Chapter 1

"We don't have a jealousy problem, do we?"

Connie couldn't get that statement out of her head. Even after she had gotten home, made herself some soup, let it get cold, reheated it, made herself eat it, took a shower, and flipped channels, the refrain kept dancing through her head: "We don't have a jealousy problem, do we?"

Connie went into her kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. She used to never drink, not even socially. Now, she had drinks with Mike and Jack in the office, with Mike and Jack after work, and sometimes in the evenings after she got home. Like now. Well, now, she really needed it if she hoped to get any sleep tonight.

Did Mike actually think she was jealous of this Carly? Carly? What kind of name was that for a grown woman anyway, who, from the looks of her, must be pushing forty. When Mike threw it in her face: "We don't have a jealousy problem, do we?" Connie had been momentarily stunned. The look on his face as he said it had been what? Amusement? Disdain? What? She couldn't place it then and she couldn't place it now.

She was at least happy she had been able to recover so quickly. Mike had an ego the size of Texas so Connie knew she had scored big as soon as she told him: "I was in kindergarten when you started working here." The look on his face had been priceless. She did feel bad for coming out so harshly, but she had to do it. She didn't want him thinking she was interested in him. But that was exactly what he thought, or why else would he have said it? "We don't have a jealousy problem, do we?"

After he had said it: "We don't have a jealousy problem, do we?" Connie couldn't wait to get out of the sight of that arrogant-ass. He wasn't even cute! He was too skinny, too pasty, too cocky. And not that tall. He rarely listened to her and usually disregarded her opinion. Why the hell did he think she would be interested in him? There was no way she had given him any reason to think that. It was his arrogance. And Connie had to admit that his arrogance, coupled with the fact that she worked long hours and had no social life to speak of and he knew she had no social life must have led him to believe she was fixated on him. Why wouldn't he think that? No one ever sent her flowers, or called her. She never had to leave early to meet friends. She was always available to work late or to take work home with her. She had thought she needed to do this in order to show Jack that she was pulling her weight. Mike obviously took her dedication to mean something else entirely. Damnit!