Ken raised his eyebrow, "You were going to invite Kate? A woman you slept with, to sit alongside the woman you fancy?" He asked, feeling gobsmacked. This was a disaster waiting to happen.
Steve froze, his guilty expression thickening.
"Look man, I was going to tell you… That night, I didn't really sleep with Kate." He admitted.
"Excuse me?"
Looking a little uncomfortable, but at the same time filled with remorse, Steve began his explanation.
"That night I struck out time after time when hitting on girls at the party, even though Tara was a great wingman. I would say jokes, but only she would find them funny." He said, letting out a sigh.
Ken held his tongue, allowing his friend the time to speak. In reality, he didn't know how to feel after finding out that he was lied to, so he just listened silently.
"By the time I'd talked to 5 or so girls, I lost interest. Tara and I went outside and we began to talk, for hours. Eventually the party ended and we walked back to the dorm, but we still felt like talking for longer."
Steve continued, "You were fast asleep and Kate was at another party, so we went to her room and continued to chat. One thing led to another and well…" his voice trailed off.
"So when I saw you in the morning, you lied to my face?" Ken asked, his expression unreadable.
Steve's face paled slightly, but he still nodded. "I knew that you'd be mad, so I made up the most plausible excuse I could think of. I'm sorry."
For a moment, Ken felt betrayed. Steve was the closest person outside of his family and girlfriend. He even called him his brother, comforting him after what happened with Steph.
Ken continued his walk silently towards the dorms, his mind preoccupied. He didn't accept Steve's apology and left him standing on the spot.
Steve reached out for a brief moment as if he was going to call out something, but his hand lowered slowly and he remained silent, lowering his gaze. He could tell that Ken was hurt, likely more about the lie than the actual act itself.
But there was nothing that he could do now. Nothing would fix his mistake.
Ken arrived at the dorm by himself and stood outside of the door.
Knock Knock
A few moments later, a familiar face appeared.
"Oh, if it isn't the hot roommate. What can I do for you sir?" Kate said, leaning against the door frame and pushing out her chest slightly.
"I need to speak to Tara." He said flatly.
"Tch." Kate clicked her tongue in annoyance and turned, "Tara. Your boss wants to speak to you."
Tara poked her head from the other side of the door with a smile, however upon seeing Ken's expression, it faltered slightly.
'Oh crap.'
"What can I do for you Ken?" She asked, trying to hide the guilt from her tone.
"We need to talk."
"Sure thing, let me grab my laptop—"
"You won't need it." Ken said, turning on his heel and walking away.
"Ah…" Tara looked anxious, but she put on her shoes quickly and followed behind him.
The two arrived at the cafeteria where Ken got some food and loaded up his plate. He found a seat away from prying eyes and ears and said a quick prayer before tucking into his food.
Tara sat opposite him, her anxiety evident. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but there wasn't an opening during Ken's feasting. Thus she was forced to wait nervously until he was done.
'Did he find out what happened? Is he going to fire me?' she thought frantically.
After Ken finished his meal, he moved the plate aside and looked at the capable woman in front of him.
"3 weeks ago we sat in this cafeteria and talked about something. Can you remember the contents of the conversation?" Ken asked calmly.
Tara nodded, "We spoke about the University's request."
"And?"
A flicker of understanding flashed across Tara's eyes. She now knew why Ken had wanted to speak to her, but she felt a sinking feeling in her heart.
"And… My and Steve's relationship."
"Yes." Ken nodded, "So why did you lie to me? If I remember correctly, you said that it was strictly professional between you two."
Tara felt her face flush red with both embarrassment and guilt. She wanted to shout that it was none of his business, but that would be a lie. He had already been very accommodating, even suggesting that he was willing to look the other way unless it affected their business.
Yet she had indeed lied. What had been a single night of passion and vulnerability became a source of shame for her. The worst part was that she didn't feel guilty about the act itself, just what had come afterwards.
"I—I didn't want it to affect our working relationship." She admitted.
Ken shook his head, his disappointment evident. "Both you and Steve broke my trust. It is a painful pill to swallow, but I could have probably overlooked it. After all, I see the way he looks at you."
"I'm not so cold-hearted that I would deny my best friend's feelings just because things could become a little uncomfortable in the future."
Tara's eyes widened in shock, almost not believing what she was hearing. Her heart ached slightly as hope dawned on the horizon. But she didn't want to believe it, not yet.
"This is me drawing a line in the sand." Ken said, his expression serious. "If you have no feelings for Steve, I need you to make it known to him. He is a good guy and I don't want him constantly strung along or kept at arms length."
"But if you really have feelings for him… Let's cut all this cat and mouse crap."
Tara's head was lowered at first, but she raised her gaze, her eyes meeting Ken's as they filled with resolution.
"I'll speak with him."