A message popped up on her screen from Arthur.How was lunch?
Great!she lied.Thanks again for letting me move the date up.
Annica got up and Jay watched her go before reaching absently for her bottle of mineral water. It slipped from her fingers and spilled—all over her desk and keyboard. Because of course it did.
“Shit.” Jay lifted the keyboard out of the creeping path of liquid before it could short out. There was a roll of paper towels they kept between their desks, next to the tissues and the sanitizing wipes, and she tore off a generous wad as she began mopping, much to the amusement of her nearby neighbors, and probably Nicholas, too, since he saw and noticed everything.
I’d better make sure I didn’t get any water on Annica’s desk.
Annica hadn’t bothered to lock her computer before leaving and as Jay leaned over to clean the dividing line, she could see that she had a group chat open.Thatwas a surprising rebellion for a woman who acted like a buzzing phone was an unforgivable noise violation.
I shouldn’t read that, she thought, but her eyes had already focused on the window.
The weather in Palm Springs is AMAZING.Bride is being a total B, though. How’s work on your end? Still caught up in the grind?
Wow, Annica had friends.Looks like she passes the Turing test, after all, Nicholas.
Her amusement quickly faded when her eyes caught on the next line.
Ugh, don’t ask. Was almost forced to eat with LMS today.
I’m sorry, her friend wrote back.Fake-ass bitches are the woooorst.
You should see her with our boss. So disgusting. “Yes, Mr. Beaucroft?” while wearing the shortest skirts you can imagine. He was actually playing with her hair the other day.
The friend had sent a frowny face.Maybe little miss slutshine will get her slutty ass fired.
I have a whole week free of her, Annica had written, less than five minutes ago.She just put her PTO on the work calendar today. Thank GOD.
Down the hall, Jay heard the telltale bang of the bathroom door. Annica was coming back.
Jay tore off another sheet of paper towels and got on her hands and knees to catch the spills that had started dripping from the edge—and then remembered the throwaway comment about her short skirt. She scrambled upright just as a man from sales, hovering near the copier, swiftly began walking away like he hadn’t just been looking at her ass.
Annica paused, looking down at her with a frown. Gauging the distance between her and the computer screen, and clearly wondering what she’d seen.
All of it, Jay thought, sliding the graying paper towel along the edge of her desk.I saw all of it.
“Do you need help?” Annica quickly leaned over to minimize the chat window.
“No.” Jay barely recognized the sound of her own voice. “I’ve got it.”
Her eyes flicked to the raised mezzanine. Nicholas had an elbow propped on his desk, and was leaning over to watch her. When she glared at him, he picked up his phone.
Hers buzzed.The wet T-shirt contest was yesterday.
I’m not in the mood, Nicholas.
She set her phone face-down firmly where he could see it. She felt miserable, sick, and hot.
Little Miss Slutshine—was that really what they were calling her?
She dropped the wad of paper towels in the trash and plopped back into her chair, opening up the spreadsheet of international clients that Arthur had insisted were fine not to check.
Little Miss Slutshine, she thought again, miserably. It was so awful, it was almost funny.
???????
Whoever had upset Jay was clearly someone whose opinions she valued. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten nearly so upset. Which meant that whoever was spreading rumors was either his charming stepmother or someone at work, or else she’d lied to protect her friends.
