At first, I was tongue-tied. I hadn't expected her to put the microscope on me so abruptly.
"Let's be honest here. Haven't you had your eye on Arthur?" she asked, motioning to him when I didn't answer. My chest tightened in astonishment as I scoffed. Carefully, I assessed the situation to make sure I kept my emotions to a minimum. She'd remember any weakness I showed.
I figured she was asking to see if I'd squirm, but she was in for her own surprise. I wasn't going to be silent. As I was about to speak, Arthur butted in.
"Pipe down, Catherine," he insisted. "There's nothing going on between us."
For a second, I felt derailed. Our relationship really wasn’t much—he wasn’t wrong about that. What am I even fantasizing about? I sighed.
"To answer your question," I interjected, "I don't have a mate, but I plan to find someone who is suitable for me in the future."
Catherine stared at me.
I noticed that Arthur's mouth turned down slightly in disappointment. That was strange.