I grinned. “You really are the best friend a girl could have. I’ll pay for the gas.”
“You’re on.”
I took a deep breath. I hated breaking a promise, which signing an NDA was, but they all had people to talk to—it was a no-brainer that Stephanie and Knight Senior had consulted with lawyers, the other directors, and each other before they roped me into this. I was in this alone.
And so was Curtis. Which was the first time I thought of it that way. If he was innocent of any wrongdoing, he was floating around the blackness of space just as I was. Okay, so he might be guilty, but still, I had to consider all options.
“Okay. Here goes.” I told her about my lack of choice in taking the new position and what they expected me to do. I also explained that someone was sabotaging the company, and that Stephanie had hinted Curtis might be in on it. I told her Curtis had also been accused of creepy behavior by a prospective client via social media and a former employee.
She pursed her lips, thinking. “Right, okay.” Her lawyer mind processed for another minute. “Has he ever done anything creepy toward you?”
“No. He’s just been cranky the whole time. I think he hates me… well, I did until last night.”
Her eyes widened. “What happened last night?”
“A guy tried to buy me a drink and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He grabbed me, and before I could decide how to handle it, there was Curtis, throwing a punch. After that, chaos broke out, and we bolted. Jack and Curtis gave me a lift home, at which point Curtis was….” Sexy, intense, giving me mixed signals? “Kinder than before. The point is, I have to figure out whether what I’m pretty sure Stephanie hinted at about Curtis is true or if it’s someone else, and if so, whom. If I don’t have any information, I doubt his aunt and father will believe me if I tell them he’s innocent… or guilty.” I couldn’t ignore the fact that I really had no idea—it could go either way. “And if we don’t get the answers, I’ll be out of a job.”
“Who’s the client accusing him?”
“I don’t know. A young singer.”
“How did everyone find out?”
“There were a couple of rumors on social media, but I didn’t check it out thoroughly.”
“Hmm….” She lifted her legs and sat cross-legged, as if she was on the floor. “Which accounts did they lose?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you should start with those and find out who nabbed them. Chances are, if there’s only one company benefitting from Knight’s losses, they have something to do with it. And we need to do a deep dive on those rumors.” She stood. “I’m going for my run. I’ll grab us some munchies on the way back, and then we’re going to investigate. I won’t let you lose your job, and I agree that you need to find the truth one way or the other.”
The mild feeling of panic itching under my skin dissipated. I hadn’t realized how stressful carrying this all by myself was. It was so much better to have someone to bounce the scenario off and to remind me that we could figure it out. “Thank you. You really are the best.”
She grinned. “I know.”
I stood and gave her a hug. “If you go past Freddie’s, can you get me a large chocolate donut with sprinkles?”
“Does Mark have a small penis?” She raised her hand, held her forefinger and thumb an inch apart, and squinted at it, then grinned. “Of course I can.”
CHAPTER 18
CURTIS
Monday morning, and I’d been so busy working on Marvin’s campaign, I’d hardly seen Donut Girl. Not that I wanted to.Ha, lies. I stood and tilted my head side to side, cracking the kinks out. I’d worked on the campaign all weekend, staying up until one both nights, and tonight would be the same.
I’d taken on the impossible, but I had to find a way to make it work, or I was done. And in the meantime, I didn’t have time to find out why we were losing clients and who was behind the false accusations against me. I couldn’t even ask for Aunt Steph’s help because she did whatever my father said, even if she didn’t agree. He always managed to bully everyone into his way. He used guilt with Mom and Aunt Steph. With us kids, he used insults, making sure that any self-esteem we had was just enough to get our jobs done but not enough for us to believe we could make it without him.
I knew this. Why did I buy into it?
My buzzer sounded just as my door opened. Victoria strode in, smiling. “Curt, darling. I have to run something by you. It needs to be signed off in an hour.”
I frowned and opened my mouth to ask why she thought she could barge in—friend or no friend, I always showed her courtesy in the office, and I expected the same—when Faith appeared at the door. A pair of black tailored pants hugged her hips and flared out a bit halfway down her shin. I itched to run my palm over those curves.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Knight. I hope it’s okay that I didn’t have time to announce Miss Worthington.” She was very diplomatic—I’d give her that. Except I didn’t miss her struggle to get the irritated look off her face when she glanced at Victoria, who was already seated on my couch with her laptop.
I held in my smile. I was ridiculous, truly. Just seeing Faith made me feel somehow lighter. Maybe I was lacking sanity, and I should just quit. Either way, this would all be over one way or another soon—I’d keep my job, and she’d go back to marketing, or I’d lose my job, and I’d never see her again. I just needed to keep my moronic crush in check until then. I really had no ounce of self-preservation. “That’s okay, Faith.”
“Also, I’m ready to take notes.” Before I could tell her no, she walked in with her laptop and shut the door. She sat on one of the chairs in front of my desk and set herself up, avoiding my gaze. She was like a four-year-old, thinking if she couldn’t see me, then I couldn’t see her. Whether she was here to take notes for me or for my father, I couldn’t say, but I’d let it slide. Irritation flared in my gut, but this was an unimportant meeting. She could win this round.
