"Other than that, how are you holding up?" Traci asks.
"What do you mean?"
"That article? About Elliot and his ex-slash-stepmom?"
My smile falters. "Oh. Well … it is what it is." I didn't think about my coworkers reading the article. I should have.
"Don't worry," Traci says. "Most people here don't take that stuff too seriously."
"Really?"
"Oh, sure. Look at the kind of rich and famous clients we have. Dirty gossip is par for the course."
That relieves me somewhat. Elliot isn't famous the way his actor brother is, but he is in the public eye. The elevator reaches our floor and we part, me heading for Jana's office, and her for Gavin's.
Jana's standing at her desk, looking down at a readout. She's in a black jumpsuit, paired with a patent leather belt with a golden buckle. Her fingernails are a glossy red, and stilettos add over three inches to her height. She studies me for a moment, and I shift my weight.
"Is … there something wrong?" I ask.
"No. There are your tasks." She gestures at one of the smaller tables near her desk. A sticky note is on top of a pile of papers. "Get them done before lunch."
"Sure. Do you need to me to make an appointment?"
"Hmm?"
"For lunch?"
She shakes her head. "Not necessary. The restaurant I go to always has a table for me."
"Got it."
I grab everything from the table and take it to my cubicle outside her office. Most of the stuff is related to the surprise treasury dump from Friday. Guess she didn't get to her "prior engagement."
I finish filing all the papers and proofread a prospectus for grammatical errors and typos. Suddenly I'm aware of someone watching me.
"You look super sexy when you're working." Elliot grins.
My mouth parts. He's the last person I expected to see. And he looks pretty sexy himself in a casual chocolate-colored shirt and expertly tailored slacks. As I drink him in a hot flame ignites within me, as though we didn't spend way too much time in the shower together earlier this morning.
"What are you doing here?" I start to get up, but he waves at me to stay seated. "You have an appointment with Pete?"
"Nope. Just happened to be in the area and thought … why not drop by?" He hands me a basket of sunny yellow daisies. "To brighten your Monday."
"It's already bright with you here."
"Well, yes. But for when I'm gone."
The unexpectedly boyish grin leaves me breathless. Without thinking, I stand and give him a kiss on the mouth.
"When's your lunch break?" he asks, his gaze on my lips.
"Can't. Jana's taking me out."
"So cancel."
"Elliot! You know I can't do that. You'll just have to be patient until tonight."
"You are a cruel, cruel woman, Mrs. Reed."
I tap the center of his chest with a gentle finger. "If you come by tomorrow, maybe I can arrange something."
He gives me an exaggeratedly lusty look that makes me giggle. I start to say something, but then realize that murmurs are welling up around us.
My coworkers are swiveling their heads and looking toward the hall leading to the elevator bank. I let my gaze wander in the same direction, wondering if someone super famous is leaving.
I gasp. It's Dennis, with a security guard on each side of him. Holding a box, my ex drags himself forward. His face is bloodless, his lips pressed so tight they have no color. Strong emotion shines in his unblinking eyes.
"Oh my god," I whisper.
Elliot moves closer and puts a hand around my waist. I lean into him, but I can't stop staring at Dennis. What happened? He's too careful to screw things up badly enough to be fired.
He stops, then suddenly turns around and gazes at the cubicles and offices. Some people look away, but not everyone. His eyes meet mine, and hatred blazes in them. A corner of his mouth twitches, then he actually snarls.
His inarticulate fury lances me all the way to the core. Shaking, I take a step back. Elliot's arm tightens around me.
The guards pull Dennis into a waiting elevator. He doesn't exactly resist, but he keeps his burning eyes on me the entire time. Finally, the doors close.
The whole event took no more than a minute, but it felt like forever. My legs trembling, I plop down rather ungracefully into my seat.
Elliot crouches in front of me. "You all right? You look a little pale."
I blink and drag in a breath. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just … surprised."
"Why?"
"He's just an intern. What did he do so wrong that he's being humiliated like that?"
Elliot snorts. "My take? He's overly ambitious and too impatient. It takes years of hard work to make something of yourself, but he wasn't willing to wait."