"Please don't cry," Katy rolled her eyes as she pleaded with Joey, the person whimpering across the table from her. Due to experiences in the past, it was a strategically placed table, in a very public and very crowded coffee shop. She had hoped this wouldn't happen, but she would be a liar if she'd said she hadn't prepared for it.

"But Katy, I love you and it's," Joey's lip started to waiver and Katy knew that it was coming; this was going to be embarrassing. "It's just that I don't think I know how to live without you anymore."

Katy took a sip of coffee; she always had a bad habit of laughing when it was least appropriate – mostly when things got awkward, so she bit her lips in attempt to ward off an even worse situation. "Joey, we've only been dating for five weeks," she tried to reason with him. "You're a good guy, really, but I don't think that we're a good match. I'm sorry."

That was putting it lightly. For the past two weeks, any night spent with Joey had been pure torture. He was overly emotional, super-clingy, and for Christ's sake, he was already telling her that he loved her! She literally couldn't stand to be around him anymore; that's why she chose to break up with him over morning coffee before she had to go into work.

Actually, she always broke up with her boyfriends over morning coffee before she had to go into work.

She cleverly glanced at her watch and made a move to gather her things. "Joey, I feel terrible about this, but I really have to go now. I'm already going to be late for work." All she received was a nod from him, but she knew that he'd try to contact her again – they always did. She slipped on her coat and grabbed her still, steaming-hot coffee. (Thank goodness for cardboard holders.) "I hope everything works out for you."

And with that, she left.

When Katy finally reached the skyscraper where she spent many of her mornings, noons, and nights, she breathed a sigh of relief. Joey was gone and no matter how terrible she felt for breaking his heart, she needed to allow herself a moment to revel in the fact that she wouldn't have to put up with him anymore. Once that moment was over, she ascended the stairs into the building and made her way into the elevator.

"Hold the elevator please!" she groaned when she heard the voice. She recognized it instantly; that demanding and strident voice belonged to Darren Strong. Temptation urged her to make him wait for another elevator, but she was feeling generous that morning. She reached over and touched the button that caused the elevator doors to reopen. "Thanks, Kat."

"Don't call me that."

"Is that any way to speak to your boss – your superior?"

Katy tilted her head and glared at him before pushing the button for the 25th floor. "You may be my boss, but you are in no way my superior." The only reason that he was 'her boss' was because he was the son of Grant Strong – the same Grant Strong that happened to be the co-CEO of the company she worked at. She was convinced that there was no way that he was more qualified to be head of promotions than she was.

"I see you went to Java Hut this morning," Darren changed the subject when he noticed the logo on Katy's cup of coffee. "Poor Patrick – or wait, was that last month? Who was the sad sap this time and what did he do to deserve you?"

Katy gave an obviously fake smile. "Oh, who knows? How are you and Amanda? Oh wait, I mean Annie – or is it Courtney?"

"Is that jealousy I detect in your voice?"

"No," she growled. "I'm putting emphasis on the fact that you're not one to talk when it comes to breezing through relationships."

"Ah, but see, there's a difference. I let them break up with me, not the other way around; I'm never the bad guy." He shrugged his shoulders with pleasure as he prepared for their stop on floor 25.

As soon as the doors opened, she mumbled the word "pig" under her breath as she brushed past him.

"Hmmm, I don't remember that being the word you were calling me while you were rolling around in my bed." He whispered into her ear before opening the door to the promotions wing of HarperStrong Publishing.

Katy paused for a moment and let his words register. What a jackass! She caught up to him, refusing to let him have the last word. "That was three years ago; I was stupid then."

As soon as they both walked through the door, the promotions intern, Sarah, bombarded them with their daily mail and phone messages.

"I've got news for you, Kat. You're still stupid," he said quickly and then changed the subject so that Katy couldn't say anything else. "Gooood Morning, Sarah."

Katy clenched her fists and decided to let it go, this little duel was not worth raising her blood pressure. "Sarah, do me a favor and if a guy named Joey calls today, tell him I'm not available." Katy started flipping through her mail.

"Sarah, as Katy's and your boss, I insist that if Joey calls you put his call straight through," Darren smiled and headed off toward his office, whistling some annoying song that he'd probably end up playing twenty million times over the loudspeakers before the day was over.

"Don't you dare," Katy told her before walking to her cubicle. She cursed under her breath at the word, 'cubicle.' She should have a corner office with a gorgeous view of the city. Instead, she had a view of the water cooler. She told herself to stop being negative – her life coach had been adamant about her needing to start seeing, "silver linings."

As soon as she shrugged off her coat, the cheerful voice of Katy's good friend – and co-worker – Ashton Brach rang out. "Now that is some sexual tension that I could cut with a knife."

Katy plopped down in her chair, sat the stack of junk mail and pink 'While You Were Out' papers on top of her desk, and slid it to the side. "If by sexual tension you mean me plotting out his demise in my head, then yes. Shouldn't you be, I don't know, answering phones right about now?"

"Touché!" Ashton hopped up on top of Katy's desk and dangling her legs off the edge. "I'm letting 'em all go to voice mail," she whispered as she placed a single finger on her lips. "Don't tell anyone." Katy just rolled her eyes and shook her head; she was one of the worst employees ever, but because of her impeccable good looks, and irresistible charm Katy figured that Ash would have job security far longer than she would.

"So how did Joey take it? Did he cry?"

"Yes."

Ashton gasped, "Oh my God! I knew it! What a total loser. Thank goodness you got rid of him; he was way too emotional."

"Tell me about it."

Katy thought for a moment about how lucky she was to have Ashton as a friend. If Ash hadn't been around, she probably would have gone insane and quit a long time ago.

"So what was the deal with Darren this morning?"

Katy coughed. "Nothing really, he was just being his usual dick self."

"I firmly believe it's because he fancies you," Ashton winked. "And I don't just mean for a shag."

"He probably does," Katy said, not really knowing whether she truly believed that or not; the likelihood of him actually harboring feelings for anyone was slim-to-none. "But that doesn't mean that it will ever happen."

"Well, technically..."

"Shut up, Ash. I mean again; it's not gonna happen, again."

"Well," Ashton looked over her shoulder and allowed her sights to set on Darren for a moment. He was leaning back in his office chair, throwing up and catching a baseball. He wasn't doing any real work; not that he ever did. "At least he's a fit bloke when his mouth's not open. Even you can admit that he's nice to look at."

"I guess."

"I think you two will find some way to get along or at least find a common ground to stand on. I mean, Katy, I know you really wanted that head of promotions gig, but if you don't at least suck it up a little, I'm afraid you won't have any position at all."

Katy nodded, "You're right, as usual. It's just…I just can't stand him."

"I gotta get back to my post; talk more during lunch?" Ashton hopped off the desk and walked away as soon as she got Katy's confirmation.

Katy powered up her computer and looked into Darren's office; he'd stopped playing catch with himself. Just as she'd predicted, he was walking over to play a song on the loudspeaker. Why did he have to be so damned predictable? All she could do was hope she would be able to block it out; she unlike some people around here, had deadlines coming up.

"I would like to dedicate this little diddy to Katy Harris." Darren announced, pretending to be a radio DJ, before pressing play on Annie Lennox's Walking on Broken Glass. "And for those of you too busy to hear it this first go around, no worries."

Katy looked at him smiling back at her and wanted to cringe. I hate him; I really hate Darren Strong.