After I Stopped Waiting, She Begged Me to Stay

King's Game. Number two had to kiss number six.

I quietly swapped cards with the person next to me.

Now I was number six.

Phyllis Sullivan was number two.

Six years of dating in secret, and we could finally share a kiss in front of everyone.

She moved toward me. My heart hammered against my ribs.

But all she did was pluck the card from my hand and pass it back to the man beside me.

"This was his draw, wasn't it? Did you think I didn't notice?"

Her smile was playful, teasing.

Then she turned and pressed a light kiss to the other man's cheek.

The man stiffened but didn't pull away.

"Ooh! Phyllis, how does it feel to kiss your college crush?"

"Don't tell me you've been single this whole time! It's been six years since graduation!"

Phyllis glanced at me.

She smiled and said nothing.

"What about you, Norman Farley? Don't tell me you're also—"

Everyone turned to me.

I caught the warning in her eyes.

I gave a casual laugh. "Single too."

Only then did Phyllis Sullivan let herself smile.

But I really was about to be single.

Once we broke up, I'd go home and accept whatever match my family had arranged.

……

"You're both single? I honestly thought you two would've ended up together by now." Sidney Lane clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Right? Everyone knew Norman had a thing for Phyllis."

"And before graduation, Phyllis was starting to warm up to him too."

Hilary James's expression shifted slightly.

I smiled.

"That's all in the past."

"So in the six years since graduation, you two really never dated?"

Phyllis's gaze drifted toward me, casual and unreadable.

It was the look she gave underperforming employees. A warning.

I shook my head.

A chorus of sighs rippled through the room.

My phone buzzed.

It was Phyllis.

Nice performance. Well done.

I closed the message without changing my expression.

The group's attention shifted to her.

"Phyllis, what's the deal with you being single? Don't tell me you're waiting for someone."

Eyes bounced between Hilary and Phyllis.

"Seriously, with your looks and that figure, there's no way you've been single for six years. Be honest—are you waiting for someone?"

"We all know Norman likes you. He's not the one you'd need to wait for. So does that mean..." Someone let the implication hang.

Hilary stole a glance at Phyllis.

So did I.

She laughed softly. "If I said no, would any of you believe me?"

I lowered my eyes.

Love and indifference were easy enough to tell apart.

A year ago at the office, she'd handed me a file and the pet name slipped out without thinking.

"Thanks so much, Normie."

A coworker overheard.

Within ten minutes, she'd posted a clarification in the company group chat. She claimed she'd said "Norman," no different from how anyone else addressed me. The coworker who overheard had simply misheard. She asked everyone to please refrain from making romantic assumptions about colleagues.

Six years.

From the day she founded the company, she'd used "professional boundaries" as the reason to keep distance between us at work. She wouldn't even sit next to me at casual get-togethers with friends.

And yet—

I watched as someone shoved her playfully toward Hilary James. She stumbled and fell right into his arms.

She stiffened for just a moment.

But she didn't get up.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

Professional boundaries had nothing to do with it.

She simply didn't want to acknowledge me. That was all.

"This reunion is working out perfectly! Phyllis is still waiting for the one who got away, and Hilary just broke up with his ex!"

"It's fate! Today's the day!"

Phyllis went rigid for a second.

But she didn't deny it.

Hilary, nudged closer by the crowd, sat arm to arm with her. A flush crept up his neck.

But his gaze drifted to me.