Page 20 of Dark Holiday

Her brow crinkles in thought. “I’m honestly not sure. I know he had papers in his hand, so maybe he went there too?”

Stifling a curse under my breath, I storm out of the wing. If John thinks he’s going to sniff around my girl, catching her when she’s alone, he’s got another think coming. If I have to, I’ll chain her to my side, taking her to every meeting.

Soft sobs reach my ears the closer I get to the room, and my vision fuzzes for a moment. Spots of white flash in front of me as I tear inside, ready to kill John if needed. Instead, it’s just Cindy sitting on the floor, a pile of papers scattered about her.

Looking closer, I noticed globs of black flung across the room, speckling her until she resembles a Dalmatian. Clamping my hand over my mouth, I stifle the laugh threatening to roar out of me. She looks so sad, so sullen. Tipping her head up, she pins me with her teary gaze, nearly shattering my heart.

“It exploded.” I bite my lower lip as she looks around the room, hurt bewilderment etched into her face. “I don’t understand. I followed John in here to watch him….” She pauses for a moment before looking at her palm. “I-I took notes.”

Humor begins to give way to irritation as I stare at the scribbles littering her hand. “You didn’t have any paper?”

Again she glances down at the documents I gave her. “I didn’t want to mess up your files.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I breathe in deep, counting to five. “We’re in a copy room, and you couldn’t find paper?”

“Oh.” Her cheeks pinken as she looks around again. “Oh.”

“Yes. Oh. You do understand that you’re the face of me. Right? You and your appearance are a direct reflection. I thought that was made abundantly clear last night.”

“You did, but it was an accident!” Cindy’s voice wavers a bit, hysteria lacing her tone.

“This,” I emphasize, motioning about the room, gesturing towards the kerfuffle, “was an accident. This,” I grab her hand, bending her finger back a touch to arch up her palm, “was not. That right there is the result of you not thinking through your actions. Bathroom.”

“But I -.”

“Bathroom!”

“If I could just expl-.”

“One.”

Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t move.

“Two.”

She’s like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Young lady, you really do not want me to get to three.”

“Please-.”

“Three.” Ignoring her protests, I grab her by the wrist, keeping as far away as I can lest I be as smudged as she is, and drag her down the hall towards the bathroom she used yesterday to get herself off in.

Slamming the door open, I look in each stall, ensuring our privacy before locking the door. I reach over to the sink to turn it on, waiting for a moment to ensure the water is at least warm. Cindy stands there, a quivering lump as I prepare the water. “Strip.”

“Da-Daniel, please.”

I freeze, pinning her with my icy glare in the mirror. “I have made the rules very clear, Cynthia. What are you to address me as?”

“Sir?”

“Louder, please. I refuse to strain to hear your voice.”

“You told me to call you, Sir. But this is ridiculous! We grew up together, Daniel. We went to fucking high school together.”

“That’s two. You want to add one more?” She clamps her lips shut, glaring at me. “I believe I told you to strip.”

“Go to hell. I’m not playing your sick games anymore.”