Page 65 of Mr. Perfect

“Obviously, Mac,” she snaps. “I’m not an idiot. Tell me everything you know. Right now.”

“It was all from this morning. Everything we did this morning. The fight, the sex, they even have you walking out of your office. But hey,” I say, trying to lighten the mood. “Everyone clapped for you.”

“You think that’s funny?”

“No,” I say. “Sorry. The good news is, we know who did it. Jennifer saw Ellen—”

“Ellen Interoffice-sexcapades?” Ellie exclaims. “That fucking bitch!”

“Jennifer saw her taking a video of you leaving your office. I’m so sorry. Ellen’s been fired. She’s already been escorted from the building and her company phone has been confiscated. We found the file on there and we’re definitely bringing charges for felony trespass, invasion of privacy, and maybe some others. She won’t get away with it.”

“She already did,” Ellie says. God, she looks so sad right now. And it’s all my fault. It’s one hundred percent my fault for letting this happen at work. “Is this why your father wants to talk to us?”

“Yeah,” I say, turning away to look out the window. “Yeah. She emailed it to a bunch of people at Stonewall. Including my father.”

“Jesus Christ. This is great. Just fucking great. So your father saw a sex tape of us? I cannot believe this.”

“I’ll take care of it, Ellie. OK? I will. I’m so sorry this is happening. I don’t even know what to say. I’m just so fucking sorry.”

We’re quiet the rest of the drive to the airport. Something about this is wrong. Something about this is all very, very wrong.

We have private terminal access, so the car takes us right out to the dropoff and we exit the car and make our way across the tarmac towards the waiting plane. The pilot is running out from the terminal behind us and he apologizes as he boards and takes his seat. Wasn’t expecting us back so soon, I bet.

We settle into our seats and I wait until the attendant asks for and serves us drinks before trying to engage Ellie again.

“I’m sorry,” I say again. What the hell am I supposed to say?

“It’s not your fault,” Ellie says as she looks out the window. “I’m just as much at fault as you are.”

“Still,” I say. “I know better. You’re just… just so damn cute, Eloise Hatcher.”

I finally get a smile as she glances over at me. “I’m leaving the company anyway. It’s not like I need to see these people every day or anything. I’m pretty much out of there. But it’s not good to start my new, very public, career with this, is it?”

Shit. “No,” I say. “I’m sorry.”

She searches through her purse for a few seconds, and then says, “Oh, no!”

“What?”

“I think I left my phone in my office. This is Heath’s phone. I must’ve picked up the wrong one. You don’t think she got to it, do you?”

“Aw, fuck. Can this day get any worse?” I get my phone out and text Jennifer to go look in Ellie’s office for her phone. Ellie and I wait anxiously for the return text and when it buzzes in, I let out a breath of relief. “No, it’s there. Right on your desk.”

“How did I not see it?” Ellie asks.

“You were distracted?” I smile and shrug.

She lets out a laugh and then seems to relax a little. “It’s not your fault, Mac. So really, don’t feel bad. I’m not blaming you for what happened.”

“Well, I’m not sure Senior will see it the same way. But thanks. And I’m still sorry.”

“Was he mad? He should be. I’d be mad if my employees pulled this kind of stunt.”

“Probably, but like you said, you’re leaving. There’s not much he can do to you.”

“He could give me a bad reference.”

“He’d never do that, Ellie. Seven years of exceptional work is not wiped away by an office romance. It’s not your fault Ellen Abraham is a cunt.”