The Affair

Chapter 8

Vanessa went to the bathroom.

Kendra let out a deep breath, sinking into her seat as she finally got a moment to herself. This entire day had been draining, and if she had to watch Vanessa twirl in front of another mirror, she might actually lose her mind.

Her phone pinged.

She glanced down, seeing Mark’s name light up her screen.

Mark: How’s it going?

Kendra scoffed and quickly typed back.

Kendra: Deeply contemplating stabbing myself with a knife.

A moment later, his response came through.

Mark: Understandable. I’ll make it up to you. 😉

Kendra’s breath hitched. A wink emoji?

Heat crept up her neck. What did he mean by that?

She stared at the screen, debating how to respond. Finally, she smirked and typed—

Kendra: Oh? A raise? Or should I be worried?

She hit send just as Vanessa returned to the table, oblivious to the storm brewing in Kendra’s chest.

Mark’s reply came almost instantly.

Mark: You’ll just have to wait and see.

Kendra swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around her phone. What the hell does that mean?

Vanessa plopped back into her seat with a dramatic sigh, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

“Oh my God, Kendra, you should’ve seen the guy that just hit on me at the bar,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I swear, men are so desperate.”

Kendra smirked, stirring her drink. “Let me guess—bad pickup line?”

“The worst.” Vanessa groaned. “He actually said, ‘Are you a magician? Because every time I look at you, everyone else disappears.’” She shuddered. “Like, what year is it?”

Kendra chuckled. “Wow. That’s… something.”

“Right?” Vanessa sipped her drink, then suddenly tilted her head. “What about you? What’s the worst pickup line you’ve ever heard?”

Kendra thought for a moment, tapping her finger against the rim of her glass. “Hmm… probably ‘Are you French? Because Eiffel for you.’”

Vanessa burst out laughing. “Oh my God, no! Someone actually said that to you?”

Kendra nodded. “Swear to God. And the worst part? He was dead serious.”

Vanessa wiped away a fake tear. “That’s tragic.”

Kendra grinned. “Tell me about it.”

Vanessa leaned forward. “Okay, but what’s the best pickup line you’ve ever heard?”

Kendra’s mind flashed to the night at the bar—to the mystery man—Mark.

“I promise, no expectations. Just a dry shirt.”

It wasn’t exactly a pickup line, but the way he said it, the way his deep voice sent a shiver down her spine… Yeah, that was the one.

But she couldn’t say that.

She cleared her throat. “Uh… I don’t know, actually.”

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Come on. There has to be one that worked.”

Kendra shrugged, forcing a casual smile. “If there was, I don’t remember it.”

Vanessa sighed dramatically. “That’s a shame. A girl like you deserves a good one.” She shot her a teasing look. “Maybe I should start keeping track of the good ones for you.”

Kendra laughed. “Oh, please do.”

Vanessa grinned, then glanced at her phone. “Alright, I have about twenty more stores I need to drag you through before I’m satisfied.”

Kendra groaned playfully. “Lucky me.”

Vanessa winked. “You know it.”

As they gathered their things, Kendra stole a glance at her phone. Mark’s message still lingered on the screen.

“I’ll make it up to you. 😉”

Her stomach tightened.

She had no idea what he meant by that.

But for some reason… she couldn’t wait to find out.

After a few more hours, the shopping spree was finally over. Kendra couldn’t have been more relieved. As much as she tried to be friendly, spending the day indulging Vanessa’s every shopping whim had been exhausting. Still, she had done it—for Mark. That thought lingered in her mind as they rode back to his building, her arms crossed as she stared out the window, trying to figure out why it mattered so much.

When they finally arrived, they stepped into the elevator, Vanessa humming happily beside her, still riding the high of an extravagant shopping spree. As they reached the top floor, the doors slid open, and Kendra immediately spotted Mark in the lounge, engaged in conversation with another man who looked slightly older than him. There was something familiar about him—the way he held himself, the tailored suit that screamed wealth and power.

Then Mark smiled at something the man said, and Kendra’s heart stopped. God, he had a gorgeous smile. It was rare, and maybe that’s why it had such an effect on her.

The man Mark was speaking to turned at the sound of their arrival. His sharp blue eyes swept over them before landing on Vanessa with a warm, proud grin.

“How was shopping in the city, my love?”

Vanessa practically glowed under her father’s attention. “Amazing! Kendra was the best. I got so many things—so many options for the event, and Kendra helped me pick the best ones.”

Richard—Vanessa’s father—turned his attention to Kendra. His gaze was appraising but not in an uncomfortable way. Then he raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“My word. Aren’t you a gorgeous young woman,” Richard said smoothly. Then, with a knowing glance toward Mark, he added, “Mark said you were beautiful, but… beautiful doesn’t do you justice.”

Kendra’s stomach flipped. She shifted her gaze to Mark, whose entire body language changed. He shifted his weight, his expression unreadable, but there was no mistaking the way his jaw tensed or how he averted his gaze like that had been meant to stay private. Like Richard had just revealed something Kendra wasn’t supposed to hear.

She didn’t know why, but something about that sent a slow, warm shiver down her spine.

Kendra swallowed, unsure how to respond. A polite thank you? A joke to brush it off? But before she could say anything, Mark cleared his throat, his voice measured but firm.

“Richard,” he said, giving the older man a pointed look, “let’s not make my assistant uncomfortable.”

Richard chuckled, completely unfazed. “Oh, come on, Mark. A compliment never hurt anyone.” Then, turning back to Kendra, he winked. “But I can see you’re a little shy about it. I’ll behave.”

Kendra forced a polite smile. “It’s fine, really.”

Mark didn’t look convinced, but he let it go, shifting the conversation back to business. “I assume you found something suitable for the gala, Vanessa?”

Vanessa grinned. “Absolutely! Kendra was a lifesaver. Seriously, Mark, I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.”

“Good,” Mark said with a small nod, his eyes flickering toward Kendra for a brief second.

Richard took a sip of the drink he’d been nursing before their arrival and smirked. “You’ve got good taste, Mark. In business and in hiring.”

Mark’s jaw ticked again, his fingers tightening around the glass in his hand. “Richard.”

Richard only laughed. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop.” Then he turned to Vanessa. “Sweetheart, I actually need to speak with Mark for a bit. Give us a few minutes.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes playfully. “Ugh, business talk. Fine. Come on, Kendra, you can keep me company we can talk more about bad pick up lines.”

Kendra hesitated but followed Vanessa down the hall, though she couldn’t shake the feeling of Mark’s gaze lingering on her as she walked away.

Once they were out of earshot, Richard leaned in slightly toward Mark, his smirk widening. “You look like a man barely holding it together.”

Mark exhaled sharply, setting his drink down with a little too much force. “Drop it, Richard.”

Richard chuckled. “Relax. I’m just observing. But I know that look, my friend.” He took another slow sip of his drink. “That’s the look of a man fighting a losing battle.”

Mark clenched his jaw and stared at the floor for a long moment before exhaling, his voice quieter this time.

“It’s complicated.”

Richard studied him, then nodded knowingly. “It always is.”