“Sorry. I’m fine. Just tired.” Also, I made out with a woman at the shelter. Twice now. And both times were amazing. I’ve never been kissed like that. Ever. Otherwise, just another regular day. No big deal.
Carly nodded, but it was clear she wasn’t buying the “I’m tired” story. They ate in silence a bit longer and Carly said, “That new Sandra Bullock movie opens this weekend. Want to go?”
Ashley chewed on a fry, her sour stomach wanting nothing more than to reject it the second it hit home, but she held it down. “Sure.”
“Great. I’ll find out times and let you know.” More silence. More chewing. Then, “Hey, guess what. I think I landed that contracting client I told you about.”
“Yeah?” Carly was a sales rep for a computer equipment company. “That’s fantastic. Congratulations.” Ashley did her best to inject her words with some modicum of enthusiasm. Guess what I did. I made out with somebody at work! She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to block out the voice that had been teasing her sarcastically since Lisa left her in the break room.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Carly’s face was clouded with concern, which only made Ashley feel worse.
“Maybe I’m coming down with something. Do you mind if we call it a night?”
“Not at all, babe.” Carly reached across the table and laid a hand against Ashley’s forehead. “You’re a little flushed, but you don’t seem warm.” She began clearing their table, tossing her unfinished burger and nearly Ashley’s entire meal onto one tray, then taking it to the trash can. Back at the table, she held out her hand. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
They drove in relative silence, but Ashley could feel Carly glance at her every so often. She felt terrible for the lie, but she couldn’t sit across from Carly making small talk when all she could think about was earlier in the afternoon. She needed some time alone. To think. To analyze. To beat herself up a little bit. Or a lot.
Sliding the car into Park in the parking lot of Ashley’s apartment, Carly turned to her. “Want me to come up and take care of you?” Her expression was so kind and sweet that Ashley thought she might vomit from guilt right there in the passenger seat of the Prius.
“No. I’ll be fine. I think I’m just going to go to bed. But thank you.”
“All right. If you’re sure.”
“I am. Thanks for dinner.”
“Next time, we’ll actually eat it.” Her smile was tender and took any sting out of the words. Then she leaned in and kissed Ashley softly on the lips.
It took every ounce of energy Ashley had to keep from flinching away. Carly’s kiss was nice, but Ashley’s brain immediately tossed her a flashback of Lisa’s, her mouth hot, her tongue demanding. Ashley’s body flushed and she pulled back from Carly with an uncertain grimace. “I don’t want to get you sick.” She pawed at the car door until her fingers snagged the handle and she practically threw herself out onto the pavement.
Carly ducked down to catch her eye. “I’ll call you later to check on you.”
“Okay. I’ll probably turn my phone off, so if I don’t answer, that’s why.” God, when did she become so good at lying?
“Well, just take it easy, okay?”
“I will. Bye.” Ashley slammed the door shut before the conversation could continue. She turned and quickly went up the walk, unlocked the lobby door, and tossed a wave back to Carly. I am a horrible person. I am a horrible, horrible person. She’d been—was being—so unfair to Carly. Because I am a coward. She was stringing Carly along, leading her on, and Ashley knew it, was fully aware, but was too much of a weakling to do something about it. “Goddamn it,” she muttered closing the lobby door. She practically flew up the stairs to her second floor apartment where she shoved her way in, slammed the door, and fell back against it, sucking in air as if she’d just escaped a horde of zombies.
Of course, leaning with her back against the door only reminded her of the last time she’d been in that position. How was it that a woman who was normally more removed than friendly, more aloof than approachable, could suddenly be the hottest, sexiest thing in Ashley’s world right now? She felt like her brain was scrambled, like she couldn’t grab onto a clear, rational thought no matter how hard she tried. They spun around her head like pieces of paper in a tornado.
“Jesus Christ,” she whispered to her empty apartment. “What the hell am I gonna do?”
CHAPTER TEN
The shelter was busy, phones ringing off the hook, and—if it was even possible—the dogs seemed louder today. Not that Lisa hadn’t already had a splintering headache when she’d arrived. She had. Thanks to the crazy, unstoppable thoughts about kissing Ashley in the break room and what the hell had she been thinking?
Pressing the fingertips of one hand into the base of her skull, Lisa turned back to her desk and grabbed the ringing phone. The call was quick and as she hung up, she saw Tammy bringing one of the Lab mixes in from his walk, then clip her leash to the next dog on her list. Swiveling back to the monitors, she scanned them, then the cages. All the dogs were accounted for except the one Tammy had just taken. So…where the hell was Ashley?
Scrubbing her hands over her face, Lisa reminded herself of two things. One, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to see Ashley in any way other than from afar. And two, Ashley was a very responsible volunteer. Lisa shouldn’t be worrying about her blowing off her shift. It was true that Lisa didn’t have a lot of control over the work ethic of the volunteers. Sure, she could suggest they’re maybe not a good fit for Junebug. And in once instance, she did have to ban somebody from the facility for stealing, but overall, the volunteers were there because they wanted to be and Lisa rarely had issues with any of them. And certainly not with Ashley. Well. Not with her work…
Her phone buzzed where it sat on the corner of her desk. Lisa glanced at it, saw Mom on the screen, and groaned. No. She was not in the mood for small talk with her mother.
Forcing herself to chill, she pulled open the desk drawer, tossed the phone inside, and pulled out a bottle of Motrin, her headache showing no signs of abandoning her for quite some time. Four pills in her hand, she headed to the employee break room for some water. The door was slightly ajar and something about the sound from inside made her stop in her tracks. Hand flat against the wood of the door, she stayed out of sight and strained to hear the conversation happening just on the other side.
“I’m pretty sure you’ve been feeling the same thing I have.” It was a male voice, a raspy almost-whisper that Lisa thought she recognized, but wasn’t certain.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think so.” This was Ashley. She was speaking quietly as well, but Lisa knew that voice. And right now, it had a slight tremor to it. “You have the wrong idea here—”
“Do you know who I am?” The male voice took on a slight edge and Lisa knew right then that it was Clark Breckenridge. Her nostrils flared with irritation as she heard him say, “I don’t get the wrong idea. I always have the right idea.” There was the sound of a long intake of breath and then he added, “God, you smell delicious.”
“Please, Mr. Breckenridge, you’re making me really uncomfortable.”
“I told you to call me Clark. And we can change that very easily. Come back to my place with me. I’ll make sure you’re very comfortable.”
“I don’t—”
“Do you know how much money my family gives to this place a year?” The edge was back and much sharper than before. “Do you? A lot. A ridiculous amount because my sister has a soft spot for animals. Frankly, I don’t care one way or another about them, but it’s my money that keeps this place afloat. So if I want a little bit of a thank you from somebody on the staff…” He let his voice trail off and Lisa’s heart began to pound. “That’s what I get.”
Ashley whispered, “Please,” but it was laced with fear and humiliation, not desire, as Lisa was sure Clark expected. Red-hot fury flooded her system like adrenaline. She pushed the door open quickly so there would be no time f
or a cover story of any kind.
Clark had backed Ashley into the corner behind the door, his considerably larger form pinning her there with one hand braced against the wall next to her head, the other gripping the back of her neck. He’d planted his foot between hers, one knee poised to push between her legs.
Lisa had trouble ripping her eyes from the sight.
She said nothing. She didn’t trust herself to form words. She simply glared at Clark Breckenridge, one eyebrow arched in question, and waited.
“Lisa. Hey.” He took a step backward, away from Ashley, then another, and Lisa felt the fist that had gripped her heart loosen slightly. Clark gestured to Ashley. “We were just…having a little discussion. About…stuff.”
Lisa continued to glare at him, mostly because she was trying her best to burn a hole through his skull with her eyes, but also because she was afraid to look at Ashley, afraid of the mortification she’d probably see. She felt her, though. Felt her move away from the wall and come to stand next to Lisa, her body heat apparent in the two inches of space between them.
Clark fidgeted, ran a hand along the back of his neck, and at least had the good sense to look slightly embarrassed…only slightly. He pointed to the door. “I’m just…I’m gonna…head home. It’s about that time.” He took half a step, then seemed to realize that, in order for him to leave, Lisa would have to move. She didn’t. For a long moment, she stood there, staring him down, until he began to subtly shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Finally, she took a small step sideways, her hand moving out to grasp Ashley’s forearm and nudge her in the right direction. She didn’t let go.
“So, I’ll…” He gave a ridiculous wave, looking as ashamed and nervous as he should have. “I’ll go. See you later. Have a good night.” With that, he nearly sprinted out the door. Lisa and Ashley stood quietly until the slap of his very expensive loafers on the tile floor could no longer be heard.
Finally, Lisa turned to regard Ashley and realized she still held on to her arm. Letting go quickly, she asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Ashley’s face flushed a deep red and she stepped toward the door. “That guy is such a caveman,” she said quietly.
“Were you just going to stand there and let him do whatever he wanted?” Lisa didn’t mean to sound as accusatory as she must have, which she could tell by the zap of hurt and disbelief that shot across Ashley’s face.
“No, I was…I just…” She shook her head, then left the room before Lisa could say another thing.
Lisa stood staring at the door, her emotions racing, bouncing around from anger to sympathy to disbelief and back to anger. Determination suddenly settled over her and she stomped out of the break room, up the hall, through the lobby, and down another hall until she stopped at a closed wooden door sporting a placard that read, Catherine Gardner, Accounting.
Not stopping to wonder if there might be a good reason the door was closed, Lisa rapped on it with her knuckles, then turned the knob.
Catherine blinked up from her desk in surprise, glasses perched on the end of her nose. Anna St. John whipped her head around quickly to meet Lisa’s eyes, her own brimming with unshed tears. She cleared her throat, said to Catherine, “We’ll finish this later,” and left the room without another word, Lisa watching her exit with surprised embarrassment.
“I’m sorry,” Lisa said to Catherine. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“It’s fine,” Catherine said, gesturing to the two chairs in front of her desk. “That needed to be interrupted.”
Lisa shut the door and moved to the chair.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Catherine asked, her voice tired.
“Yes. There is,” Lisa said in a firm tone. She sat in one of the chairs across from Catherine’s modest desk, and took a moment to school the fury out of her pounding temples by glancing around. The office was utilitarian at best; neat and tidy, but not fancy, not elegant. It was part of Jessica’s design to make sure the accountant’s office didn’t look too well appointed. Nobody would give money to an establishment that didn’t look like it needed funding. The desk was an old metal one that Lisa could imagine one of her teachers in high school sitting at. The chair she occupied was metal and vinyl. A couple rickety shelves lined the walls, holding various books, and Lisa knew the heat register on the wall behind Catherine’s chair would grind and groan in the winter when the heat kicked on.
In fact, the only thing in the Catherine’s office that looked classy and put-together was Catherine herself. Today’s outfit was a black pantsuit with a bright electric blue cami underneath the jacket, which did a spectacular job of bringing out the blue in Catherine’s eyes, even with her glasses on. Her chestnut brown hair was partially pulled back and she reached up with a manicured hand to pull the glasses off her face. “Tell me.”
“You can do something about Clark Breckenridge.”
With a put-upon sigh, Catherine slid her glasses back on and shifted her gaze to the computer monitor on her desk.
“Catherine. I am serious here. I just caught him…harassing Ashley, and I don’t think it was the first time.”
Catherine blew out a breath and looked back at Lisa. “Define harassing.”
Lisa cocked her head to the side in a way that said Really? but then answered. “He had her pinned up against the wall and was telling her how important he and his money are to Junebug and that means he gets what he wants from staff and volunteers alike. Not in so many words, but that’s pretty close. And his tone was definitely threatening.”
The glasses came off again. “Lisa…” As she cast about for the right words, Lisa interrupted.
“Don’t, Catherine. Don’t you dare tell me this is how he is and boys will be boys and he does this all the time, but he gives us a ton of money so we just need to let him have his fun because he’s really just harmless. He does do this all the time and he’s not harmless. You should have seen Ashley’s face. She was humiliated.” Lisa stopped to take a breath, then said in a softer tone, “It was worse than that, though. She was scared, and with good reason. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten there when I did. He was…intent. You need to talk to him. Please. It’s not always about the money. The safety of the female volunteers is more important.”
Their gazes held for a bit until Catherine finally relented. “All right. I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you.” Lisa tried not to sound too grateful. This wasn’t a decision that should be questioned at all. A situation like this should be handled swiftly and with zero tolerance. But not-for-profits had their own way of doing things…most often whatever way preserved the money. Lisa stood, then pointed at Catherine. “I’m holding you to that.”
Catherine waved her away. “I said I’d talk to him. I will.”
Lisa nodded once, then headed back to her dogs.
Ashley managed to avoid her for the rest of her shift, and though Lisa wanted to corner her and apologize for being so harsh, she also worried that she might make it worse by pointing out the incident again. So, she left her alone.
She watched carefully, but left her alone.
***
Ashley was pissed.
No, she was furious.
“Were you just going to stand there and let him?” she sneered as she waited for the mutt she was walking to do his business. She’d pointedly avoided Lisa for the remainder of her shift. Now it was growing dark, and she was ready to go home, but her mind replayed Lisa’s voice in her head, the tint of blame in her tone. Blame! Unbelievable. “No, Lisa. For your information, I was not going to just stand there and let him.”
Was I?
She shook that thought away. She’d been scared. Terrified, even. She had never before been forced into that position. Clark Breckenridge had a lot of nerve. He was also rich and powerful and large. And strong. So strong. She could still feel the imprint of his enormous hand on the back of her neck. The fact that he could have quickly and easily
overpowered her inside of ten seconds made her knees go weak with fear and her body break out in a cold sweat.
A shiver shook her entire body, which irritated her and brought her back to anger. Which was good. Anger was way better than fear.
Or hurt.
Were you just going to stand there and let him?
Yes. Lisa’s words had cut deep.
Locking the last walker back up and signing off on her clipboard, Ashley looked around. There was nobody else in the dog wing except Lisa, who sat at her desk poking at keys on her keyboard. Ashley strode up to her before she lost her nerve and stopped in front of her desk.
She set her clipboard down on the desk. “I have something to say to you.” She leaned forward, bracing herself on the desktop with her hands.
Lisa rolled her lips in and bit down on them, and it was a beat before she looked up at Ashley with expectation. Those damn green eyes of hers snagged Ashley and she had to fight to hold on to her anger. She ran through all the lines she’d practiced while walking.
You had no right to talk to me like that.
Thank you for stepping in, but what you said to me was out of line.
I was handling things just fine. I didn’t need your help. (Which was a lie.)
But what came out of her mouth was none of those. Not even a variation. Instead, she said simply, “Would you have coffee with me? Sometime?”
The two of them sat there, twin expressions of surprise on their faces, and blinked in silence for a beat. Two. Three. Ashley dropped her head down between her shoulders, wondering who the hell had jumped inside her skull and hijacked her brain. Pushing herself to standing, she turned away and blew out a breath. She had officially lost her mind. She was sure of it.
“Okay.” Lisa’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
Ashley stayed perfectly still, uncertain her ears had heard correctly. When she finally gathered enough courage to turn back, Lisa was looking at her intently. “I’m sorry…did you say…what did you say?”
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