“I’ll look for youremail later today.”
“Sounds good.”
He stuck out hishand once more and I tentatively reached for it. “Thank you for agreeing to workwith me, Molly.”
Holding his steadygaze, I felt the first authentic burst of confidence bloom inside me. “I hopeyou know what you’re getting yourself into, Ezra. I’m not going to go easy onyou.”
He leaned in,surrounding me with his delicious scent. “That is exactly why I want you.”
My mouth went dryat his words, dropping open with surprise. Thankfully, Ezra had already turnedaround and headed for the door. Tucker Junior just happened to be there.
Henry held the dooropen for Ezra. They chatted in the doorway and I overheard Henry offer to showEzra out. For some reason, I was relieved when Ezra declined.
It wasn’t that Ithought Ezra would take his business elsewhere should Junior decide to gethandsyin the elevator, but everything about Henry made me pricklyand I found myself wanting to spare Ezra from all that potential awkwardness.
“Look at you,superstar,” Henry crooned when Ezra finally walked away. “Two major clientsthis month. Someone’s on her way to the top.”
He’d blocked me in,resting his hip against the table Ezra and I had never sat down at.“Coincidence,” I told him.
“Maybe it’s hardwork,” he countered, giving me a look that made me feel sweaty. “Or maybe yourboss just likes to look at you.” This time he winked.
I laughednervously, trying to play it off. “Speaking of hard work…” I shuffled closer tothe wall. “I should get back to it.”
His expressionturned predatory. My shoulder brushed the wall as I tried to skirt around theroom, officially nervous around Henry. “That’s a good girl,” he murmured as Iwalked by him.
Just after I’dpassed him, he stood up. There was a moment when we were too close andsomething brushed over my butt. My heart started pounding and adrenaline kickedin. I walked quickly back to my desk, not breathing the entire time. But itwasn’t until I was at my desk that I finally let myself admit that he’d touchedmy butt.
Henry had patted meon the butt.
The space where wewere had been small though. It could have been an accident.
I stared blankly atmy computer screen for the next twenty minutes trying to decide what to do. Butthat didn’t lead to any answers. I had no precedent for this, no priorexperience with an inappropriate boss or coworker.
I didn’t see Henryagain for the rest of the day. He stayed in his office, and I stayed at my deskor escaped to the bathroom whenever I spotted him walking around.
By the end of theday, I’d convinced myself that I was making more of this than it was. I wasuncomfortable around Henry, but he hadn’t really done anything overt. He’d puthis hand on my shoulder. And maybe, accidentally bumped my butt. He was alwayspolite. Always nice. He’d picked me to be on Black Soul out of an office ofmore experienced designers.
I would just workharder to keep my distance. I wouldn’t get caught in conference rooms with himor put myself in potentially compromising positions. And I would make myintentions clear. I didn’t want him touching me. I would definitely tell himthat next time.
Definitely.
And in the meantime,I would throw all of my energy into Black Soul and EFB Enterprises. I would bethe best damn social media strategist in the city. Nay, the state! And I woulddesign the crap out of my logos and promo pics.
Ezra Baptiste wouldbe grateful he hired me, but that would be it. I could finish his project andthen finally be done with him. Plus, his company would look amazing in myportfolio. Okay, it wasn’t ideal to work for Vera’s fiancé’s best friend. But,I would turn this into a positive opportunity.
Black Soul would begreat too. Sure, my part was much smaller in that project, but I would still beable to put all the final work in my portfolio and use it to build thefoundation of a stable, lifelong career.
This was all goingto work out. It would be fine.
I would be fine.
And starting nextmonth, I would stop lying to myself.
Chapter Twelve
My phone buzzedwith an incoming email and I resisted the urge to check it during the middle ofspin class. I could wait to open it. I didn’t need to know what it said justthis second.
Really, it would befine.
