“I wouldn’t know anything about that,” I lied.
Susan tsked, but she should have realized this would be difficult. Everyone realized if you said something to her, she’d print it before the ink dried on her notebook.
“You don’t have a dress appointment at the bridal shop in Clearwater later this month?” she pried, but I’d learned to school my facial expressions years ago. You didn’t grow up in Pelican Bay without the skills needed to look innocent. Little did she know, I started the rumor about Tabitha using the shop in Clearwater, but it wasn’t true.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” That wasn’t so much a lie. It wasn’t until she mentioned it when I remembered I had a date with Tabitha to go pick out dresses. Shit. Lately things had slipped my mind. Thankfully, I’d written it on my calendar days ago. I had a crapton on my plate currently.
Things like a ton of self-loathing regarding Pierce and his now ex-fiancée.
“I want someone to give me the inside details of the wedding before it happens, and I’m willing to pay.”
I turned my head in Susan’s direction with my mouth hanging open. Wow, she’d gotten blatant. The paper must really want the scoop on Tabitha and Ridge. “No. I would never diss a friend that way.”
She held out a small piece of white paper between us and I took it only to get her to go away. “Think on it. I heard you need money and I’ll make the information worth your while.”
I stood completely still, trying not to crush my cup of punch or throw it in her face as she turned and walked away.
Fuck. Did the entire town know I’d lost my job? Hours at the doctor’s office had dwindled for the last few months. I’d only been a part-time office manager the last year as my boss grew closer to retirement, but I’d been officially let go when he closed the office a few weeks earlier. I’d barely had time to call the unemployment office.
Who would have told?
When it came to my life, only one person enjoyed seeing me flounder.
Pierce Kensington.
When I saw him again, I’d rip him a new one. What was he thinking telling people I lost my job? Just because I asked for a small extension on my rent payment didn’t give him the right to go and tell people about my issues. It’s not like he’d miss a meal if he didn’t get my six hundred dollars.
The plastic cup crinkled in my fingers as I squeezed it tightly and tossed it in the trash before I created a mess. It was time to find Paul and get the hell out of here. I’d had enough of Pelican Bay for the night.
Pierce, with his stupid striking blue eyes and perfectly gelled hair, leaned up against the wall outside the cafeteria talking on his cell phone as I walked out the door. Of course, he wouldn’t go far.
Paul could wait for a moment. There were things I needed to say to Pierce. Business to deal with ASAP. I stopped right in front of him and gave him my best glare, but he only smiled as he continued listening to whoever he’d been talking with on the other end of the call.
I snapped my fingers in his face and pointed to the janitor’s closet we left less than thirty minutes ago. This confrontation needed privacy.
This stupid smile on his face grew. “I’ll have to call you back later, Jerome. Something important popped up just now.”
I didn’t even wait until he finished disconnecting the call before I pushed him on the shoulder toward the closet. “We need to talk.”
Pierce chuckled. “But Katy, I thought you didn’t want to be caught in the closet with me?”
Flames danced around Pierce’s face in my imagination. If only I had magical abilities, I’d set him on fire rather than just imagining his demise in my fantasies. “How dare you tell people I lost my job, Pierce Kensington?”
His face fell, but only for a fraction of a second. “Katy, I haven’t told anyone.”
I marched over to the closet and held the door open. “Get inside,” I said. If he thought this would be the end of what I had to say, he was dead wrong.
Pierce never took his eyes off me as he sauntered to the closet as if he wanted people to see us. Because that’s what I needed, more gossip surrounding Pierce and me. He’d made it halfway to the door when I turned, readying myself to duck into the closet and give Pierce a thorough yelling.
My gaze swept into the open space, which appeared different than it did earlier. The lights from the hallway didn’t brighten it as much as earlier.
No.
I didn’t see what I thought I saw.
No way.
Not here.
