upon her, and something clicked into place deep inside. She didn’t become Eleanor so much as she split herself, pushing Ike beneath the shell of a softer, more feminine version who answered to Eleanor.
“Did that help?” he asked.
“It did, thanks.” She paused, and when he didn’t respond, she said, “I should go. Sandy’ll be waiting for me.” She stood and brushed off her skirt and lab coat.
As she headed back into the Kupfer lab, she told herself nothing had really changed between her and William, but she knew that was a lie. She’d leaned on him and it hadn’t hurt. He’d helped her out and hadn’t asked for a thing in return.
It wasn’t much, but it was more than she usually got from a man.
W HEN I KE WALKED INTO the lab’s reception area near quitting time that afternoon, looking for Sandy so they could go over the results of the BoGen samples, she found the entire female contingent of the lab gathered around one of the cluttered desks.
Sandy was at the front of the group and she grinned when she caught sight of Ike. “I thought you said things with your ex were complicated.” She stepped aside and gestured to an elegant, expensive-looking floral arrangement sitting on the desk.
“What the hell is that?” William asked through the earpiece.
Ike didn’t answer. She simply stared at the mixed gladiolas and long-stemmed roses rising from a tall glass vase as ice crystallized in her veins, mingling horror and disbelief.
How had he found her here? Why?
She plucked the small envelope from its plastic holder with fingers she refused to let tremble. She opened the card, fighting not to let Sandy and the others see her fear as they crowded close.
“You are lovelier than the sunrise,” Sandy read over her shoulder. “I am all alone now, but soon we shall be together again, never to be parted.” She squealed and grabbed Ike’s shoulders. “It certainly sounds like your ex is trying to
un
complicate things.”
One of the receptionists faked a swoon. “And how romantic that he sent them here, knowing it was your first day in a new place. That’s a man who pays attention.”
Ike let the female chatter flow around her, fighting not to shake as a hard knot formed in her stomach. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
She bolted for the ladies’ room, where she lunged into a stall and threw up.
W ILLIAM LOCKED HIS fingers on the edge of his seat within the surveillance vehicle, fighting to keep himself in place for the time being. He wasn’t going to jump the gun without a damn good reason and he wasn’t yet sure this was enough of a reason.
When she quieted, he said, “The other day, you started to ask me if I’d sent you something.” A low burn of anger fisted his gut. “You should’ve told me you had a stalker.”
The monitor in front of him showed the view from the camera near her collarbone. As he watched, the image shifted from the bathroom floor to a toilet stall door, then to the lower half of a bathroom mirror. Ike’s hands splashed in the sink, and she rinsed her mouth out, then popped a couple of mints from her purse. Then her fingers came into view, adjusting the camera so he could see her face in the mirror.
She was pale and lovely and fragile-looking as she said, “I didn’t think…I don’t have a stalker.” But her voice shook and her eyes were stark in her face.
“What else did he send? All flowers? Did you keep the notes?” The words
I’m alone now
echoed through William’s brain. He wanted to stand and pace, wanted to throw something, but inside the surveillance pod there was barely room to breathe.
“No, I didn’t keep the notes.” She swallowed hard. “This is the third delivery, all flowers. I got one the day of Zed’s funeral. At first…” Her cheeks pinked. “At first I thought they might’ve been from you. I thought I saw you there.”
“I was there,” he admitted, “but I sent flowers to his family, not
“Did that help?” he asked.
“It did, thanks.” She paused, and when he didn’t respond, she said, “I should go. Sandy’ll be waiting for me.” She stood and brushed off her skirt and lab coat.
As she headed back into the Kupfer lab, she told herself nothing had really changed between her and William, but she knew that was a lie. She’d leaned on him and it hadn’t hurt. He’d helped her out and hadn’t asked for a thing in return.
It wasn’t much, but it was more than she usually got from a man.
W HEN I KE WALKED INTO the lab’s reception area near quitting time that afternoon, looking for Sandy so they could go over the results of the BoGen samples, she found the entire female contingent of the lab gathered around one of the cluttered desks.
Sandy was at the front of the group and she grinned when she caught sight of Ike. “I thought you said things with your ex were complicated.” She stepped aside and gestured to an elegant, expensive-looking floral arrangement sitting on the desk.
“What the hell is that?” William asked through the earpiece.
Ike didn’t answer. She simply stared at the mixed gladiolas and long-stemmed roses rising from a tall glass vase as ice crystallized in her veins, mingling horror and disbelief.
How had he found her here? Why?
She plucked the small envelope from its plastic holder with fingers she refused to let tremble. She opened the card, fighting not to let Sandy and the others see her fear as they crowded close.
“You are lovelier than the sunrise,” Sandy read over her shoulder. “I am all alone now, but soon we shall be together again, never to be parted.” She squealed and grabbed Ike’s shoulders. “It certainly sounds like your ex is trying to
un
complicate things.”
One of the receptionists faked a swoon. “And how romantic that he sent them here, knowing it was your first day in a new place. That’s a man who pays attention.”
Ike let the female chatter flow around her, fighting not to shake as a hard knot formed in her stomach. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
She bolted for the ladies’ room, where she lunged into a stall and threw up.
W ILLIAM LOCKED HIS fingers on the edge of his seat within the surveillance vehicle, fighting to keep himself in place for the time being. He wasn’t going to jump the gun without a damn good reason and he wasn’t yet sure this was enough of a reason.
When she quieted, he said, “The other day, you started to ask me if I’d sent you something.” A low burn of anger fisted his gut. “You should’ve told me you had a stalker.”
The monitor in front of him showed the view from the camera near her collarbone. As he watched, the image shifted from the bathroom floor to a toilet stall door, then to the lower half of a bathroom mirror. Ike’s hands splashed in the sink, and she rinsed her mouth out, then popped a couple of mints from her purse. Then her fingers came into view, adjusting the camera so he could see her face in the mirror.
She was pale and lovely and fragile-looking as she said, “I didn’t think…I don’t have a stalker.” But her voice shook and her eyes were stark in her face.
“What else did he send? All flowers? Did you keep the notes?” The words
I’m alone now
echoed through William’s brain. He wanted to stand and pace, wanted to throw something, but inside the surveillance pod there was barely room to breathe.
“No, I didn’t keep the notes.” She swallowed hard. “This is the third delivery, all flowers. I got one the day of Zed’s funeral. At first…” Her cheeks pinked. “At first I thought they might’ve been from you. I thought I saw you there.”
“I was there,” he admitted, “but I sent flowers to his family, not
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