Untitled Part 21
We'd scheduled the appointment for the morning.
I had just arrived when Ethan called.
"Sorry. Something came up on the way there. Can we move it to this afternoon?"
He brushed it off so casually that I assumed it wasn't serious.
It wasn't until I saw him that afternoon—his forehead wrapped in a bandage—that I realized what had happened.
He had driven himself that morning.
And on the way, he'd crashed into a guardrail.
I was surprised.
He wasn't the kind of person who got distracted behind the wheel.
He was always calm—so calm it often felt like indifference.
During the mandatory one-month waiting period, neither of us seemed much different on the surface.
We went to work, got off work, stayed late when we had to.
In meetings, his decisions were still orderly, clear-headed, and sharp as ever.
If there was any change at all, it was only this:
The red veins in his eyes seemed to grow more obvious by the day.
Three weeks into the waiting period, I sent him a message.
One more week. Don't forget. Make sure to keep the day open.
He was probably busy. It took him a long time to reply.
All he sent back was:
"Okay."
Ever since Manager Brooks lost his year-end bonus, he'd held a grudge against me.
Any project he touched, he'd find some way to make my job harder.
At first it was all petty stuff, annoying but manageable, so I let it go.
That only made him bolder.
Around noon that day, he came back from a client lunch after drinking far too much.
I had just stepped out of the restroom when he ran into me.
He blocked me by the sinks.
"Claire, you been getting those beauty shots or something lately? You're looking even prettier."
The stench of alcohol hit me immediately. I didn't want to provoke him.
"Manager Brooks, I still have a file that needs reviewing. I should get back."
"What's the rush?"
He shifted and blocked me again.
"Manager Brooks."
There was a warning in my voice now.
"There are people nearby. Don't embarrass yourself again."
He let out a drunken burp and gave a crooked laugh.
"Do you know I just helped the company land a huge contract?"
"Right now, even Ethan Sterling has to treat me like I'm royalty."
"Forget everyone else."
He leaned closer, grinning.
"Besides, what exactly do you think I'm going to do to you? I'm a law-abiding citizen. I just want to build a little team spirit with a coworker."
As he spoke, he grabbed my wrist.
"Not bad," he said, thumb rubbing over my skin. "Your skin's really soft."
A wave of disgust crawled over me.
After what happened last time, I'd started carrying pepper spray everywhere.
Thank God I had it on me now.
I sprayed him straight in the face several times. Crying out in pain, he finally let go.