Page 97 of Solo

Thursday May 4th 7:22 a.m.

K: Where ARE you? I’ve been trying to call you…

K: I’m on my way to your office. I’ll go in the back entrance

Chapter Forty-Five

Drew

The familiar ping of a text sounds and I’m about to dig my cell out of my bag when Maureen sticks her head into my office.

“Drew, may I have a word?” she asks.

“Oh, good morning, Maureen. I was just putting the finishing touches on the opening comments for my tenure presentation.”

She looks over her shoulder before coming in and closing the door. I offer her a seat but she shakes her head.

“Drew, the tenure meeting’s been canceled.”

The phone ping turns into a phone ring. I grab it, glance at the screen and mute it. Katherine’s going to have to wait a few minutes while I get this sorted and get Maureen out of my office so I can return her call in private.

“When has it been moved to?” I ask, starting to flip through the calendar on my desk. “Is it still this month?”

She closes her eyes and rubs the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb. After a long pause, she looks up at me again.

“I’m going to ask you a question and I need for you to be completely honest with me. All right?”

Uh-oh. I do not like the sound of this, or the fact that she just dodged my question.

“Uh, sure. What is it, Maureen?”

She takes a long pause, draws a deep breath, and finally asks.

“Drew, are you having a sexual relationship with Kate Brenner?”

I don’t even realize I’m holding my breath until it comes out of me in one big, blustering puff.

“I—uh—why are you asking me that question, Maureen?”

“Is it true, or not?”

In the split second I have to consider my answer, I weigh the pros and cons of lying versus coming clean. Turns out the latter weighs more than the former, at least in this instance.

“Yes,” I say in a whisper.

She’s looking at me as if she’d like to wrap her hands around my throat.

“What. Were. You. Thinking?” she hisses, chewing off each word individually. “Do you have any idea what kind of a liability you’ve exposed us to? She could sue us for sexual harassment. And, considering your contentious relationship over the years, she’d win. Easily.”

Is that all she’s worried about? I shake my head confidently.

“She wouldn’t do that. She’d never do that.”

Maureen cocks an eyebrow. “What makes you so sure?”

“I just am,” I say.

“Really, Drew? Then how do you explain this?” she asks unfolding the newspaper and holding it up for me to see.