Page 61 of Company Ink

"I—I'm sorry..."Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.

"Why did my car get towed?" he asks in a deep, strained tone.

I swallow. "Because I accidentally parked in a drop-off zone."

Blake closes his eyes, his jaw tensing. "Was there asign?"

I look down at my feet. "Apparently but uh—I didn't see it."

Blake takes a deep breath, walking back to his desk. My knees go weak when he looks up at me with his cold eyes. "Go get my car. I don't care how you do it. Just...go!"

I bite my tongue in an attempt to prevent myself from crying. Why is he being such a dick? Maybe this is what Kitty and David were trying to warn me about. "Okay," I mumble and rush out of his office.

I keep running down the halls until I get to the staff room, tears escaping my eyes. I need some water. I amsooverwhelmed right now. What the hell was that? It was an accident! I'm not incompetent...I'm not.

"Cassie!"

I turn around, a glass of cold tap water in hand. "What?" I sniffle, trying to blink away the tears.

"What's going on?" Adrian frowns when he scans my face. "Are you crying? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I mutter, wiping under my eyes. "I'm fine."

Adrian takes two strides towards me. "You don't look fine. What happened?"

I let out a frustrated sigh and explain my whole shitty afternoon to Adrian.

"So, the car is still at the lot?" he asks, a pained expression capturing his features.

I nod. "Yeah, I can't get it unless I pay first."

Adrian wipes a tear from my cheek. "Okay, let's go then."

"What?"

Adrian grabs the water out of my hand and puts it in the sink. "I'll drive you there and we can pay off the fee. Just please stop crying."

"Aren't you busy?" I ask, meeting his rich brown eyes. "I was going to ask Kitty to drive me."

"It's fine, Cassie," he says smiling. "I have time."

"Are you sure? You have a meeting with—"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll reschedule it."

I'm not going to argue with him, I don't have the energy. "Okay," I murmur and then immediately sneeze. "I think I should change my shoes first."

Adrian's concerned gaze flitters down to my feet. "That's a good idea. I'll wait for you by the elevator, okay?"

"I'll be quick, I promise," I say as we leave the kitchen.

Adrian's fingers lightly graze my hand. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere," he whispers before disappearing down the hallway.

I change into a pair of workout sneakers and pop an Advil. My head's starting to hurt, and my throat feels a little tickly. Great, I'm getting sick.

Adrian's leaning against the wall when I emerge from the office. "Nice shoes," he chuckles.

I scowl at him. "Not a fan of the runners/pencil skirt combo?"

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