Anthym snapped her fingers. “McKenna, go make sure the meeting room is set up. If anyone comes early, they can’t see Lexi. She’s an embarrassment to this company.”
“I forgot my umbrella,” I said weakly.
“I have one,” McKenna offered me as the driving rain started.
The umbrella lasted all of twenty seconds when I stepped outside.
“How could you forget your poncho?” I scolded myself as I fought the wind for the umbrella.
I was from Florida. I knew about hurricanes, and you didn’t bring an umbrella to a hurricane. You brought a poncho.
But I supposed I hadn’t considered Manhattan could get this kind of rain. I thought it would be snow that I’d have to deal with.
The cold water soaked my heels, softening the glue.
I pressed on.
The Bippity Boppity Bakery’s owner was filling a box with goodies when I hurled myself through the door.
“The weather out there is terrible,” the owner remarked as I handed her Anthym’s corporate credit card. “We could have it delivered, you know.”
“No time,” I said grimly.
“Yikes. I’m double bagging these so they stay dry. Nothing worse than a soggy croissant.”
The rain practically blew me away when I stepped outside. I shivered, teeth chattering, and headed down the block back to the Richmond Electric tower. I was soaked in freezing water. I couldn’t feel my fingers, my toes, or my nose.
I checked my watch. I had ten minutes. My heels were threatening to give up the ghost, and I begged them to please hold it together until I made it to the office.
The air conditioning was, like at most offices, on full blast, and I shivered in the elevator as I rode up to the executive office level.
There was aslap slap slapnoise as I limped to the executive meeting room.
“Oh my gosh, you poor thing!” McKenna exclaimed when she saw me.
“I have fulfilled my sworn duty,” I said through chattering teeth as I handed her the pastries. I took the plastic bags from her so she could set the pastries out on a tray. Then, limping, I made my way down the hall.
Clop slap clop slap …
Mr. Richmond in a freshly pressed suit came around the corner.
Clop slap …
I waved to him.
“Great weather we’re having!”
A scowl settled on his face.
Clop slap clop slap scraaaape!
I yelped as the sole of my heel caught on the floor.
Now sure you might say short girl tripping in front of her super-duper—scratch that,nothot boss was such a cliché. But you don’t understand. I could either stumble and break my ankle, or I could just tumble and roll and bounce back up like a gymnast.
I took the fall. Unfortunately, my clothes were too tight and I was too cold and numb to do a proper tumbling roll. Instead I just slid across the polished floor in my wet clothes with an audible squelch. My nose stopped inches away from a shined leather shoe.
“Stupid knockoff heels,” I muttered through my chattering teeth as I tried to clamber upright.
