It wasn’t the first time. It slowly dawned on me.
Logically this was not the first time that iguana has been in your penthouse, and you never noticed. That is a problem.
I was losing my edge. Outside the windows, dark clouds gathered, menacing.
Suddenly all the glass around me was unnerving. There was nowhere to take a break, catch my breath, and steady myself.
I knelt down under my desk, pretending like I was just rearranging the power cables, needing to not feel like people were staring at me even though there was no one on the floor. They were all out to lunch.
Marius is right. Maybe you do need a vacation.
The door to my office opened. A familiar pair of slightly raggedy high heels paused in the doorway then slowly made their way across the dark floor.
She was behind me now.
I slowly turned. I could reach out and slide my arm right up the pale freckled leg.
There was the sound of paper sliding across a leather blotter.
I leaned back then stood up right in front of Lexi.
“I shouldn’t have to tell you to stay out of my office.”
I clapped my hand over her mouth before she could scream, hating how easy the motion came to me.
I practically pushed her away from me.
“Were you spying on me?” she said in that breathless, squeaky voice.
“This is my office. You’re the one sneaking in here.”
“I was just—” I could barely hear her, her voice was so high-pitched.
“You’re not having a stroke or something, are you?”
She fanned herself.
“Get it together, Lexi,” she scolded herself. She sounded like a coked-out chipmunk.
For some reason, I felt a laugh coming on.
I never laughed.
Get ahold of yourself.
“Oh my gosh,” she said, still fanning herself. She was turning red under all those freckles. “You’re laughing at me.” Her voice was the tone of Mickey Mouse tripping balls on helium.
I bit back the snicker.
“Stop laughing. This isn’t funny.” Her voice was like air being let out of a balloon.
“It is mildly funny,” I admitted.
“You think something’s funny?” Her voice went back to normal pitch. “I am shooketh. Let me hear you laugh!”
“No.” I clamped my mouth shut.
Lexi did a little jig in front of me.
