Page 15 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

Big time.

Her employee rarely got riled. Just not her jam. Helped keep things on an even keel at work, and contrasted with Johanna, their fiery assistant who worked evenings and alternate weekends.

“I meant to call. I swear.”

Marnie tapped her foot.

“Mitch even reminded me to, but I just forgot. I’m sorry. Really sorry.”

“Mitch?” Marnie pitched her voice low even though they were alone in the back room. “What does Mitch have to do with this?”

“He, uh, might’ve been at the party with me?”

“Was that a question or a statement?” Those green eyes still blazed.

“Both?” God, she was all flustered, and that wasn’t like her. She was known for being unflappable. Right now, she was seriously flapped.

This ire was also completely not like the Marnie she knew. Normally a mouse, she was showing her mama lioness this morning.

“I…something happened, and I kind of lost control of my emotions, then I got them back under control, and I drove home with Mitch following me, and I was so exhausted I went right to bed and fell right asleep.” Literally. Her head hit the pillow, and she’d been out.

One eyebrow arched. “You lost control of your emotions?” Marnie’s expression took on concern. “That doesn’t sound like you. You’re always on such an even keel. Did something happen? Did someone touch you? Oh my God, are you okay now? Should you even be here?”

The escalation of panic stunned Loriana. Again, so not like Marnie.

She longed to reach out to comfort the young woman, but very early on she’d figured out Marnie couldn’t stand to be touched. By anyone. Loriana respected that boundary fiercely and was protective of Marnie, ready to step in lest anyone step out of line. Fortunately it’d never come to that.

Marnie never put herself in a position where someone might be able to reach out and touch her.

No, that wasn’t true. The toddlers in the Toddlers and Books program were free to touch her, and she reciprocated with them. Would she ever tolerate touch from an adult?

“I’m fine.” Such a banal word. “Nothing inappropriate happened. Everyone there behaved entirely appropriately. Mitch was a gentleman.”

“Yet something upset you.”

Man, she’s not going to let this drop.

“Let’s just say I was triggered and flooded with unhappy memories. That led me down a dark path and the tears were an unintended by-product. But it won’t happen again. I’ll be prepared next time.”

“You’re going back?” Disbelief. “You said you were triggered.” Marnie’s gaze cut away to the door, to the ceiling, to the window overseeing the front stairs, and finally back to Loriana. “It’s none of my business, of course. But do you want to, I don’t know, talk about it?”

She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen the younger woman more discomfited—and that was saying something. She could share, of course. But that might trigger Marnie in turn. Whatever spooked the younger woman, it was never far away.

Plastering on her bravest smile, she offered, “it’s really not necessary. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t need to go over it again. It’s in the past. I’ve moved on.”

Another arched eyebrow.

Give her something.

“I knew someone. A long time ago. Things happened, and although I’ve accepted that, it sometimes catches me when I’m not expecting it.”

Marnie’s eyes grew wide. “Did this person hurt you?” Her tone left no room for misinterpretation.

“No, no, nothing like that.”

The relief was unmistakable. Which only led to more questions. Why had Marnie’s mind gone there first? Why was she always so on edge? Maybe the answer was obvious, but Loriana didn’t want to make assumptions without facts.

She had to get them off this topic. “Do we have everything ready for tonight?”

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