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Chapter Eight
I did, in fact, throw up on the ride. Hilde showered me with apologies and led me to the nearest restroom.
I cleaned up and she disappeared, but showed up a moment later with a soda.
I waved her off. I said, “I don’t drink the stuff, it bloats you.”
She shook her head, waving away that comment. She said, “It’s good for an upset stomach. You should drink it. I got a straw so you can sip it slowly.”
I said, “Straws are bad for the environment.”
She countered, “So are mega-corporations, but we still work for one.”
I shrugged. “Touche.” Accepted the kindly offered drink.
I knew the sugar would give me a headache, but she was looking at me with all the concern of a tender nurse, and I wanted her to feel better about my stomach. Which was a strange sensation. Wanting someone to feel better about my own pain.
I sipped the sugary concoction slowly and felt the headache forming, but I ignored it. She looked at my shirt with a frown.
I felt very self-conscious.
I said, “People don’t usually frown when they look at my chest.”
She blushed, and stammered, “You’ve still got some, uh, chunks on your shirt.”
I sighed, said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m a disgusting mess. I didn’t see them.”
She said quickly, “No worries! I’ll help, don’t you worry.”
She pulled out a large handful of paper towels, wetted them a bit, and started brushing vomit off the front of my shirt. She was very close and very focused on her task.
She was so engrossed in working quickly and doing a good job that I don’t think she noticed when she started rubbing my breast. They’re small, anyway, so when she started brushing her hand against my nipple as she cleaned me up, I doubted she noticed the tender thrill she was sending through me.
Until she heard my breathing had deepened and saw how intensely I was looking at her, I suppose. Then she looked at me with a burning red blush, ever deepening, across her face and threw the paper towels in the trash.
Hilde apologized with a bob of the head and said, “You can probably get the rest, sorry,” and then ran out of the bathroom.
I cleaned up the rest of me and tried to calm down. I reminded myself that I was her boss, and this was inappropriate. I tried to ignore the larger issue and the real reason I was stuffing down my feelings.
She was made of sunshine, and I was made of ice. How could I be so selfish as to want to make her life any colder than I already did?
I exited the bathroom and my heart stopped. She was pinned against a wall near the exit by a snarling Joey, who was speaking to her in a low growl. I couldn’t make out the words.
I froze. I knew what he was doing. I’d seen him do it countless times to women.
The merciless seduction of Joseph Michaels. I looked at the expression on her face.
She looked terrified. He leaned in closer to her and she tried to duck out and run away, but his hand came up and held her by the throat.
I was surprised nobody else was seeing this and stopping it, but I guess they were all too busy enjoying their day and rushing to other parts of the park.
But I sure as hell wasn’t about to let this happen. I marched up to Joey and gripped a handful of his wavy blond hair.
I pulled as hard as I could, some of it coming off in my hand, and he yelled and flipped around on me.
Hilde had a chance to run but she couldn’t. She was worried about what he would do to me, and so scared she was frozen to the spot.
He tried to smile, but it came out so twisted and brutal you couldn’t even call it that. He said, “Anya, darling, I was just explaining to her our relationship. All of it. Every gritty detail. So she understands that we’re meant for each other. And she can’t get in the way of that.”
