Lucas was standing in the entrance to
Ivy’s cubicle, blocking her path out.
“Get away from me,” she warned him. She still couldn’t believe he’d had the nerve
to read a private email by standing behind her like some creepy stalker.
Ivy was furious, her blood boiling at the
invasion of her privacy. And then
he’d used that moment to tell her that he knew something else bad about Cullen
Sharpe.
As if anything he could tell her would
shock her. She’d just read an email
that accused the CEO of murder, and Lucas thought he could add something new to
the mix?
Lucas spoke in a low, conspiratorial
voice. “In five minutes, take your
break and go outside. I’ll be
waiting across the street by the hot dog vendor and we can talk.”
“You’re an idiot if you think I’m going
anywhere with you, Lucas.”
“I’m not asking, I’m telling. It’s for your own good,” he said, and
before she could respond, Lucas had turned around and left her cubicle. He went back to his own desk and sat
down like nothing had even happened.
Ivy turned back to her computer and
realized that Xavier’s email was still up on her monitor. She quickly closed out of it and deleted
it from her email inbox.
Her heart was pounding hard in her chest
and she felt tears threatening behind her eyes. Ivy shivered, feeling simultaneously cold
and clammy but also sweaty.
More than anything, she wanted out of the
little box she was sitting in, trapped by the cubicle walls and the quiet
humming of her co-workers computers on all sides. She felt like a little rat in a maze,
needing to climb the walls to escape.
She left her cubicle and went to the
bathroom, and luckily it was empty. Running cold water over her hands, she washed her face and tried to
catch her breath.
Calm
down, Ivy. Cullen Sharpe isn’t a murderer. He isn’t going to jail for anything. That email didn’t really say much, just
a bunch of innuendo and gossip between people who don’t like Cullen. That’s all it was.
But she couldn’t quite escape the feeling
that there was more to that email than just bad blood and gossip.
It hurt. It hurt as if someone had just punched
her in the stomach. And now, to
make matters even worse, Lucas was trying to intimidate and confuse her too.
Was she really going to meet him outside
and listen to whatever crap he intended to try and force-feed her about Cullen?
Ivy didn’t want to talk to Lucas, but
then again, she was feeling like maybe it was easier to just face the jerk head
on.
She’d look Lucas in the eye and tell him
to go to hell.
It had been about five minutes since
Lucas had come to her cubicle, so he was probably out there waiting for her.
Just
try me, Lucas , she
thought, her hands clenching as she imagined his surprise when she fought back
against his accusations and showed some backbone.
She walked out of the bathroom, down the
hallway and out of the Biomatrix lobby. She looked across the street and saw
Lucas buying two hotdogs.
Ivy shook her head in annoyance,
realizing that Lucas had just assumed she’d be joining him.
He
thinks I’m a total pushover--that’s why he assumed I’d come
outside and talk to him. Whatever he’s going to try, I’m not letting him get away with it.
She walked across the busy street, head
held high, eyes set and determined to tell her “friend” where he could stick
his hotdog and his conversation.
When she reached Lucas, he was handing
the vendor a few bills. “Keep the
change,” Lucas said, as the vendor thanked him profusely.
“What do you want?” Ivy said, as she got
closer.
Lucas held one of the hotdogs out to
her. It was wrapped in plastic and
it actually smelled quite good. Her
stomach grumbled, but she shook her head and folded her arms across her chest.
“Suit yourself,” he said. “I’ll eat ‘em both.” He walked over to a nearby bench and sat
down,
Ivy’s cubicle, blocking her path out.
“Get away from me,” she warned him. She still couldn’t believe he’d had the nerve
to read a private email by standing behind her like some creepy stalker.
Ivy was furious, her blood boiling at the
invasion of her privacy. And then
he’d used that moment to tell her that he knew something else bad about Cullen
Sharpe.
As if anything he could tell her would
shock her. She’d just read an email
that accused the CEO of murder, and Lucas thought he could add something new to
the mix?
Lucas spoke in a low, conspiratorial
voice. “In five minutes, take your
break and go outside. I’ll be
waiting across the street by the hot dog vendor and we can talk.”
“You’re an idiot if you think I’m going
anywhere with you, Lucas.”
“I’m not asking, I’m telling. It’s for your own good,” he said, and
before she could respond, Lucas had turned around and left her cubicle. He went back to his own desk and sat
down like nothing had even happened.
Ivy turned back to her computer and
realized that Xavier’s email was still up on her monitor. She quickly closed out of it and deleted
it from her email inbox.
Her heart was pounding hard in her chest
and she felt tears threatening behind her eyes. Ivy shivered, feeling simultaneously cold
and clammy but also sweaty.
More than anything, she wanted out of the
little box she was sitting in, trapped by the cubicle walls and the quiet
humming of her co-workers computers on all sides. She felt like a little rat in a maze,
needing to climb the walls to escape.
She left her cubicle and went to the
bathroom, and luckily it was empty. Running cold water over her hands, she washed her face and tried to
catch her breath.
Calm
down, Ivy. Cullen Sharpe isn’t a murderer. He isn’t going to jail for anything. That email didn’t really say much, just
a bunch of innuendo and gossip between people who don’t like Cullen. That’s all it was.
But she couldn’t quite escape the feeling
that there was more to that email than just bad blood and gossip.
It hurt. It hurt as if someone had just punched
her in the stomach. And now, to
make matters even worse, Lucas was trying to intimidate and confuse her too.
Was she really going to meet him outside
and listen to whatever crap he intended to try and force-feed her about Cullen?
Ivy didn’t want to talk to Lucas, but
then again, she was feeling like maybe it was easier to just face the jerk head
on.
She’d look Lucas in the eye and tell him
to go to hell.
It had been about five minutes since
Lucas had come to her cubicle, so he was probably out there waiting for her.
Just
try me, Lucas , she
thought, her hands clenching as she imagined his surprise when she fought back
against his accusations and showed some backbone.
She walked out of the bathroom, down the
hallway and out of the Biomatrix lobby. She looked across the street and saw
Lucas buying two hotdogs.
Ivy shook her head in annoyance,
realizing that Lucas had just assumed she’d be joining him.
He
thinks I’m a total pushover--that’s why he assumed I’d come
outside and talk to him. Whatever he’s going to try, I’m not letting him get away with it.
She walked across the busy street, head
held high, eyes set and determined to tell her “friend” where he could stick
his hotdog and his conversation.
When she reached Lucas, he was handing
the vendor a few bills. “Keep the
change,” Lucas said, as the vendor thanked him profusely.
“What do you want?” Ivy said, as she got
closer.
Lucas held one of the hotdogs out to
her. It was wrapped in plastic and
it actually smelled quite good. Her
stomach grumbled, but she shook her head and folded her arms across her chest.
“Suit yourself,” he said. “I’ll eat ‘em both.” He walked over to a nearby bench and sat
down,
Similar Books
