Three women were huddled behind the desk, all looking at something on the computer, and when they looked up they froze.
“I’m sorry.” He raised his hands. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
A dark-haired woman sat in the chair while Whitney and another woman stood just behind her. They were all focused on the large computer monitor angled on the corner of the desk.
“Is this a bad time?” he asked.
“No. Not at all. Of course not.” Whitney cleared her throat and offered a tight smile as she straightened and walked toward the door. “What can I do for you?”
The woman who had been standing next to Whitney stepped out from behind the desk too. “I’m going to… go return some calls.”
The woman with dark hair moved closer to the computer.
Matthew could see from the reflection in the glass-framed artwork that a video was playing on the computer screen.
“I’m Carina,” the dark-haired woman said. “Are you here to see Whitney?”
“He’s a friend of my mother’s.” Whitney took two steps in his direction. “Are you two meeting here again tonight?”
“Uh, no. Actually, I’m here to see you.”
“Oh?” Whitney stepped closer to him, almost backing him toward the door.
“Oh,” Carina remarked in a sassy way.
Whitney flashed her a warning look. “How can I help you?”
“I told you I thought I recognized you when I was here the other night,” Matthew said.
“I remember. Yes.” She glanced back toward Carina, who was steadily typing with her eyes on the monitor.
“The night of that big storm, you had a bag from The Wrap in your hands,” he said.
“I did. It was soaking wet. I’m surprised you could make that out.”
“The storm caught me by surprise too. I was running toward my truck when I heard you scream, then saw that umbrella soaring down the sidewalk.”
She looked suspicious. “That wasyou?”
The dark-haired woman stopped typing and jerked her head up. Her eyes darted between the two of them.
Whitney glanced back at Carina and then walked Matthew out into the hall. “Did my mother put you up to this?”
“No. It was me that night.” He lunged and pretended to catch the umbrella and hand it to her. “See?”
Carina laughed from behind them, still in the office.
Whitney looked frustrated. She stepped back and looked at the woman still seated at her desk. “This is private.”
“Sorry,” Carina said, loud enough for anyone on the floor to hear.
Matthew tugged the bracelet from his pocket. “In the scuffle, you must have dropped this.”
“Oh my gosh. I wondered.” She held her hands to her heart. “I’ve been looking everywhere for that. It’s very special.”
“I tried to catch you when I saw it, but you’d already run off. I don’t think you could hear me over the storm.”
“How? I mean?—”
