Oh my god. Is it the secret fuckboy?
With a smile, I mouth,Can we catch up?
She replies with a silent,Lunch?
I give her a thumbs-up and brace myself to go into the office. Is Grant even in yet?
Just then Klaus and Blake round the corner from the kitchen.
“Look, Rae.” Klaus stomps right up to me. “This has got to stop.”
“This?”
“Work Daddy,” Blake says, like I’m a fool. “We need him gone. Stat.”
“Uh, why?”
“We’ll all be out of work soon ’cause of him,” says Klaus. “I saw the investors’ meeting in Dorothy’s schedule.”
“He’s here to screw us.” Blake sounds as certain as I’ve ever heard her.
“I don’t think—”
Klaus leans in and stage-whispers, “He’s a hedge fund guy, isn’t he? Dammit, Rae, I really wanted to see you two get dirty, but…”
“We’re shutting down the office pool,” says Blake.
I look from her to Klaus. “The what?”
“You know. The betting. You and Work Daddy.”
I groan. “Listen to me, you two. Grant is not here for your jobs.”
“How do you know?” asks Blake.
I open my mouth and shut it, look down at the outfit I chose today—to tease this ostensibly bad guy—and make a decision. “Have either of you done something wrong?”
Blake looks abruptly down at the floor, guilt scrawled all over her features.
“Definewrong,” says Klaus.
“Something fireable.” When that doesn’t have an effect, I roll my eyes and add, “By Dorothy. Have you done anything that our boss, Dorothy, would fire you for?”
“Uh, no.”
“Obviously not.”
“Well then, you’re good. Relax.”
“Really?” Blake eyes Klaus, who looks over at where Sam, still on the phone, shrugs.
“You sure?”
I swallow, remembering the sweetness of Grant on the phone last night, the affection in his voice, and come to a decision. “I’m sure. Grant’s a good guy.” A pause, and then I jump in feetfirst. “I promise.”
I need a minute in the restroom after that confrontation. When I walk back through the lobby, Sam is still on the phone. Something’s going on there. Something more than just a married guy. Which I’ll be getting to the bottom of, as soon as she and I get a chance to talk.
She ignores my look.
