Those are the only three words that echo through my mind. One moment I’m being fired while simultaneously calculating how I’m going to cover this month’s portion of the rent with Mya.
The next moment, Andreas Knight is intervening?
What is going on?
Rebecca and I both stand there stunned into silence as Andreas Knight makes his unapologetic declaration.
“What did you just say?” Rebecca asks as if daring him to repeat his words.
Andreas doesn’t hesitate. “I believe you heard me.”
My mouth falls open when Andreas backs his bold claim up by fully entering and closing the door behind him.
“Even if you were firing someone at the moment, which you’re not, you could’ve at least closed the door for privacy.”
Rebecca stands there for a beat, looking just as stunned as I feel. There’s no hint of humor or joking in Andreas’ voice. Gone is the guy known as one of Hollywood’s most charming and affable young actors.
He’s replaced by a man who takes no shit. It’s as if, within a matter of seconds, this office has transformed from Rebecca’s office to his space.
Andreas owns this room.
But Rebecca isn’t one to give up her spot easily. “I beg your pardon?” She folds her arms across her chest in a move meant to convey her level of pissed off.
“We don’t have to do this,” Andreas says cooly. “You and I both know it was her,” he nods at me, “who saved you during this morning’s fitting.”
My skin burns from the scathing look she sends my way. Geeze, you would’ve thought I’d stolen this woman’s boyfriend or something.
“No,” Andreas continues. “Don’t look at her. She didn’t tell anyone that it was your mistake that the intern had the wrong shirt delivered for today’s fitting. But it was your assistant …” He stops and then looks at me.
I blink and blink again.
He’s still staring.
It takes way too long for me to realize he’s waiting for me to fill in the silence with my name.
“Ivy,” I finally say.
His green eyes flicker with something I have no words for.
“Ivy,” he says, as if testing it out. “Like the poison.”
An odd tremor courses through me.
“No, not poison, just …” I trail off because I don’t even know how to end that sentence.
“Your assistant, Ivy, was the one who picked up on the errors. Not your intern and not you. So, in what world does it make any sense to fire the person who fixed the situation before it even became a problem?”
He pauses, the silence demanding an answer from Rebecca.
My heart sinks even further than it already had. I know she’s going to take whatever this conversation is out on me.
“I’d think you would want to promote her, or hell, give Ivy a raise for saving your ass down there.”
Rebecca inhales sharply, but I’m too busy fending off the butterflies that suspiciously started at hearing him say my name again.
He’s an actor. He’s acting,I remind myself, though the question of who or what he’s acting for immediately comes to mind. I don’t have an answer to those questions. There aren’t any cameras in here. No one to play a role for.
“She’s only a week into her probationary period,” Rebecca tersely replies.
