“Adam, can I talk to you?” It seemed odd to be asking him for a private audience instead of the other way around.
“At last,” he muttered under his breath. Then with a cheery smile, he rose. “Of course. Come in.”
The weather had been warming up, hinting that spring was finally coming. Misty had worn a light jacket with a deep pocket, and she had her letter of resignation in there. Pulling it out, she set it on his desk and took off her coat. She sat in the chair across from his desk and protectively folded her coat over her tiny baby. She wasn’t even showing yet, but she couldn’t help already responding to the maternal instinct.
Adam sat in his swivel chair across from her and pointed to the envelope. “What’s this?”
“It’s my two-week notice. I’ll be leaving as of April fifteenth.”
“What?”
His reaction startled her. “I—I’m resigning.”
“Oh, no, you’re not,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Huh? You can’t stop me. Plans change. People leave. It happens all the time.”
He shot to his feet and began pacing. “Did your firefighter put you up to this? Because from what I understand, he’s in no shape to support you anymore.”
She leaned back and gaped at him. “What do you know about it?”
“I heard about a firefighter in a gas explosion. It was on the news. I—I recognized him.”
“How the hell could you recognize him? He went straight to the operating room, then the ICU. He was so bandaged up after that,Ididn’t recognize him.”
“They showed another picture. An old one.”
She folded her arms. “I don’t believe you.”
“Fine. Don’t. But don’t throw your life away on a disfigured firefighter who might not even be able to return to the job. They only get partial pensions if they quit before thirty-two years, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know that. Tell me how you knew.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I listen. Clients tell me all kinds of things when they need a loan.”
“Well, don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.”
“I doubt it.”
She shot to her feet. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing!” He backed away. “I’ve just seen this before. Love is blind. And apparently in your case, also deaf and dumb.”
“That’s it. I don’t have to take your abuse.”
He laughed. “Abuse? I’m just telling you the truth. Look, you’re a beautiful girl. You deserve better.” Under his breath, he mumbled, “And I saw you first.”
Misty was becoming increasingly concerned. Suddenly, she didn’t feel safe. She backed away toward the door, but before she grabbed the handle, he advanced on her and reached it first. She must have looked like a deer in headlights.
“Just think about what I’ve said. Okay?”
“Oh, you can count on it.”
“Good.” He opened the door for her.
She stumbled as she practically ran to the back room.What should I do? Is he dangerous?She wished she could talk to Gabe right now. He’d probably tell her to get out of there.
Her coworker Betsy followed her to the break room.
