Chapter Eleven
Winter
I should have known Monday was cursed the second I got into my car and heard a new noise under the hood. My typical reaction is to turn up the radio so I can drown out the sound. Unfortunately, my radio stopped working too.
When I got to work, there were no parking spaces anywhere near the front entrance.
Which meant walking in the pouring rain without a rain jacket or umbrella because I’m dumb and left mine at home.
By the time I made it to my cubicle, I looked like a drowned rat undergoing cosmetic testing.
Because yes, I choose to believe testing makeup on animals involves putting the actual product on cute little mice until they’re dolled up to the nines with false lashes and rouge.
It makes me happier than accepting the alternative that usually involves—
Nope. I will not think about it.
It isn’t until I’m sitting down after attempting to dry myself off and fix my running mascara that things get extra sucky.
“What is wrong with you?” Farrah asks, standing with her hands on her hips.
It’s not even nine in the morning, so I have no energy to have a conversation like this. Because there’s a lot wrong with me.
For instance, I haven’t done laundry in a week and a half and ran out of clean underwear. And instead of simply throwing a load in like a logical person would, I opted to go commando today.
Or maybe she’s referring to the fact that I didn’t tip the woman at Starbucks this morning. I felt bad about it, but all she did was take a croissant out of the display case and put it in a to-go bag. I’m pretty sure it was an old pastry anyway, because they gave it to me for a discount.
She could be referencing my unethical behavior over the weekend, which had me anxious from the moment Moskins dropped me off in front of my apartment.
I think he wanted to come inside, but I was not about to let that happen.
What we’d done was bad enough. My limbs are still weak from the intense orgasm I had just from rubbing on his leg.
His leg!
Moskins had been cool as a cucumber the entire drive to my place, telling me not to worry about people finding out I’d all but humped him like a dog in heat.
Those were his words, of course. To which I’d flipped him off, got out of his Nissan Rogue that I’m still surprised isn’t a fancy Mercedes, and ignored the way he laughed.
There is no way Farrah could know something happened between him and me.
She wasn’t there. I’d been able to make a clean exit without anybody noticing, thanks to him distracting everybody inside.
And unless the brunette staring at me was hiding in the bushes, that means she has zero clue what occurred.
“You have nothing to say?” Farrah goes on while I have a mini meltdown internally. Her hands go from her hips to her chest, crossing pensively.
I rub my eyes. “I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to say,” I admit to her. “Did I do something?”
Something other than letting our client give me the fastest orgasm of my life?
She scoffs. “You got Cody suspended!”
“I—” I stop myself, trying to figure out if I heard her right. “I’m sorry. Wait. What are you talking about?”
She throws her hands up. “Have you not noticed that he’s been gone? Seriously, Winter. Open your eyes. Whatever you said to Janel and HR got him put under investigation while they dig into claims made against him.”
And she thinks I did it? “I didn’t say anything to Janel or HR. Did somebody say I did?”
Farrah sighs heavily. “We all know you don’t like him.”
Everybody knew that except for him, apparently. I lock that comment away, though.
“And since I didn’t report him…” she adds, staring at me accusingly.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. It’s too early for this. My brain isn’t computing the information. I haven’t had coffee yet. Or my potentially stale croissant, which—
Dammit.
I left my pastry in the car. Even if it was one of their older ones, I was going to eat it. The chocolate-filled goodness is a weakness of mine, and I need a boost today.
“I didn’t report him, Farrah,” I repeat, finally looking at her again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If someone spoke up about him, then clearly it’s for a reason.”
She has to know how slimy he is, doesn’t she? I’ve seen him around her cubicle before. There is no way she welcomes all his creepy come-ons and bad pickup lines.
Farrah does not look happy with my response. “We were working on a big case together. Now I’m stuck doing all the heavy lifting because Janel is too busy with her own load. So thank you very much for making my life harder.”
Before I can reply, she storms off with the sound of her heels clicking against the floor the entire way back to her workspace.
I stare at the empty spot she occupied.
Then I walk over to Janel’s office, where she’s eating her usual yogurt bowl from the organic smoothie shop down the road, and knock on the open door. “Do you have a minute?”
She lowers her breakfast. “Sure. What’s up?”
I look behind me at the open cubicles facing us.
Including Farrah’s. Then I close the door behind me and lean on it.
It doesn’t really matter, given the huge glass wall that separates us.
But I’d rather have a private conversation that nobody can listen to.
“Did something happen to Cody? I just heard he’s under some sort of investigation. ”
My boss’s eyebrows dart up. “Who told you that?”
I don’t bother lying. “Farrah. She seems a bit…stressed about the work he left her to deal with.” It’s as kind as I can put it without calling her out for being a total bitch.
Janel sighs. “I can’t go into details, of course, but yes. He’s on a leave of absence at the moment. We’re all a little busier because of it.”
Even though I know she can’t tell me, I ask the obvious question anyway. “Who brought it to HR’s attention?”
Her lips rub together as she sets her bowl down on the desk and folds her hands together. “I did, actually.”
My eyes are about to pop out of my head. Had Cody been harassing his own boss? “Did he…” How do I even ask that? “Did he do something? Say something?”
Janel’s head tilts. “I should be asking you the same question.”
Her retort straightens my spine.
“I like to know about what is happening in my office, Winter,” she goes on. “I understand that some things may be uncomfortable to bring up, but I would like to think I’m the type of supervisor who is open to any tough conversations my employees want to discuss.”
I nod. “You are.”
“Then why did I have to hear about Cody harassing you through Thomas Moskins?”
Everything stops.
Thomas Moskins did what?
She gestures toward the seat across from her desk, and I slowly lower myself into it. “Winter, I know things like this aren’t easy to bring up. But I wish you had come to me directly.”
I cannot believe he would go to her about Cody. When had he done that? The day he told Cody to get out of my cubicle? After our lunch that day? Recently? Did he do it after we…?
I can’t even think about that.
I shake my head. “I didn’t want to make the work environment awkward. Cody was a lot, but I know how much of an asset he is to the team.”
“You’re an asset too,” she informs me with stern eyes.
“And I do not want you thinking that what he’s doing is okay.
It isn’t. When I asked around after Mr. Moskins made the claim, it became clear to me that he’s been doing this for a while.
Not only to you but also to others. Clients included. And I cannot have that here.”
Cody has been here the longest out of any of us, and I’ve heard the rumors about his flirtatious conversations with some of our clients.
They’re usually not met with interest. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to you.
It isn’t because I didn’t think I could.
I’d hoped that if I ignored him, he’d get the hint. ”
A sad, sympathetic smile pulls at the corners of her lips. “He’s a man, Winnie. Men need detailed diagrams drawn to understand things. Cody has always been a little too confident for his own good. I’m sorry that I didn’t see it sooner and do something about it.”
Guilt washes over me for not bringing it to her attention. Then irritation and something else, something lighter, washes that away when I think about Moskins stepping in.
Wetting my lips, I ask, “When did Thomas Moskins come to you about Cody?”
She leans back in her chair and picks up her yogurt. “The morning of our meeting with him to go over the schedule of events.”
Why hasn’t he said anything to me about it?
Because you’ve been too busy getting off to him to ask the right questions, dumbass.
I internally cringe at that inner voice.
“Is he going to be fired?” I ask, unsure if I want to know the answer.
If he does, will it be my fault? I mean, I know I’m not the one telling him to hit on everyone in the office, but I did go out with him.
I gave him the impression I liked him for some chicken and pasta.
Which was so not worth it. The chicken was drier than Cody’s personality, and the pasta didn’t have enough sauce.
“I don’t know yet,” she tells me earnestly.
“It doesn’t look good. I’ll have the final say, and I’m not entirely sure what my choice is.
For now, I’m letting him sweat it out. That being said, I want you to know that your opinion matters to me.
Everybody here needs to feel safe. If, for any reason, Cody makes you feel otherwise, I would like to know.
I’d planned on coming to you about it soon, but now is as good a time as ever to talk about it. ”
It isn’t that Cody makes me feel unsafe. Just grossed out. But do I want to be the reason he loses his job? “I don’t appreciate his lack of personal space,” I tell her carefully. “Or his taste in cologne.”
A small smile tilts her lips.