I wondered if Heather had been the poison in the department. Still, it was nice to be asked to lunch, or if I wanted to hang out after work. I rarely said “yes” because, hey, I was a guy who preferred to stay at home and watch my shows and go to bed at a certain time. That hadn’t changed.

If Jaiden asked…well, I hadn’t seen the man, so it hardly mattered. I’d been tempted to text him or email a dozen times, but it just didn’t seem the right thing to do.

But on Valentine’s Day, I found a red envelope on my desk with my name on it. The department was decked in red ribbons and white balloons. It was what they normally did, but the card was new.