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LIV
Iwalked into the building where I worked, humming softly to myself.
“Morning, Miss Clarke,” the doorman said with a smile when he opened for me.
“It’s a beautiful day, Fred,” I said. “How’s Gloria?”
“Always good. She sends her regards.”
I smiled and stepped into the building. I continued humming while I made my way through the maze of hallways until I reached the office area where a bunch of research stations were set up.
I was the first one there.
“You’re late,” Jerry said when I walked in.
I stopped humming, and my heart sank.
“Technically, I’m early,” I pointed out. “No one else is here yet.”
Jerry narrowed his eyes at me. He would have something to say about my attitude in my next performance review, no doubt. Talk about a man who knew how to nitpick.
So much for it being a good day. My boss knew just how to ruin my mood.
He stood next to my research station. My boss didn’t usually leave his office unless he had a meeting or was forced to speak to his employees. At least, that was what I’d heard from other people who worked here.
Jerry was a tall, thin man with a hook nose and sharp gray eyes that missed nothing. He wore an ill-fitting brown suit that did nothing for his complexion, and his dark hair was parted down the middle like he belonged in a mafia movie from the seventies.
He’d taken a liking to me since the day I’d started working here—but not in a good way—and he was at my workstation more often than not.
“Just a couple of minutes. Traffic was a nightmare.”
“It’s something I expect you to have figured out by now,” Jerry said.
“I won’t let it happen again,” I said and walked to the desk, putting down my handbag. Jerry’s eyes tracked me like I was his prey, and when I leaned down to open a drawer, I was sure Jerry leaned in a little.
My boss was such a creep.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” I asked, straightening. I took a deliberate step away from him.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
I hoped he wasn’t reading something inappropriate into those words. Then again, there wasn’t much about Jerry that was appropriate. How he was in a position of power after the stunts he pulled was beyond me.
“While you’re here, I actually have a favor to ask you,” I said.
Jerry frowned. “I don’t do favors for my employees.”
“It might benefit us both in the long run.”
Jerry’s eyes sparkled at that. He had time for anything that might benefit him. It was the only positive about Jerry getting up in my face on the regular—I didn’t have to hunt him down to find him when I needed to talk to him.
“I know you said last time you weren’t interested in my research on anemia, but I drew up a document with everything you need to know, and I really think if you just take a look—”
“I don’t have time for research papers that aren’t your main focus right now, Liv,” Jerry said, cutting me off with a wave of his hand. “We have bigger things to worry about.”
“If you can see that it gets to the right department, we don’t even have to focus on it directly—”
