But none of that is what I brought her here to talk about.
Changing topics, I hit her with the first question that’s been on my mind since hanging up with my agent. “Do you know who Ashton Dessen is?”
The ass hasn’t been replying to my texts or calling me back, so I figure it’s best to go right to the source for answers. However, the source seems confused.
A little line forms between her brows. “Uh…who?”
“Ashton Dessen,” I repeat. “He’s my agent.”
It’s obvious that she has no clue who I’m talking about, which only furthers my distaste for Ashton’s reaction on the phone.
Eventually, Winter shakes her head. “Sorry, no. Should I? Janel is the one who usually works personally with our clients’ teams, so I’m sure she’s spoken to him before. She keeps records of conversations in her notebooks if you need to check something.”
I lean back in my chair and stare at her. I’m fairly sure that she’s telling the truth, and I don’t know why that irritates me. Maybe because I can’t outright ask about her past. Well, I could. But I have a feeling she isn’t the type to indulge me. If I were nicer, if I left a better first impression, I would have stood a better chance of getting any piece to her puzzle.
“Why are you staring at me?” she asks, deadpan.
I make her uncomfortable.
That’s probably a good thing.
“What’s the deal with that prick from your office?” is my next question. I’m not owed an answer, but I want one.
Her nose scrunches. “Cody?”
She neutralizes her expression, but I can tell there’s a level of distaste there. It was written all over her face when I saw him making himself at home on her desk. I don’t know what they were talking about before I stepped in, but it made her shoulders rigid and her face hard.
Winter’s focus stays on her untouched soda, staring at the bubbles lingering on the top. “He’s innocent enough. All talk, really.”
That doesn’t answer my question. “He shouldn’t be talking to you like that.” My reply comes out like a low growl, earning her attention.
She peers up at me through her lashes, parting her lips silently as she gawks at my tone.
“Nobody has a right to say shit like that,” I tell her firmly. “If he continues, you need to report it to your boss.”
I’ve been around dickheads like him who think they’re more important than they are. He’s a walking sexual harassment violation.
“Why do you care?” she counters, shaking her head as she studies the way my fingers clench on to my glass again.
I lift a shoulder. “I don’t like women being disrespected, and I don’t like people like him.”
Her eyes narrow as she soaks in that reply. She doesn’t believe me. Or maybe she finds it hard to. I wasn’t exactly Mr. Rogers during our first meeting. But I also wasn’t spitting hateful accusations at her like her coworker.
Cody.Internally, I sneer at the name. I’ll make a mental note to speak to Janel about him before our meeting, because I have a feeling Winter isn’t going to.
“I can handle myself,” she informs me, meeting my eyes. There’s reluctance in her gaze before her shoulders slump a fraction. “But I do appreciate you stepping in. Cody can be a bit much sometimes.”
That’s putting it lightly. “Does your boss know?”
Her lips curl downward. “That he’s annoying? Yeah, I’m sure she does.”
I gape. “Does she know that he harasses you? I’m sure a guy like him isn’t only bothering one person. If he’s a nuisance, somebody needs to inform the boss and get it taken care of.”
Truthfully, I shouldn’t give a shit. It isn’t like Winter means anything to me. But I’ve seen Emaly in her shoes before. She’dbeen harassed by one of her attendings at the hospital she’d done her residency at, and came to me crying after a month of nonstop comments from him. It’d taken everything in me not to show up and beat the pulp out of that guy when she admitted he’d cornered her in the on-call room one night. Instead of hurting him, I’d gathered enough proof to report him to the hospital director and get his ass canned so he couldn’t do it to her or anybody else again.
Maybe Winter reminds me a little of my wife. She’s got a hard exterior, but it’s a front. Inside, she’s much softer. Sensitive. I want to know why.
Winter takes a long sip of her drink to stall, and I try not to focus on how her lips wrap around the straw. She’s not wearing makeup today, and I almost like her better for it. The first day we met, she looked like she was trying too hard to impress someone.
