Page 36 of Together at Ruby's

“It’s because she doesn’t say anything directly,” Tate replied. “It’s all intended for me to read between the lines. She is very smart.”

“Oh no,” Liza said. “If she was smart, she wouldn’t be messing with my girlfriend. I’m going to put a stop to this.”

Tate stood and stopped Liza from pacing. She gently took her hands. “You can’t do anything,” Tate said as calmly as possible. “There is no proof, and without proof, it’s my word against hers.” She swallowed hard. “And I’m not sure that would hold up.”

Liza blinked. “Why not? You’ve worked there for a decade, and they know how honest and dependable you are.”

Tate nodded and hated what she had to explain next, but she needed to make it clear to Liza that storming into Aurora’s office and confronting her would not help matters. “A few days ago, Aurora trapped me in the bathroom.”

“She what?” Liza spat. “Does that mean—?”

“No, no, no,” Tate said, shaking her head. “It’s not like you’re thinking. She just came across as suggestive. She stood too close to me, handed me a paper towel and let her hand linger. And…well, she said she liked the way I dressed. Masculine. Just the way she liked.”

“Unbelievable,” Liza said. “But I still don’t understand why that puts you in jeopardy.”

Tate’s stomach tightened with anxiety. “Because when I came out of the bathroom I ran straight into my executive assistant, and she saw Aurora in the bathroom over my shoulder. I’m sure I looked flushed, and I am sure Aurora was smiling. “

“Which could suggest that something consensual might’ve been going on,” Liza finished.

“Yes,” Tate said, and Liza threw herself on the couch.

“I don’t care. We can’t let this keep happening,” she said. “We need proof.” She sat up straighter. “Like you record her on your phone in a meeting or something.”

“Maybe,” Tate said thinking it through.That could be a possibility, she thought.I could have a meeting with her and hide my phone somewhere where it could hear us. She started to nod. “I will try that.”

“Good,” Liza said, shaking her head. “Where did this woman even come from?”

“Chicago,” Tate replied. “Nikki said she would look into her background a little more, but she hasn’t told me anything.”

“There must be something,” Liza said. “But at least Nikki’s on it, and if anyone can find out the dirt on this woman, it will be her.”

25

Arriving at the gym, Liza was crossing the room to the elliptical machines when she felt someone come up beside her. Turning to look, she found Tate with damp hair and a wide smile. “Good morning,” she said. “I love it when we can work out together.”

Liza tilted her head. “We didn’t exactly work out together,” she said with a playful smile. “You’ve been here over an hour already.”

“True, but I like that we share this gym.”

Reaching, Liza fixed Tate’s collar. “And it’s always nice to run into you after you’ve just come out of the shower in the locker rooms,” she said. “And all dressed up for work.”

Tate ran a hand through her hair. “I’m glad you think so,” she said and then her face fell. “I hope we can find a new place if this one closes.”

“Is that what will happen?” Liza said with a frown. “Won’t it just change ownership?”

After leaning in to give Liza a quick kiss, Tate shrugged. “Who knows? No one is talking about it.” She sighed. “My gut tells me the place won’t be the same no matter what happens.”

“Let’s simply wait and see. It might all work out for the best,” Liza said. “I’ll meet you at Ruby’s tonight?”

Lifting her bag’s strap to her shoulder, Tate nodded. “Absolutely,” she said. “We deserve to have a little celebration over how well things went this weekend.”

Liza smiled. “Yes, we do,” she said. “So don’t be late, dear.”

With a chuckle, Tate started for the exit. “I promise this time I won’t be.”

Suddenly, Liza realized Nikki wasn’t around. As Tate’s normal workout partner, it was rare for her to skip a morning. There was no way she would miss chitchatting with Liza. Whenever she made it to the gym before work, her friend was almost always there. “Tate, where’s Nikki?” she asked, with a glance toward the weights.

Tate frowned. “You know, she hasn’t been here at all this morning,” she said. “I am surprised because this weekend she talked about a new lift she wanted to try.

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