It was all facts but thankfully excluded the more intimate details.
Vincent turned to me with a question in his brow. “Roxy? Is that what you prefer to be called?” he asked.
“Or Roxanne. It doesn’t matter.” I wasn’t sure why I said that. It didn’t actually matter but no, nobody else called me Roxanne despite what my name tag read. It was flustering to stand here between these two men and find my footing. Sanders had almost reached fantasy levels in my brain, and to see him as real as my manager, it was all too much.
Sanders watched me the entire time, barely flicking a glance to Vincent. God, he was saying too much looking at me like that. I must have frowned because his smile finally turned down a few notches and the absence made me feel awful.
Vincent asked Sanders, “Is Roxanne why you’re in Green Valley? I didn’t get the impression you knew her when we spoke on the phone. Or are you here because of Outside the Box?” His face remained coolly blank but I felt like whatever was said next would mean everything for my career.
Heat burned my cheeks at his tone as realization settled in. Everything Sanders said connected at once.
Sanders.Outside the Box. The convention.
Everything had been so full of color and hope when Sanders appeared. In a moment, the world fell away. I was sure of it. The poles reversed or gravity suddenly stopped working because everything definitely shifted sideways. I had to grip the table to keep from falling over.
A hand went to my mouth, as if to keep me from gasping, before I realized what I was doing and tried to look casual. I couldn’t believe my luck only a moment ago, but now … now I couldn’t believe my fucking luck. William had mentioned his partner that couldn’t make it at the convention …
How much had Vincent seen? What did he assume right now?
“Yes, Roxy met with my business partner, Skip, in Denver. I would have been there …” Distantly, I heard Sanders explain how we met up later. But I couldn’t focus for the blood rushing in my ears.
“Skip?” I asked. The best friend he mentioned several times? No. That wasn’t right. None of this made sense. Maybe this was still just a misunderstanding. “I spoke with William.” My voice sounded far away.
Sanders grinned. “Oh, well, for work he usually uses his real name, William, but all his friends call him Skip.”
I nodded but needed a minute to think. To regroup.
The two men talked back and forth but it was like listening through water. I needed to get away. I needed to think. The scene I just made … My reaction to seeing him.
“I-I’ll be right back,” I said, already backing away.
“Are you okay?” Vincent asked.
“Can we talk?” Sanders asked at the same time.
Sanders. Him. He. The man who threatened to sweep me off my feet in Denver, he was the potential business partner. Oh my God, what if I had slept with him that night?
I couldn’t seem to think or focus. I knew myself enough to know that if I talked now, I’d only fuck up this insane situation more.
“Just—I need to go get something from the bus,” I said and walked away.
Keep it together, keep it together. What would the SWS do?
I pressed a hand to my stomach as I stumbled toward the bus, the suit suffocating me.
After ten steps, I spotted Gretchen. She stuck out as always in a cream leather skirt with fringe and cowboy boots. Her vintage collared shirt was white with red swirled designs and shiny opal buttons. A red cowgirl hat was propped on her barrel curls.
“Hey, girl! Glad I caught you, who’s that hottie working the table with you?” she asked. “Is it—” She stopped short when she was close enough to see my face. I shook my head once, feeling too dizzy to speak. She was at my side in an instant. “What’s wrong?”
“I think I fucked up.” My voice was shaky.
“Okay, okay. I gotcha.” She glanced around before wrapping her arms around my shoulders and leading me to the trees and out of sight. “What’s going on?”
“Sanders. From Denver.” All the words tried to come out at once. My whole body was shaking now. Anxiety was closing in on me, I couldn’t catch my breath and my hands went icy.
Her hands gripped my shoulders. “Just breathe, hon. Slow down. Try again.”
“Sanders is here. He’s a potential business partner for the Lodge.”
