"No one."
She just stares at me.
My cheeks are about to set the whole room on fire. "I don't want to talk about it."
"You need to spill the tea. Do you know how boring this job is?"
I try to give her a mirroring look to her knowing one, but I think it comes off as frightened rabbit more than sassy woman. "I do work here. And there's no tea."
"Soooo..." She eyes the handbag I clutch to my chest. "Those papers sticking out, they're just your creative way of disguising stealing the stationery?"
I stuff in more of the offending pages, hoping they stay hidden. "I'm not stealing stationery. I would never..."
"Like you would never steal toilet paper?"
I point at her. "That was one time."
"Imagine it had been Agnes who caught you red-handed that time? It takes one time and the wrong person to get a reputation." Then she grins. "Or the right person."
"You wouldn't."
"Not if you tell me why you were doing that."
I open my mouth and close it again. "I wasn't doing anything."
"That card never works with someone of my caliber." Ruby bends down and sweeps up a photocopy.
I try to snatch it from her, but she holds it above her head where I can't reach it.
I'm no pint-sized female, but I'm not anywhere near her five feet eleven inches.
And she wears four-inch heels to intimidate men to do what she wants.
I'm not intimidated, I just can't reach the damn copy.
Finally, I give up, and she leans against the wall, frowning. "Cute panties, but if you want my expert opinion..." She eyes me from over the top of the piece of paper. "These aren't hot or sexy. They're just cute and cotton. I will pencil us in to go shopping. I know some great stores?—"
"No." I swallow again.
I can't afford even tacky lingerie shops. And who would benefit from it? Not me. I have nice pieces I keep unworn now—pretty, lacy, silky impractical things that I would wear because money was no problem. But after selling a majority of my designer clothes, a lot of them unworn and for a fraction of their cost, I make sure every purchase counts. Solid things, made to last.
And this is the last time I'm sending any man, especially WN, underwear pics.
Heat coils in my stomach.
If he wants more, he can have more of the same...I mean, I'm not doing this again.
"But I will go for a drink. If not tonight, soon."
Ruby sighs. "Either you lead a life of fabulous intrigue, or you run home to a cat."
"I don't have a cat, and I definitely don't like a life of intrigue."
"Pity. I was hoping one of us did."
Then the façade she wears drops, and she takes my bag, pulls out the copies, straightens them, and folds them so they can fit in my bag. She hands it back.
I sigh. "Thanks."
