Anthym slowly swiveled to face Lexi. “You’re leaving him notes?”
Beside me, Marius strangled a laugh.
“Some of us are trying to make the world a better place.” Lexi’s hands were on her hips. “Besides, Mr. Richmond liked the notes, even though he won’t admit it in his cold, dead, sunlight-starved heart,” she added loudly, raising her voice.
“You’re the one who’s going to be trapped in a sunlight-starved basement if you keep catcalling strange men in dark parks,” I growled at her, forcing myself to unclench my fists.
“Why do you care so much?” Lexi cocked her head. “Is this some sort of weird way of hitting on me? Do you want to drag me back to your sex dungeon?”
Marius sucked in a breath.
“Now I’m the one feeling threatened. He’s catcalling me.” Lexi pointed at me and turned to Brittany Dawn. “I want to file an incident report.”
“I think we’re done with this conversation,” Brittany Dawn said, snapping the employee handbook closed.
“Agreed,” Marius said.
The women filed out.
“Why did Anthym hire someone so unhinged and sulky?” I complained, glaring through the glass as my secretary and the HR director argued with Lexi.
She finally sat down on a chair, crossing her arms and kicking her feet.
Like a child. An annoying, whiny child. Why is she so short?
“I guess we need to give her a severance.”
“Dude, are you kidding me? You can’t fire her.” Marius was appalled. “Not after that. That was a complete shit show. What’s wrong with you? Normally you have it more together than this.”
“It wasn’t that bad, was it?” I said.
My lawyer barked out a laugh. “I wish I’d recorded it. Actually wait, no, I don’t. She could sue or talk.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes …” Marius hesitated then plowed on. “But it might look … well … with your family history,” he said delicately.
I let out another strangled growl.
“Fine.”
“Lexi fetches your lunch and runs errands. You won’t see her; she answers to Anthym. Just forget she exists,” Marius advised me.
I took another swallow of scalding tea, my hand burning as I gripped the hot mug.
“All right. She stays. For now.”
5
LEXI
Should I have back-talked in the meeting?
No, but if I was going to be fired, I was taking Mr. Richmond down with me.
The door to the CEO’s office opened, and the lawyer stepped out then walked over to my chair of shame.
When Mr. Richmond had this office designed, he must have wanted everything to be made for tall people. It was like working in the land of the giants. Sure, the chairs might be comfortable for someone almost seven feet tall, but for me, the chairs were way too big.
