“Like a grab,Emily! Like you grab something. Like you intentionally try to grab something.That’s what he did. To my boob.”And if I’mforced to say boob one more time today, I might scream.
“Holy shit! Whatare you going to do?”
“I tried to talk toHR earlier, but Doris is on a cruise for the next ten days. The Little Tuckeris filling in for her.”
“Yeah, well theLittle Fucker can go to hell.” Her outrage soothed some of my own. “Did you saysomething?”
I took a steadyingbreath. “I told him not to touch me again. But since I shouldn’t have had tosay that to begin with, who knows if he’ll listen.”
“He better listen!”
“I know.”
“Molly, what areyou going to do?” she asked for a second time.
“Do you have anyideas? Seriously, I’m open. At this point my only other option is to go to hisdad. But Henry is adamant that it was an accident. It’s his word against mine.”
“And mine,” sheadded. “I’m happy to speak up for you.”
“Except you weren’tthere,” I reminded her. “You’re only hearing my side of the story.”
She rolled hereyes.“Because your side of the story is the only one thatmatters.”
We fell silent,neither one of us having the right answer.
Eventually Idecided, “I’ll wait till Doris comes back and then I’ll tell her what happened.She’ll do something. It’s her job to do something.”
Emily nodded. “Andin the meantime, I’ll protect you from Junior. He’s not going to be able to getwithin fifty feet of you on my watch.”
The pressure in mychest eased up even though I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep her promise.Henry and I were in the middle of an important project together. There was noway I would be able to avoid him forever.But maybe for tendays?I could make it until Doris got back. Then I could decide what todo.
Emily walked me tomy car and I appreciated her kindness. I didn’t want to need help right now,but I did need it. Mostly, I just wanted to crawl back to my apartment andforget this day ever happened. But since I couldn’t do that, it was nice tohave a friend like Emily to walk alongside me.
And it was nice tohave the meeting with Ezra to look forward to, to give me something else tothink about. Maybe it would be less awful than the rest of my day. A girl couldhope anyway.
Chapter Seventeen
Bianca was alivewith dinner activity when I walked through the doors. Placed on the outskirtsof downtown in a recently redeveloped art district, the restaurant was tuckedbetween an old house that had been turned into an antique shop and a Frenchbakery (theFrench bakery) that wascurrently closed.
The restaurantitself was almost hidden behind vines of ivy twining over her brick front. A wroughtiron fence outlined a cute patio just to the side of the main doors. A menuboard stood at the entrance so people walking by could stop and check out whatthe special was.
I walked inside,nervous and uptight from a long day, but Bianca’s enchantment slowly began tochip away at the icy armor I’d been wearing for hours.
Immediately, myeyes fell on the focal point of the space, which was an oval bar in the centerof the dining room. A huge chandelier hung above it, shaped like a flower withdripping crystals glittering in the golden light. The flower theme continuedaround the room. Over every table was a hanging white pot with overflowingwhite flowers, dripping down the sides. The artwork was all white flowers,white shapes and buildings. White everything.
Since Ezra hadforced me to work with him, I’d been doing my research with each of hisrestaurants. Bianca meant white. So it was only appropriate that he’d paintedhis entire restaurant in it.
Even his hostesseswere dressed in white. UnlikeLilou, where everyonewore black.
I would have tovisitSaritanext. Just to see what color scheme he’dgone with.
Red I would guess.
The uninspired wallcaught my attention. Two of the four walls of the restaurant had windowsletting in light. The back wall hid the kitchen and was broken up by in and outdoors and the space for the bathrooms. But the fourth wall, the one to theright of the bar, was windowless and in desperate need ofsomething. It was even more obvious how badly it stuck out standingin the restaurant. Pictures didn’t do the tragic space justice.
My idea bloomedinto something more substantial with the dimensions in front of me. Bianca wasmodern, yet whimsical. Simple, yet completely charming.
“Are you meetingsomeone?” the hostess asked.
