Page 36 of Inarticulate

He met her gaze head on, his lips thin. “I overheard her sharing private information about a guest’s room.”

“What kind of information?”

“Privateinformation.”

She sighed and dabbed at her lips with a cloth napkin. “Is this really something that required her to lose her job?”

“It was your room, Savannah.”

Okay, so maybe it could bethat bad.

“What do you mean by ‘private’?Did she read my business emails?”

Savannah didn’t have anything to hide, and although a reprimand was unavoidable for this type of situation, she did understand how frantic staff were for information. She’d already witnessed many times how the loss of job security could make people do uncharacteristic things. “If that’s your concern, I appreciate it, but it’s unwarranted. I haven’t hidden anything from you or anyone else regarding the settlement. I’ve been open and honest about how it will go ahead.”

“No.” He shook his head. “This was entirely personal.”

Her stomach clenched. All she could do was look at him and raise a brow. Her underwear wasn’t anything to gossip about. She hadn’t packed silk lingerie. She hadn’t even packed a vibrator.

“She found numerous used condoms.”

Her mouth fell open at the same time her face blazed with the heat of a furnace.

“Apparently,” he lowered his voice, “she found them while changing the trash bin.”

“W-who did she tell?”

He cringed and she held up her hand, no longer wanting clarification.

“Why?” she asked. “Why is this even newsworthy? Do they think I’m shirking my responsibilities while I’m here?” Or did they know she was in bed with a Grandiosity employee? Was her integrity being questioned?

“No. Not at all. It was childish gossip. I think the majority of staff think you’re doing a fantastic job.”

And now the minority would have something to hang over her head at a later date.

“My sex life is my business—”

“I know,” he added with conviction.

“Who I take to my room in my own time—”

“I know, Savannah. I’m not judging you. That’s why I took care of it on my own.” There was comfort in his eyes and for the first time he wasn’t fidgeting. “I just wanted you to be aware of what happened so you don’t mistakenly contact her thinking she left because of the Grandiosity changeover.”

She placed her fork beside her bowl, her appetite non-existent. “Thank you for letting me know.”

She wasn’t sure what to do. If she addressed the entire Rydel Seattle team, people who weren’t previously exposed would now know the gossip. Yet she couldn’t let it go. She wouldn’t be manipulated or made fun of for having sex. It was the twenty-first century, for Christ’s sake.

“I approve of how you handled the situation. I would’ve done the same.” She swallowed down the bile rising in her throat and squared her shoulders.

He nodded and pushed out his chair.

“Wait.” She pinned him with a look so scathing it gave herself goosebumps. “I don’t want to exacerbate the situation, but I’d appreciate if you could tell those involved that they’ll be out the door without a second thought if I hear any more news of this.”

He inclined his head.

“I’m not finished,” she seethed. “If I hear one word, even a whisper, or a laugh at my expense, I will make sure they pay. Not just with their jobs. I’ll take it further if I have to.”

She pushed from the table before he could blink. She wouldnotbe fucked with. Not by Penny, not by Spencer, and definitely not by Rydel staff that she had lost sleep over trying to save.

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