“I, um, just…” Sylvie took in a sudden, quick breath. “Gave up everything I’ve been working for in a stupid, stupid move.”
“Let’s walk.” Carla practically pulled her up from her chair and dragged her through the cubicle door. Sylvie barely had time to grab her purse. They hung a left toward the bathrooms. Carla opened every stall door to ascertain that they were alone. Then she did something she almost never did on the job—she pulled Sylvie in for a hug.
“Okay, spill. What happened, Cookie?”
Sylvie’s eyes prickled. Throughout all this, she hadn’t felt the urge to cry until now. Rage, howl, puke, check, check, check, but cry? Nope. Kindness always undid her.
“I withdrew from the K9 Unit.”
“No, no, whatreallyhappened? Because I know you’d rather chew your own arm off than do that willingly.” Carla drew closer. “Who put your tits in a vice, Cookie?”
“I did. I did it to myself.”
Carla tilted her head and squinted. “Quit it. Talk to me. Was it Tom?”
Sylvie frowned. “Tom? You mean Hicks?”
“Yeah, Tom-I-mean-Hicks. What’d he do?”
“I…nothing. That I know of.”
Carla pursed her lips. “Well, he’s been watching you this morning. He went out of his way to stroll past your desk earlier.”
Sylvie’s eyes went wide. “When?”
“When you were in talking to Stan.”
“Fuck.”
“So what did Tom do?”
Sylvie closed her eyes and exhaled. “You have to promise me to keep this to yourself.”
“I’m not promising anything, Sylvie. George said—”
“Promise, Carla.” She fixed the woman with a stare. “I’m having trust issues right now.”
“Sounds like a smart idea.” She softened her voice. “Something’s been going on lately, George knows it, I know it. Now you know who it might be, am I right?”
Sylvie nodded, then grimaced. “But this doesn’t have anything to do with what George talked about the other day and has everything to do with me being stupid.”
Slut.
Stop thinking about it.
“Why are you dropping out? Forreal.” Carla’s voice dropped to a whisper. “This have anything to do with Alex?”
Sylvie took a step back. “You’ve heard the rumors?”
“I don’tneedrumors, Cookie, to figure that one out.” She jerked her head back. “Wait, there are rumors?”
Sylvie’s mouth opened, then she closed it and gritted her teeth. “According to Stan, there are rumors about Alex and me being together. Which he investigated and found to be true. And now I’ve withdrawn my acceptance to the K9 Unit.” She narrowed her eyes at Carla. “Get it?”
Carla looked off to the side, crossed her arms, and blinked rapidly. “Glory hallelujah, the woman has a sex drive.”
Sylvie had to stop herself from covering Carla’s mouth. “Jesus, Carla.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be flippant. And I’m not, I’m excited for you. Also worried. Did Stan really pull you—oh, wait, I meanencourage you—to withdraw from the Unit just because you’re getting laid for a change?”
