The tips of Marcus's ears turned a blotchy crimson. "Well, yes, I suppose there's that," he muttered before swiftly changing the subject.
Rune took a slow sip of her drink, letting the moment hang. Dorian's profile showed his detachment, like he was somewhere far away. That, more than Marcus's arseholery, made her see red.
Marcus, perhaps trying to recover, launched into an anecdote about an "absolutely stunning" woman he'd met at a gala, as if her only notable trait had been the dress she wore and bra cup size. He then went on to complain about how all women were gold diggers.
Rune kept her eyes on her plate, resisting the urge to point out that any woman who was ready to put up with him needed to be paid his weight in gold. She kept waiting for Dorian to shut him down – he never tolerated this kind of talk in the office, but he said nothing. The longer it went on, the closer Marcus was to wearing his coffee rather than drinking it.
As they left, Marcus said with a grin, "Mind if I borrow your lovely secretary sometime?"
"She'll be without a job soon," Dorian replied smoothly. "Maybe you'll get lucky."
It took everything in Rune not to commit murder on the spot.
By the time they reached the car, her anger had crystallised. Dorian gestured to the back seat. "I'll sit up front, Mr. Albury. I know my place," she said, sliding in to ride shotgun.
Chapter nine
Chapter 9
She and Eli ended up chatting aboutThe Shawshank Redemption.
"You know," Eli said as he navigated the London traffic scene, "I've probably watched that film twenty times, and every single time I still get goosebumps when Andy walks out into the rain."
Rune smiled, picturing the scene. "The music, the way he lifts his arms... It's perfect. And that letter to Red at the end? Makes me cry every time."
"'Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things,'" Eli quoted, glancing at her with a grin. "Can't beat that."
She laughed softly. "You're going to make me want to rewatch it tonight."
"You should. And if you do, I expect a full review over coffee," he said, merging smoothly into the next lane. "There's a café near the river-place does a ridiculous caramel brownie. My treat."
Rune tilted her head. "Bribing me with baked goods?"
"Absolutely," he said without shame. "It's a proven strategy."
From the back seat, the weight of Dorian's silence pressed in like a storm cloud. Rune kept her gaze fixed on the passing streets, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a glance.
"I'll text you," Eli said as they pulled up to the building.
"Looking forward to it," she said, and meant it.
Dorian didn't speak the rest of the way back. He didn't even hold the lift for her – a petty, spoiled-brat move if she'd ever seen one.
By the time she reached the office, he had vanished into his office. Rune caught sight of Margo slipping in after him, only to be ejected like a torpedo within seconds. Rune allowed herself a small, private smile as she sat down at her old desk and ignored Margo's muttered jabs.
***
Two days passed.
Dorian noticed it late.
The absence.
He had studiously avoided Rune. He once told Crispin, when he commented on how appallingly he treated Rune, that no one shouts at Rune but him. No one disciplines Rune but him. But two days ago, he had been negligent and had let Marcus run his mouth because... because he was sulking and a little confused.
It was halfway through the morning that he finally glanced at the desk, the one Rune had occupied for six years, and realized it was empty. Her calendar was cleared, and her computer handed in. No files waiting, no notes left behind.
He felt... unsettled.
