The Kiss that Sparked it All

Regina emerged into the sunlight, her presence causing Dahlia to instinctively smooth out the wrinkles in her demeanor along with her skirt as if trying to brush away the dust of conflict.

“What am I doing here? Really, Regina, is it not blatantly obvious to you? Perhaps you’d rather reflect on your recent escapades?”

Regina’s smile twitched; “Dahlia, aren’t you sticking your nose a bit too far? Since when do I owe you a rundown of my comings and goings? We’re hardly more than interviewer and interviewee.”

“Look, we didn’t have much to do with each other, true, but then you went and snatched my boyfriend like a slice of Thanksgiving pie! That makes it very much my business. How could you be so shameless? I was with him for years, and there was never another woman. Then you show up, and suddenly he’s gone. You’ve got a heart of stone! Does your family know about this? Would your mother not turn in her grave with shame?”

Regina felt a flush creep up her neck even though she hadn’t done what Dahlia accused her of, especially since her mother had passed away long ago. What was Dahlia implying?

“Forcing me to admit to something I haven’t done? Who do you think you are, Dahlia? A judge? You have no right to decide I took your beau, especially since you haven’t even told me who he is! How can I steal a man when I don’t even know who I’m supposed to have stolen?”

Regina struggled to keep her composure, but Dahlia blurted out a name that struck a chord: Nolan.

“That’s absurd. You two were never an item,” said Regina.

With a confident stride, Dahlia closed the distance, her poise unshaken. “And who told you we weren’t together? Since when do men disclose every little detail? If we weren’t a thing, how come I was all over

his office like icing on a cake? Ever seen anyone else waltz in there like they owned the place?

Do you even know when his birthday is? His favorite dish? You know nothing, Regina. So how can you claim I’m not his girlfriend?”

Dahlia had chosen the lobby for this showdown, banking on the traffic of curious onlookers. Sure enough, colleagues had begun to gather, their natural attraction to drama keeping them rooted to the spot.

“Hey, who are they talking about?”

“Looks like we’ve got another love triangle. What kind of man has these two beauties at each other’s throats?”

“Shh, I heard Nolan’s name. They can’t be serious, can they? Nolan just got hitched, didn’t he? No way he’s mixed up with them.”

Another onlooker gasped at the mention of Nolan’s name, “No way, is Mrs. Harris one of them?”

“Goodness, New Blossom Press is quite the talent pool to have Nolan’s wife in our midst!” “Quiet down, will you? They’re still hashing it out.”

As Dahlia pressed her, Regina retreated step by step. She really didn’t know. The marriage certificate between Nolan and herself was a product of her father’s pressure, not passion. Doubt crept into Regina’s mind. Could it be that Nolan had already been with Dahlia? Why hadn’t he said anything?