Page 54 of Mark my Words

“Don’t even think of leaving early because I’ll just come to your apartment and drag you back out.”

“Sounds kinky,” she laughed.

“Seriously,” I warned, pulling my laptop off the table and shoving it into my bag. “I’ll find you.”

SAM

BOSTON

“And I like the suggestions you two have made about the ending scene. It does read a little shallow. If they spice up the dialogue and try to keep the tension high, it will draw the reader in.”

My eyes shifted to the clock, watching as it ticked closer to 4:58, wishing Adrian would shut up already. I wanted to be at Isobel’s office at 5:00, so Kristine didn’t try to pull a runner.

“I’m sorry, am I keeping you from doing something?” he asked, sitting up straighter in his chair and interlocking his hands on the desktop. He looked vaguely like a buff version of Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, but I dismissed that thought as I tried to focus on him instead of the clock on the corner of his desk.

“No. It’s fine,” I assured him. Making your boss mad by tearing out of the office mid-conversation never went over well, even if I was sweating that Kristine would bolt.

“Alright, if you say so,” he replied with a shrug. “But I need to get out of here. Business dinner.”

Thank God. However, I wasn’t convinced that ‘business dinner’ wasn’t a secret code for his plans with Isobel for the evening. Those two had been having lots of ‘business lunches’ and ‘business dinners’ lately, and judging by the state of their hair as they returned—often late—the only eating being done was of each other.

“See you tomorrow,” I bid him good-bye, grabbing my bag from beside the chair and walking as quickly as possible without running out the door and down the hallway. There was a cluster of interns by the elevators as I turned toward the hallway leading to Isobel’s office, avoiding eye contact with Andrea, who was packing her belongings as I passed the main desk. She was a nice girl but she’d try to rope me into a conversation if I gave her a chance, and I didn’t have time.

As I approached, Isobel was stepping out her door, too preoccupied with pulling on her blazer to see me until I was right in front of her.

“Oh, Sam. Hi. Was there something I could help you with? I’m heading out, but I’m sure Kristine can help if you need her. She’s still working.”

Thank God she hadn’t left yet. Crap. Now I needed to devise an excuse for why I was down here.

“I misplaced my water bottle and thought I’d check in here to see if I left it earlier while I was reviewing the manuscript with Kristine.”

A momentary flash of what I assumed was suspicion crossed her features, but she stepped aside anyway, gesturing toward her door. “Help yourself, have a nice night, Sam.”

“You too,” I smiled as I stepped around her and through the door, biting my lip at the look Kristine was producing as she barely restrained her laughter at my expense.

“You’re such a goober,” she whispered, shaking her head, closing her laptop, and sliding it into her open messenger bag on the seat next to her.

“What?” I mouthed as I grabbed the bag and placed it on my lap as I sat down on the edge of the seat, my bag behind me.

“She doesn’t care if you’re in here. You don’t need to make up bullshit excuses. Your water bottle was sticking out the flap of your messenger bag.”

“Shit. Oh well. Maybe she didn’t notice. You ready?”

“We’re leaving together?” she frowned.

“I told you that I was meeting you here at 5:00.”

“And you’re late, by the way.”

“By four minutes. I couldn’t get Adrian to shut up.”

“Sure, blame Dickhead for your perpetual tardiness.”

“I’m not the one rolling into staff meetings with only a minute to spare.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she laughed. “You’re usually the one who comes in after the meeting has already started.”

“That was once.” The day that Gregory had been in the office.

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