Page 72 of One Night in Glasgow
I spent the next hour diligently organizing the files Abigail gave me, but my mind was elsewhere. I waited until I saw Abigail get up to head to the break room for her mid-morning tea.Perfect.
I followed a few moments later, catching her as she was adding milk to her mug. “Abigail, can I ask you a quick question?” I said, keeping my voice light and casual.
“Of course, dear. What’s on your mind?”
“It’s just… Kyra,” I began, feigning a bit of newcomer confusion. “She seems to really have her finger on the pulse of everything that happens here. She runs the gala committee, right? She must be incredibly dedicated.”
Abigail snorted into her tea. “Dedicated? That’s one word for it. Territorial is another. She guards that gala like a dragon guards its treasure. Don’t get on her bad side.”
“Oh, I’ll try not to,” I said with a practiced, innocent smile. “I was just so impressed by her at the gala. So polished. She must have a very supportive husband.”
Abigail’s eyes lit up with the unmistakable gleam of someone about to share a juicy piece of gossip. She glanced around the break room before leaning in closer. “Supportive?Love, her husband is some high-powered investment banker who’s barely ever in the country. If you ask me, the only thing he’s supporting is her credit card bill.”
“Oh,” I said, feigning surprise. “They must not get to see each other much, then.”
“That’s the rumor,” Abigail whispered, her voice conspiratorial. “And there are… other rumors, if you catch my drift. About her not being so lonely. A few of the girls from marketing saw her getting very cozy with a client or something at a ‘late-night work meeting’ a few months back. They said she looked like the cat who got the cream.”
My heart started to beat a little faster. “A client? Did they say who?”
“No names,” Abigail said, shaking her head with a hint of disappointment. “They couldn’t get a clear look. But Kyra was very flustered when she saw them. All very hush-hush.” She took another sip of her tea. “Look, you didn’t hear it from me. But my advice? Steer clear of Kyra. She plays for keeps.”
“Thanks, Abigail,” I said, my mind racing. “I appreciate the advice.”
I walked back to my desk, the puzzle pieces swirling. Kyra was married, but her husband was barely around. There were rumors of her sneaking around with a client. And she had a clear, venomous hostility towards me. But why? Was it just professional jealousy? Or was there more to it? Garrett seemed to think it was about him. That she was jealous about his interest in me. Maybe… but it was years ago they had their little fling.
My first move was to find Garrett. He knows a lot more than he lets on. His office was empty.
“Have you seen Garrett?” I asked Malinda at the desk next to mine.
“Oh, he had to leave for an emergency off-site meeting,” she said, not looking up from her work. “He left in a real hurry about an hour ago.”
Of course, he did, I thought with a humorless smile. The coward was avoiding me. He knew I’d be coming for him after Saturday.
I spent the rest of the day working on the new assignment with a ferocious focus. I dropped the idea of chasing Garrett down. Let him run. Let him wonder.
My phone buzzed on the desk beside me, pulling me from my thoughts. A text from Sean.
Can’t focus. Thinking about last night. This is your fault, MacLeod.
A slow, warm heat spread through my belly. I smiled, a real, secret smile just for me. My fingers flew across the screen.
Is that a complaint, McCrae? Because I seem to recall you being an enthusiastic co-conspirator.
His reply came back almost instantly.
Enthusiastic doesn’t even begin to cover it. I’m thinking about that little green dress. And what was under it. Or, more accurately, what wasn’t under it by the end of the night.
My cheeks flushed. God, he was impossible. I needed to hear his voice. I glanced around the open-plan office. No privacy here. With a sudden decision, I stood up and headed for the ladies’ room. I pushed the door open, my eyes immediately scanning the floor. The room was a row of five stalls. I quickly ducked down and checked under each door. Empty. Perfect. I slipped into the furthest stall, locked the door, and leaned against the cool wall, my heart thumping as I dialed his number.
He answered on the first ring. “Finally,” he said, his voice a low, intimate rumble that went straight between my legs. “Iwas beginning to think you were going to make me wait all day.”
“Some of us have important donor research to conduct, you know,” I whispered, a laugh in my voice.
“Is that what you’re doing right now? Important research?”
“No,” I admitted, a grin spreading across my face. “Right now, I’m hiding in a bathroom stall so I can talk to you.”
“Hiding in a bathroom for me? I’m flattered.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “So, any development? Any new office drama I should know about?”
