AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterNineteen
“Working late again, I see.”
Penny looked up from her computer, bleary-eyed, exhausted. She blinked a couple of times, her contacts drier than the Sahara. They must have affected her vision because there was no way Matt Russo was standing next to her desk. She’d worked at Russo Enterprises for six years and she’d never seen Matt in IT. Not once. He’d declared this department Gage’s domain and steered clear.
“I, uh…yeah,” she replied stupidly.
“It’s Friday night. Most of the employees were sneaking out of here early, ready to get a jump on their weekend.”
Penny could attest to that personally. Gage had called Toby a couple hours earlier, inviting him and Rich out for lunch at Chives tomorrow with him and his brother, Conor. From that point on, work ceased as her two sweet, clueless friends stressed out over what to wear.
No wonder the three IT gurus were so tight. They were birds of a feather, social misfits, all of them failing to learn simple things like how to fit in because they’d spent all their formative years studying how to level up instead.
She’d offered advice, revealing that she’d been to the Enigma before, another swanky Russo establishment, though she didn’t admit it had been with Gage.
Once they’d gotten over their shock—assholes—that she’d been inside such a cool place, they’d grilled her relentlessly, seeking out every bit of information. Penny had answered all their questions patiently—and in great detail—because, while Gage had told her what to wear the night she’d gone to Enigma, she really hadn’t been prepared for a lot of the rest. She’d ordered the same drink as Keeley, and followed Liza’s lead on how to stand and flip her hair and survey the room casually.
And none of that had mattered, because she’d still fucked up with the dancing.
While she was sad that clearly she’d lost Gage as a friend, she was grateful that he’d listened to her in regard to Toby and Rich, not tossing them over with her. Of course, it sucked to be the one thrown out, because that meant Toby and Rich were going out tomorrow afternoon—with Gage—while, as was the norm, she’d be home. Alone. With her cats.
The fact that she had plans tomorrownight—the dreaded birthday party—offered zero consolation at all.
“Penny,” Matt prompted.
Shit. She’d drifted into outer space again. In front of her boss.
“Sorry, I’m, uh…I’ve been reviewing code for vulnerabilities and remediating it. I was hoping to make some headway before calling it a night.”
Matt nodded. And then, God help her, he pulled Toby’s rolling office chair from his desk closer to hers and sat down.
Were they going to have a real chat? About what?
Oh my God.
He knew about her and Gage. He had to. It could be the only explanation for this unheard-of visit.
“I must admit, I’d admire your work ethic,” he said.
He’d said as much at her annual review a couple of days earlier.
“Thank you.” Penny searched for something to say. Maybe if she could come up with some random yet fascinating conversational topic, she could distract him from…whatever the hell it was that had driven him down here.
She’d heard through the office grapevine that Connie in HR had been fired and escorted out of the building today. If the same was about to happen to her, at least it was after hours, so there would be fewer witnesses.
Small comfort, but still.
“So, um, are you going to Chives tomorrow with the other guys?” she asked, barely able to hide her slight wince.
Yeah. Great way to distract Matt on the subject of Gage.
Start a topicaboutGage. Jesus Christ.
Matt shook his head. “No. I wasn’t invited.”
“Oh.” Penny considered that. Apparently, Matt had been with Gage the one time she’d been at Enigma, according to Liza anyway, so it wasn’t like they didn’t get drinks together. “Why not?”
This time, she didn’t manage to hide her wince at all.
