Page 77 of Synced to Us

Larry blubbers, his arms splaying out, “What in the world is everyone talking about? Because all I see is my two top employees coming to blows and involving a client of my top client. Pietro? Where are you? Stacy! Get Pietro.”

Larry scans above heads, searching for the source of the name as well as his harried assistant, whom I last saw buzzing around the sidelines with a tablet. Wyn, already turned to stone, curses. I stand strong, although Larry’s summons curdles my stomach. Pietro is the head of the label. If he gets involved, Wyn’s career is in jeopardy, too.

Oh my God, what did we do?

“Dee was a fucking hooker!” Dennis yells, struggling against his human restraint.

All heads swivel back to him.

Dennis braces for Wyn’s incoming assault, an inevitable storm once he blurted the truth about me. I try to hold Wyn back, pleading with him not to act, but Wyn’s gone deaf. He shakes me off, then swats at security to get to Dennis.

“You better hope he holds me!” Wyn bellows at Dennis as security struggles to tackle Wyn back like defense linemen.

Dennis’s gaze flies between me, Larry, and stops on Wyn for a time until his expression turns sly. “Dee worked as a prostitute throughout her entire college years. I bet she didn’t put that on her resume. She’s been lying to you, Larry, hiding her shameful past by pretending to be a woman she’s not. Dee Sparrow is not your top employee—not truly. She’s covered up, dismissed, and altogether left out crucial aspects of her character in order to mislead our clients to handing over their financial information. Do we really want someone who’s participated in illegal, illicit acts in control of our clients’ records? Deciding their financial futures?” Dennis huffs. “I think not.”

My eyes go wide. My hands shoot out as if I can stop Dennis from speaking at this distance. Wyn catches my devastation and his arms go slack, loosening in the security guard’s hold.

“Larry,” I try to say, “that’s not…”

But it is. It is and I can’t hide it anymore.

Larry focuses on me, crossing his arms, and notching his chin. But I take his silence as a chance.

“I was a young girl figuring out how to manage my life alone. I’m the person I am because of…”

The crowd’s murmurs become louder, faces creasing in disapproval as they include the guests beside them. I’m doing this all wrong.

“I’ve never been ashamed by my past,” I say louder. “Until this moment, with all of you staring at me like I’m some kind of Jezebel that’s broken into your party and will never earn an proper invite. I worked my ass off for my legitimate degree, did my time in the lower ranks, slogged through endless barriers to get where I am, and have the client portfolio to prove it. I’m good at what I do, Larry, and I’ve never mismanaged funds. You can’t deny my success. Hearing Dennis air out my private life shouldn’t sway my corporate history at Whitecrest.”

Larry’s quiet for a moment. The whole room is tense with silence, awaiting his answer.

“My dear girl, unfortunately it does,” he says.

“Larry.” I’m about to say that one, weakening word: please. It’s bubbling in my throat, until I make my greatest mistake in reasoning with Larry.

I look at Maggie.

Larry follows my gaze, and any sympathy he might have had vanishes as soon as I form the invisible thread between me and her.

“Dee, I regret to say this, considering your track record, but with the scene you’ve created in front of our most respected clients, and the credible accusations being voiced by a reliable colleague…you’re suspended, pending an official HR investigation. If any of this holds true, well, you lied about your character and fitness, my trust in you is in question, and you must be terminated.”

“Larry,” I breathe out and step forward. My heart falls to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Dee. I had great faith in you before all this. Security, please escort her and Mr. Riley off the premises.”

Larry turns his back. Maggie clasps his elbow as he retreats into the crowd. Maggie glances at me over her shoulder, true empathy rippling across her features. I can’t stand to look at her. She was one of the new girls I helped get off the ground with a website and client list before I retired from the job.

“Too bad, Dee.” Dennis is practically bleating with glee. “I’m really going to miss you.”

“You son of a bitch.” Wyn feigns leaping at him, which Dennis responds to by flinching and curling inward. Blood drips from a cut above his eyebrow and out of his nose. Both eyes are swelling as we speak, and his teeth are rimmed in blood. But as soon as he realizes Wyn wasn’t serious, he sets his shoulders and sneers. “Nice try. You can’t touch me. I’m about to place assault charges on you, which would really be the cherry on top of your current life choices, now wouldn’t it?”

“Fuck you,” Wyn rasps, but puts a hand to the small of my back and directs me to the exit. “If I ever see you on the street or near Dee again, I’ll make all that veneer work you’ve done obsolete.”

Dennis cackles behind us, knowing there’s nothing we can do. Not here.

My feet feel like lead. It hasn’t hit my mind, not quite, that I’ve lost everything I’ve worked for all because a coworker happened to meet a disgruntled old john of mine and found his golden egg.

“I’d ask if you’re all right,” Wyn says as we step outside into the cold. “But considering what went on in there…”

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