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It took just a bit for Gavin’s text to arrive.It’s okay, he wrote.I’m feeling better. But do call me. Brielle bumped into Pembroke and some shit is going down!He stoppedtyping.
She’d almost forgotten about Pembroke. She was actuallyfightingwith Brielle? Was Pembroke capable of fighting withanyone?
“No, it’s on Tildy,” said Earl to the dispersing group. He grabbed the server’s arm as she passed and Lilac saw the way the young woman’s face soured at the touch. “Charge it to my account,” he said. “Add fifteen percent for yourself.” He didn’t let go of her arm. “Give me a smile and you can make it twentypercent.”
She smiled then. Like a serial killer about to commit her firstmurder.
But it did for Earl and he laughed, letting go of her arm. She hustledaway.
“Nice meeting you, everyone,” said Lilac as she stood and pushed in her chair. She clutched her phone in her hand as she picked up her purse and slid it over her shoulder. “I have to go.” She shook the phone, as if it would explain her need todepart.
“Wait, wait,” said Earl, dabbing his lips with his napkin. “We have to discuss what you did yesterday—sorry I had to duck outearly.”
Lilac looked between Earl and Jillian, almost as if hoping Jillian might help her figure out what to say. Jillian just rolled her eyes and stared across the room at a screen playing Tildy Tapircartoons.
Thanks, thought Lilac. “I’ll tell you everything Monday,” said Lilac, dropping her phone in the purse and fishing out herkeys.
“I thought your aunt gave you rides,” said Earl. “That’s what Tara told meanyway.”
Wow, so you do remember you have a wife?thought Lilac bitterly. “New car,” she said,quietly.
“Nice! Hope she’s a beaut.” He stood, chortling as Lilac nodded and turned to go. “But since no one’s here to pick you up, you can stay a bit. It won’t take us long. Just twenty minutes orso.”
Lilac caught herself about to sigh.In and out, she told herself.Just update him on the event and get in and out.“Okay,” she said, trying hard to keep the reluctance out of hervoice.
“I’ll be at my desk in an hour if you need me,” said Jillian then, and Lilac wasn’t sure if she was speaking to Earl or Lilac herself. Earl answered, saying his goodbyes, but Jillian’s eyes caught Lilac’s knowingly, and Lilac felt something deep in the pit of her stomach warning her it wasn’t too lateyet.
* * *
Earl usually hunghis suit jacket up on a coat rack the minute he walked through the office door, but today he had on a polo shirt and khakis. His arms were quite hairy—the grays and blacks poking out even more among the tanned, leather-like skin. She usually liked gray hair, but onEarl…
“Have a seat,” said Earl as he closed the door behind them. He gestured toward the visitor’s chair across from his, but Lilac purposely misconstrued his gesture and went to her own desk, booting up the computer and gathering what notes she had from the file in her desk. She wanted to get this over withquickly.
“Gyu-ri was really enthusiastic,” said Lilac. She felt a flutter of actual excitement despite the warning bells going off in her head. The office was so empty. They’d passed Christian on the way—he’d been on the phone—and there was one secretary back near the door that separated the office from the showier camp-themed hallways of the resort—but it was so quiet here without most of the staff. “But she was realistic about the parts that had been less popular with the guests, and I thought if we operate on a smaller budget thistime—”
“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” said Earl, chuckling. Instead of sitting down at his desk, he strode over toward Lilac’s, hovering behind her. Lilac felt an iciness down her spine, and it wasn’t from the air vent above them. “I appreciate your enthusiasm—that’s one of the reasons why I hired you—but there’s a time and a place forwork.”
Lilac stared blankly up at him.Was this not exactly the time and place for work?True, he’d called her in when it wasn’t her shift, but… “You said you wanted to talk about what I did yesterday,” she said. “And that it wouldn’t takelong.”
Grinning, Earl put both his hands on her shoulders. He hunched over and his hands began to rub and squeeze her muscles. His breath reeked of alcohol and his hands were rough and as cold as ice on her mostly-bare skin. “Relax first,” he said. “All work and no play…” His right hand slipped under her tank top strap, under her bra, down to the skin of herbreast.
For a second, Lilacfroze.
Then sheexploded.
“What thehellare you doing?” she screamed, slapping his arm hard. When he didn’t let go, simply staring at her, shock clear as day on his face, she wheeled her chair back and slammed it into hisabdomen.
He grunted, his hands falling to his stomach as he backedaway.
Lilac snatched her purse where she’d left it on her desk. She could feel tears forming beneath the hot burn of the anger that burst through her brain, but she swallowed and gritted her teeth, determined not to let him find any tears on herface.
“Where are you going?” Earl snapped, all playfulness out of his voice atonce.
She didn’t answer as she made her way to thedoor.
Earl jumped in between her and the door, blocking her from the doorknob.
“Move,” said Lilac with a strength she didn’t reallyfeel.
