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“Out?” I repeat stupidly.
“Yes. She’ll be back to work on Monday though.”
“Monday? What happened?”
Natalie’s eyes glaze with tears and she shakes her head as if a great tragedy has befallen her friend.
Fear wraps fingers around my throat.
“She’s been in an accident, Mr. Grayson.”
“Accident?” I’m parroting Natalie’s words like an idiot. I put it down to the guilt I feel. I shouldn’t have shut Genesis out. I’m adult enough to where we could at least be friends. Why couldn’t I at least try to be that?
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, didn’t you know? She’s been out of the office since this past Tuesday. She had an accident on her bike—“
“The fuck!” I couldn’t hold the expletive back, even if I had wanted to.
Natalie’s eyes are the size of baseballs. “Uh, she’s okay, just a little banged up is all.”
“Did she see a doctor? Why wasn’t I informed?”
Natalie doesn’t answer, just presses herself against the back of her seat as if she is battling a gale-force wind.
“Mr. Grayson,” Ms. Winters sticks her head into my office, looking first at Natalie and then at me. “Is everything okay?”
I lower my tone, just now realizing I had shouted. “Ms. Winters, why wasn’t I informed about Ms. Turner’s accident?”
She steps into the room, looking rattled. “Who?”
“Genesis Turner,” I say with the patience of a long suffering saint when all I want to do is rip someone’s head off. “She was in an accident on Monday. Why wasn’t I informed?”
Ms. Winters rings her hands at my deadly tone. “Oh, Genesis… Ms. Turner, yes… we sent a card around and flowers…”
I know the look on my face isn’t a nice one. Ms. Winters knows it too, as she stops talking and backs out of the room.
“Mrs. Jordan,” I say, softening my gaze as I do my best to rein in the helpless wrath I feel. “Please tell me everything.”
“She, uh… she left her apartment a bit late… her roommate had an early flight, and she drove him to the airport. With the traffic backed up on Sixth Street, she figured it would be easier if she took her bike. She was two blocks away when a driver moved into her lane to avoid rear-ending the car in front of him and he hit her.”
I rub a hand across my chest. “How badly is she hurt?”
“She bruised her shoulder and scraped her hands. That’s about it. I’ve been going over there after work, bringing her meals and making sure she is comfortable. Her roommate, Seth, has been in Chicago. He’s a roadie for the band, Hard Beginnings. “
“Her roommate?”
So, she’s not with the guy, she’s just living with him? What a dumbass I’ve been. Wasted all this time when I should have just talked to her…
“Yes, her roommate.” Natalie peeks at me from under her lashes, and if I had known her better, I’d say Natalie is giving me a somewhat calculating smile.
I don’t think about it for more than a second as a more important concern propels me to my feet. After gathering a few papers that need my attention, I press the red button on my desk phone.
“Yes, Mr. Grayson?”
“Mrs. Winters, I’m out of the office for the rest of the day.”
Stormy River
