6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
It’s uncomfortable to have someone stare at you all day.
Even though I came to show Mason how far I had come since our break up, I didn’t like feeling like I was under the microscope of his constant gaze.
After lunch, I found a spot in the main room to work.
I hoped to give people a chance to come and talk to me about my new role.
It was a great decision because there was a steady stream of people who came and went from the table.
My friends, especially Lizbeth and Cooper, checked in through the afternoon, but every time I looked up, Mason was staring at me.
Even though he sat at his own table, it felt like he hovered for hours, never coming to be part of the conversation.
“I need a break,” I said to Lizbeth, who was sitting with me at that moment, before wheeling away from the table.
I watched the tables where others were working.
The room was full of teenagers working with Cooper and a woman I assumed was his friend Lisa.
She had long strawberry blond hair and had also greeted Carrie warmly when she arrived.
Carrie had come and gone from the group through the afternoon as well.
No matter what Heather said, I like Carrie’s energy.
I stopped by the group and Cooper introduced me.
“I’m so happy to see you learning more about how EncycloWiki works,” I told the kids. “I know you use it all the time, but how many of you realized you could fix mistakes and add information?”
A smattering of hands went up, and I was impressed. “Remember,” I added before moving away, “a citation is always needed if you have new information to add.”
A cheer of “Citation needed!” was called out by the group, and I looked around. They were looking at Mason who was chuckling to himself.
“Mason tells them that when he does research workshops with them,” Lisa said in a low voice when she noticed my confusion.
I could feel Mason’s eyes on me even as I wheeled away. I needed to get away from his gaze and reminders of him. Once I was out of the room, I decided to head over to the registration table to see what was happening. It was quiet since most people had come earlier in the day.
“Is it too late to register for the edit-a-thon?” a man asked when we made eye contact.
I looked up into a pair of bright green eyes and a generous smile.
“If you haven’t signed up already, all you need to do is write your name on a blank name tag, pick a lanyard, and find a spot to work,” I told him and pointed to the registration table before leading him over.
I was sure Mason was still watching me through the glass walls, so this gave me something else to focus on.
“Jorge,” I said as I watched him write his name on a red lanyard. The name tags were color coded so people could signify if they wanted to be in pictures. Red meant he didn’t want anyone to take pictures of him.
“Wickham,” he said and extended his hand. “My boss sent me over to learn more about editing because she wants to improve entries about financial topics.”
“Are you a financial advisor?” I asked, remembering to smile.
He smiled and winked. “I could be if you need one.”
My nose crinkled at this inappropriate flirtation.
“Sorry, habit,” he said and shrugged one shoulder. “My boss is, but I’ve been hired to help with financial education, especially around scams and fraud.”
“That’s a wonderful purpose,” I said, giving him a genuine smile as if a reward for being honest.
I was ready to ask him more when I saw Lizbeth rushing toward us. Her face was bright red and her eyes wide. I could tell, when she got closer, her jaw was locked.
“What the fuck are you doing here! You should be in prison!” she said, louder and with more force than I had ever heard her speak before.
Jorge’s eyes got wide, and he dropped his lanyard on the table. “Lizbeth, what are you doing here?”
“No!” she said, her face red with anger. “You’re supposed to be in prison. There’s no reason you should be here.”
Jorge backed away from the table with his hands up. “I’m out on probation and living with my grandmother. I have a job! I’m trying to make things right,” he said, and his hands shook.
I was fascinated at how quickly the man had gone from suave and flirty to utter panic. Lizbeth seemed to be on fire with rage. I moved backwards and out of the way.
“You will leave now. I’m not giving you a chance to scam any of these people out of their hard-earned money!” Lizbeth said, her hands closing into fists.
Lisa, Mason, and Cooper were at the table before I could react.
“I think it’s best if you don’t stay, Jorge,” Mason said, putting a hand on Jorge’s shoulder and attempting to turn him around.
Lisa’s eyes were wide as her head swung between Lizbeth and Jorge. “I’ll talk to Andrea about this another day.”
Jorge broke away from Lizbeth’s gaze and let Mason escort him to the elevator.
“Don’t let him back in to any of the events,” Lizbeth told everyone, her face flush with anger. “He scammed countless women of all ages out of their money, and I’m not going to let him do it to anyone else.
I sat there stupefied by the surge of activity. Lizbeth stormed off, cell phone in hand, and the tension broke at the registration table.
“Are you okay?” Mason asked as he walked back toward me.
I nodded, my eyes wide and heart racing. “Do you know him?”
“He was recently hired by a local financial advisor as part of a prison release program,” Mason said, watching the elevator.
“Andrea contacted me this morning to see if he could attend,” Lisa said, her voice breathy as she recovered from the shock. “I didn’t realize that Lizbeth had history with him. I’ll check on her and apologize.”
Lisa hurried off to find Lizbeth, but I knew it was futile.
Lizbeth needed to be alone and was probably contacting whomever was affected by Jorge’s presence.
I would check in on her later when things had calmed down and she felt like she had sounded the warning bells.
Lizbeth had shared some of what had brought her and Wil together their senior year of college.
Jorge had, according to her, been convicted on various counts of fraud and theft.
To see him out of jail and in Lacock, a city she had connections to, was suspicious.
“That was the most exciting thing that’s ever happened at a conference,” I said, rapidly blinking.
Mason raised an eyebrow and smirked as he scoffed. “Citation needed, Penny.”
I watched him walk away as if it was just another conversation and his words meant nothing. Had he been flirting with me?