Page 88 of Playing Flirty

Instead of obsessing over that, I texted William. Regardless of what was happening withourgame, this was my game, and it was important to me.

Rose:Hey, good luck for today. Please keep me updated.

William:Thanks. Will do.

He responded immediately, so I guess he could have been texting me all morning but was choosing not to. Annoying. He knew what this meant to me. I stared at my phone, willing it to vibrate with another message, but there was nothing. That was all I was going to get.

I may as well have stayed home today because I couldn’t focus on my work. My mind kept wandering to Williamplaying Overpower with a group of strangers who may or may not turn it into an actual board game.

Another excellent reason to stay at home would have been to avoid Mr. Markham. There was mild swelling on his nose and bruising around his right knuckles—which was the hand he had used to hit William.

My buzzing phone called my attention.

William:I’m here. Stop stressing.

I would most certainly continue stressing, but he didn’t need to know. He’d been so freaked out last night that I didn’t want to make it worse.

Rose:Thanks for the update and thank you for doing this.

Three tiny dots appeared on my screen, indicating he was typing a response, but nothing came through. My chest grew heavy. Something was very wrong, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.

Every fifteen minutes, I checked the time only to find the clock had advanced by five minutes. The laws of logic and time worked differently when your dreams were on the verge of coming true.

“It’s eleven o’clock.” Shaun spun in my direction, his hands rubbing up and down his beige chinos. “Any news?”

“He’s William. What do you think?”

Shaun laughed. “Told you to send me.”

I smiled, but I knew William was the right choice.

“I’m kidding.” He grinned. “I’d have picked him too.”

I returned his grin, and my mood lightened.

But the second the sun started shining on my worried soul, the rain threatened.

“Rose, could I talk to you privately?” Mr. Markham poked his head into our cubicle space, acknowledging Shaun with a curt nod.

“Of course.” I stood, my legs quivering as I followed him into his office and took a seat in one of his chairs.

“I’m going to get right to it.” He offered no smile. None of the awkward pleasantries I was accustomed to. “On the night of the office party, I was assaulted by a Batman.” He cleared his throat. “Now, I know there were a few Batmen, but one of them arrived with you, and you happened to be there when it took place.” He paused. “Is that correct?”

I stayed silent, and he grimaced. The bruising along his nose spread on either side underneath his eyes.

“I also understand that you have made some very serious allegations about me, and if you’re wise, we could figure it out here and put this all behind us.”

“What do you mean?” The air squeezed out of me.

“I am confident enough to assume it was Mr. Patrick Bailey who assaulted me on the night of the party. Multiple people conversed with both of you over the course of the evening.” Mr. Markham tented his fingers. “I won’t stop at pressing charges. I will ruin his career and take his father’s company down with him.”

My chest emptied as a huff of breath was pulled out of me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. I could barely think. I could only hear what he was saying, and I couldn’t make any sense of it.

“I’m here to offer a trade: Drop your allegations against me, and we’ll forget about this.” He gestured to his face. “We’ll cover it up with a happy story, and everyone will go off living their pathetic lives as they were.”

Knowing I’d manage no words, I pushed myself up. I couldn’t be there a second longer.

“Wait.” He bared his teeth and continued, “I meant what I said about you being a good employee. I know you’ve been working hard. I’ve seen your timesheets. I also know you’re very close to completing your studies, and I want you to know I was considering you for Matt’s position when he leaves.”

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