“I sent a message to my assistant. She’ll take care of everything.” She’s always harping on me to take some time off, saying things like “A day off now and then is good for your health, Mr. Adler.” She also loves to tell me I need to “Stop and smell the roses. Mr. Adler.” I’ve heard that expression before, just never directed at me.
She’s right. I need to take time to smell the roses. And by roses, I mean Willa. And by smell, I mean spend time withher. She’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. Hands down.
* * *
As Willa madea to-do list as long as my arm, I showered and dressed in dark gray slacks and a white dress shirt. Since I’m not sure what her plans are, I grabbed the matching jacket and a tie, just in case.
Back in the kitchen, I lean my ass against one of the cabinets and watch her. Her hair is up in a simple bun, and she’s got on some makeup today and lipstick in a soft shade between pink and red. She’s so pretty it makes my heart hurt, a little. That may not make any sense, but it’s not due to sadness, I think it’s because I’m happy that she’s here and thrilled that she’s getting herself back on track.
“I’m ready.” I look up to see her smiling at me. She’s wearing a plain blouse that looks to be blue-gray and a baggy skirt that, well, goes almost down to her ankles. It’s not super attractive because it covers her up too much.
“What’s on the agenda first?”
“Lawyer. I’ve got a ten o’clock appointment with the lawyer you recommended.”
This lawyer was the college buddy of mine, Jason Stapleton. He’s a good guy. “You mentioned my name, right?”
She nods. “Of course. How do you think I got in so fast?”
“Good.” Name dropping never hurts, am I right?
“Did you get to talk to the human resources woman at the start-up?”
“I left a message.” She side-eyes me as we walk to the door. “I explained what I needed in vague terms. Hopefully, she’ll call me back.”
“I’m sure she will.” I’m not sure in the least, but I hope.
I offer to wait in reception while Willa meets with Jason, but she insists I sit in on the meeting where I do my best to keep my mouth shut. If Willa wants me to add anything to the conversation, she’ll ask me.
She doesn’t need me here. She’s got her notes, the information from Bonnie, and every incident with Spencer documented on her computer, like all the times he asked her out to dinner and lunch and when he’d hover behind her in her office and how that made her feel. Just hearing about those incidents makes me want to hunt him down and beat the living shit out of him.
When she starts reciting dates and times along with the things Spencer said, my mouth was agape, and I had to know. I interrupt the meeting to ask, “You documented everything?”
Her expression makes me laugh. She looks at me like I’m an idiot. “My dad was a cop. Of course I documented everything.”
Makes sense now that she puts it that way.
Nodding, I say simply, “Cool.”
“So, tell me about this job interview?” Willa had mentioned the job she thought she had. As she was starting to retell the story, her phone rings. Looking down at her screen, she says, “This is her, the woman from that start-up. Do you mind if I take the call?”
“No.” Jason leans over his desk like he wants to hear for himself. “Take it.”
“Hello?” Willa says into the phone.
Since neither Jason nor I can hear what she’s saying, I do my best to follow along.
“Thank you for returning my call.” She pauses. “I was curious. After my interview, did you happen to contact my former employer, McAllister?”
I wish this was on speaker so we could hear.
“Mm-hmm.” Willa’s nodding. “Do you remember who you spoke to?”
Oh, I know who she talked to. My gut tells me Willa got screwed.
“I know this is extremely irregular, but is there any way you could tell me what she said? About me? My job performance? Anything that can help me understand.”
When her mouth slowly opens and stays there. I know it’s bad. Her voice cracks, “Really? She saidthat?”
