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That did it.
The coffee brewed. And so did I.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, resting my back against the counter and folding my arms. Staring them down.
Charity smiled sweetly. “Nothing,” she said, elbowing Gale.
The older woman had the decency to look ashamed before turning her attention back to the half-eaten salad in her Tupperware.
Isla, however, didn’t back down. She lifted her chin.
“You and Duncan,” she said.
Charity shushed her. Gale’s eyes darted back and forth, but Isla kept her gaze directly on me.
An invisible hammer struck me right in the chest, but I didn’t back down. “There is no me and Duncan.”
How any of them could think otherwise was beyond me. They saw how short he was with me. Did they think it was a ruse? Just because he called me into his office and closed the door so we could discuss his business needs.
Keyword:business.
Just because I’d outlasted every other assistant he’d had thus far. That didn’t mean there was anything more going on between us.
Soap operas weren’t enough for these sharks, though. They had to imagine the real thing was taking place before their very eyes.
“You can’t expect us to believe that,” Isla said, lowering her fork. “We see the way you look at each other when you think no one is watching. It’s okay to admit it. We’re all friends here.” She lifted her hands as though displaying the latest prize onThe Price Is Right.
Sure they were.
Last I checked, friends didn’t spread rumors or speculate nastily behind your back. Friends invited people to do things with them or asked how they were doing, two things none of these women had ever done for me. Charity and I volleyed the occasional niceties, but that was the extent of our acquaintance.
And for the record, there was nolooking.
“I’m his assistant,” I said. “He has me handle his private affairs. That is why the door was closed.”
Too late, I heard the word as it left my lips. I saw the interest spark in their eyes. They exchanged glances and snickers.
“Privateaffairs,huh?” Isla said, nudging her friend. “Sounds about right.”
Gale snorted beside her. I wanted nothing more than to storm out, but the coffee maker behind me made its usual noise. Instead, I did the next best thing. I turned my back on them.
My hand shook as I reached for the coffee maker, but I managed to pour it without spilling. I returned the pot to its stand, realizing too late that the chatter in the breakroom had died down again.
“Hello, Mr. Hawthorne,” one of the women cooed behind me. “That is a great tie.”
He grunted some kind of response. I heard his footsteps cross the room. I heard soft whispers and muffled giggles. And then the footsteps stopped.
“You done yet?” he said.
Already on edge, I rounded on him, ready to let him have it in front of everyone else. The problem was, I moved too quickly. And he was standing right. Next. To. Me.
That wasn’t the worst of it.
The mug in my hand struck his chest. Coffee sloshed over the mug’s edge, stinging my hand. To my horror, a large splotch colored his shirt and the purple paisley tie one of the women had just complimented.
Right where his heart should be.
Duncan released a hiss and grimaced. “Oof. Good shot.”
