“I’ll be right outside to walk you out, Carl.” I glanced at my watch. “I have a meeting in five minutes, so make it fast.”
He threw me an icy glare, and I ignored it, walking out of the office and softly closing the door behind me even though every part of me screamed to leave it open. Something had happened between them, and from Tori’s frigid movements, I suspected it was one-sided. I leaned against the wall, catching Liv’s attention in the office across from Tori’s.
She creased her brows and mouthed, “What are you doing?”
Shaking my head, I loosened my fists, which were balled tightly in my irritation at Carl Bradman. Tori’s voice came through the wall, raised and angry, and I fought my need to barge in.
The door opened a few minutes later, and I lifted from the wall.
“Remember what I said, Victoria.”
“How could I forget? Goodbye, Carl.”
“Let’s see you out,” I told him, leading him back to the elevators. “Call ahead next time, and I might have more time to chat.”
“Of course.” He looked back to Tori’s office as the elevator opened.
I placed my hands on the doors to keep them from closing and leaned into the elevator. “And we’ll leave Victoria out of it next time, understood.”
His teeth ground as he eyed me. “Understood.”
I stepped back and let the doors close, keeping my eyes locked on his until he was gone.
“That was intense,” Paula, our secretary, said.
“Something like that. Do me a favor, call security and have them make sure he leaves.” I didn’t want him hanging around waiting for Tori to leave.
“Got it,” she said, picking up the phone.
I heard her talking to Bruce at the front desk while I walked back to Tori’s office.
Tori had her back to the door, her sight on something out the window.
“Mind telling me about that?” I asked, crossing my arms as I leaned on the doorframe.
“Yes,” she replied without turning around.
“I’m assuming the NDA isn’t for trade secrets.”
“Go away, Gabe.”
I walked into her office and stood in front of her, leaving her no choice but to look at me.
“What?” she huffed.
“Did he hurt you?”
A flash of emotion confirmed my suspicion, and my urge to hurt the man increased.
“I need to get back to work.” She turned her chair and refocused on her computer.
“Secrets?” I asked.
“I guess you know how it feels now.”
The remark stung, but I accepted the pain, knowing she had every right to aim her anger at me.
I left her office, muttering, “I suppose I do,” as I walked out.
