Evelyn sat at her desk in the spacious office of Empowered Magazine, her fingers hovering over the keyboard as she tried to focus on the article she was editing. Although her promotion wasn't official—she still needed to interview Derek, a requirement for the position—she was working as the acting editor-in-chief. Even though she had only recently returned, she had a mountain of work to get through, with looming deadlines and demanding articles.

Despite her best efforts, her mind kept drifting back to Derek, and she found herself frequently staring at her phone, half-expecting a call or text. She knew she had no reason to expect one; they had nothing important to discuss. Yet, she couldn't stop herself from hoping. No matter how hard she tried to push thoughts of him aside and bury herself in work, it was no use. He lingered in her thoughts, a persistent distraction.

"Get it together, Evelyn," she silently scolded herself, shaking her head. "You have work to do."

She forced her attention back to the article, determined to focus. She was still concentrating when her phone rang, startling her. Seeing Susan's name, she quickly composed herself and answered.

"Hi, Susan," Evelyn said, her tone professional, though her mind was still a bit scattered.

"Evelyn, how's it going?" Susan's voice was brisk, as always, but with a hint of warmth that reassured Evelyn.

"Good, just working through some edits," Evelyn replied, sitting up straighter.

"That's what I like to hear," Susan said, her tone conveying a smile. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you about that interview with Derek Stone. Have you contacted him? Or has he contacted you? You're still doing it, right?"

Evelyn's stomach tightened at the mention of Derek's name. "Yes. We've talked about it."

"Great! Have you set a date yet?"

"Not yet," she admitted. "I spoke with his secretary, and she mentioned this week is very busy for him, so I was thinking next week might be better."

"Next week, huh?" Susan sounded thoughtful. "Well, that's fine, but make sure to schedule it soon. We don't want anything to come up and have him change his mind. You know how important this is, especially after the trouble"

"I understand. I'll get a firm date from him," Evelyn said, thinking this would be a good excuse to contact him.

"Great," Susan said, her tone brightening. "I know you'll handle it. Keep me posted."

"I will," Evelyn promised.

After a few more words, they ended the call. Evelyn set her phone down, staring at it as if it held all the answers. She knew she needed to call Derek, but the thought filled her with a strange mix of anticipation and anxiety. She wasn't sure she was ready to face him again, especially after their last encounter.

But this was work, she told herself with a sigh, and picked up her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she reached Derek's name. Her finger hovered over the call button, but she hesitated. She was still debating whether to call him or his secretary when her phone rang again.

She glanced at the screen and smiled at Rayna's name. First Margaret, now Rayna. It seemed everyone was reaching out today, she mused.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Evelyn asked warmly, answering the call.

Rayna laughed. "To friendship, of course. How are you doing? I hope I'm not interrupting work?" Rayna's voice was cheerful, bringing a genuine smile to Evelyn's face.

"No, you're not interrupting. How are you doing?"

"I'm a perfect blend of stressed and bored. I need time off. If I had a man, I'd take off with him to some exotic place, relax, have sex, and repeat," Rayna said, and Evelyn laughed.

"What do you mean, 'relax and have sex'?" Evelyn asked, amused.

"Swimming, sex in the pool. Sunbathing, sex in our room. A movie, making out, then home for sex. A club"

"Okay, okay, I get the picture," Evelyn cut in, laughing.

"Unfortunately, no guy in the picture," Rayna said, and they both laughed.

"Why don't you sign up for a dating site?" Evelyn suggested.

"I tried that once—disaster. I'm traumatized," Rayna said, and Evelyn laughed.

"Was it that bad? What happened?" Evelyn asked. Rayna shook her head.

"I'll tell you after therapy," she said, and Evelyn giggled.

"Anyway, I was thinking we should meet. How about I swing by your place later?" Rayna suggested.

Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. She didn't want Rayna to know about Samantha yet. She wasn't ready to explain that part of her life. She knew Rayna was friends with Sandra, and she couldn't ask Rayna to stop being friends with Sandra for her sake. If Rayna knew about Samantha, she might tell Sandra, and it would reach Michael and Derek.

"Oh, I'd love that," Evelyn began, searching for an excuse. "But I haven't had time to settle in. It's a mess. How about I come to your bakery instead?"

"Ugh, I'm so tired of that place. I took the day off. I need to escape," Rayna groaned, making Evelyn laugh.

"Okay, somewhere else then?" Evelyn suggested, relieved.

"Somewhere else, huh? How about a club? We could use a night out!" Rayna's voice was full of excitement, but Evelyn didn't share it. She couldn't go to a club on a weeknight—work in the morning, and Samantha to consider. Leaving her daughter at night to go out partying was unthinkable.

"A club? On a weeknight?" Evelyn tried to sound casual, but guilt crept in.

"Why not? We'll only be there for an hour or two. We're never going to meet men if we don't go out, Evelyn. Do it for your lonely old friend," Rayna said, and Evelyn chuckled at her friend's persistence.

"I really can't tonight. How about this weekend?" she said with a sigh.

"Weekend, huh? I'll hold you to that," Rayna said playfully but firmly. "You better not bail on me. We both need a night out."

"I won't bail," Evelyn promised, knowing she probably needed it too.

"It's a date then. And I have the perfect place in mind," Rayna said. "Will Sandra be joining us? She felt left out last time," Rayna said, and Evelyn winced.

"I'd rather it's just us two. Can you not mention our outings to her?" Evelyn asked, and Rayna paused.

"Is there a problem? Are you two fighting?" Rayna asked, and Evelyn sighed.

"It's complicated, and I really can't talk about it. But promise you won't discuss me with her or tell her about our hangouts," Evelyn said, and Rayna smiled.

"Sure. You've always been my favorite friend, anyway," Rayna said, and Evelyn smiled, relieved.

1:08 PM

After the call ended, she leaned back, her thoughts drifting to Sandra and her antics at the anniversary party. She wondered if that was all Sandra had up her sleeve, or if she should expect more. Thinking of Sandra brought her thoughts back to Derek, and she sighed. It seemed all her problems revolved around him.

She let out a frustrated sigh, looking up at the ceiling as if the answers were hidden in the panels above. She sighed again, remembering her conversation with Margaret; it left her feeling guilty about hiding Samantha from Derek.

It was true that one of the reasons she'd returned to Ludus was to find Samantha's father—not for a relationship, but to see if he'd be interested in meeting his daughter. But after finding out who he was, that plan had changed. Although she tried to convince herself she was doing it for Samantha's sake, to protect her from drama, deep down she knew she was protecting herself.

"What would he do if I told him about Samantha?" she mused, then smiled, imagining Derek insisting on being a part of their lives. That was just the kind of person he was.

She daydreamed for a while, imagining being with Derek and Samantha as a family. She imagined Samantha's happiness and them getting along. She also knew his family wouldn't allow it, not after her breakup with Michael.

Shaking her head, she decided to face reality and get back to work. Derek would never be hers, so there was no reason to torment herself with pointless daydreams.