Page 37 of Scandalous Secrets

“They’ll be done by lunch,” said Troy curtly.

“If you’ll excuse me,” I said, grabbing Kathy’s attention as Troy slipped behind his desk and sat down. “I have to use the restroom.”

She gave me a single nod, and as I stepped past her realized she made no signs of leaving Troy’s office. He could handle her on his own. I let out a shaky breath and walked down the hallway to the women’s restroom. Even though this lipstick claimed to be smudge-proof, I needed to be sure. I needed to see what Kathy saw just now.

I pushed open the door and walked to the countertop mirror, placing my hands on the ledge and gripping it tightly to steady myself after that close call. I assessed my hair, which was still in place, although I couldn’t say the same for Troy’s after my fingers had run through it in desperation. My dress was only slightly shifted out of place from the friction between our bodies. The lipstick, thankfully, lived up to its claims and remained where it promised to.

Phew, I thought as I turned and leaned my back against the counter. I figured I should give them a couple more minutes before I went back. As I waited, the door to the bathroom opened and a woman in a light blue sweater dress and thigh-high boots walked in. She looked like she was straight out of a magazine. In fact, I was pretty sure I had seen her in the glossy pages ofCosmopolitanbefore.

“Hello,” she said, eyeing me.

“Hello,” I replied, watching as her gaze fell to the nude patent pumps I wore, up the black dress, and to my hair that hung in bouncy curls. If I had thought I looked good when I left this morning, this woman had made it her mission to assure me I did not. I could have been picking up dog poop with the way she looked at me in a judgmental, fleeting moment.

“Are you the bathroom attendant?”

I let out a small laugh through my nose. She could not be serious.

“Uh, no. I’m not.”

She rolled her eyes and strode past me, placing her small designer bag on the counter. She pulled out a tube of lipstick and applied the rosy shade to her lips which formed into a perfect pout.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked, shooting me a look.

I hadn’t realized I was staring and now I was called out on it.

“I’m sorry. You just look familiar…”

“Veronica. Veronica Mews,” she said, rubbing her lips together and placing the tube of lipstick back in her purse.

She must have seen the confusion on my face because I didn’t recognize the name.

“The model.” She narrowed her eyes.

“Oh, right. That’s it. Nice to meet you.”

She let out a little huff and walked out of the bathroom. I followed her out, figuring Kathy had to be gone by now. As I walked down the hallway, I noticed Veronica was walking the same path as I followed behind her, trying not to notice how long her legs were. I had never seen her before. I wondered why she was here.

I started to get a sinking feeling as she kept passing each door, continuing in the same direction toward Troy’s office. Maybe she was an investor. It wouldn’t be surprising that a famous model had a hedge fund. Still, something in my gut told me that wasn’t why she was here.

“Um, excuse me,” I said from behind her as she approached Troy’s office. “Do you have an appointment?”

She turned and looked at me like I was a bug she had just squashed. She completely ignored me before rapping her knuckles on the outside of Troy’s door.Bitch.

I slid into my desk chair, hoping to get a grasp on how they knew each other. Kathy was still in his office, looking tense, but she always looked like that. Both she and Troy looked up at the same time to see Veronica standing there, leaning against the doorframe in her thigh-grazing dress.

Kathy’s eyes grew more beady than usual as she assessed the woman interrupting. She lifted her chin slightly and walked out of the room, making a face at Veronica as she passed. I was taken aback by it because it was so unlike her. She hardly had any expressions aside from her usual resting bitch face. But this was different. This was a look of despise and disgust.

Veronica closed the door behind her with the heel of her black leather boots. I swallowed hard. That was not his client. No professional would ever act like that. This was personal.

Kathy shook her head as she began to walk away.

“Kathy,” I called after her.

“Yes?” she asked, turning to face me.

“Who is that?” I asked nodding to Troy’s office, trying to seem casual.

“That is Veronica Mews. Troy’s ex-wife. And a total bitch.”

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