Page 10 of My Salvation
Well, those two are a well-oiled machine, I muse as I reach my SUV.
With just a few hand signals and silent communication, they had the computer in the bag and me out the door in two minutes. I’ve seen military units with years of training that operate with less efficiency and focus than those two. Laughing, I text Lev to find out where he is right now.
Entering The Black and Gold, I walk back to Lev’s office. He’s in there, talking to Courtney, his manager. As I enter the room, I see her leaning over him to look at a set of papers. Her arm on the back of his chair and the angle of her body suggest a closeness, beyond employer and employee, to anyone who might see them. A lie, but one she sells well. She looks up and smiles softly at me. I raise an eyebrow at her. While she is a beautiful woman, I have no interest in what she is offering. She narrows her eyes at me and scoots closer to Lev.
Lev looks up. Leaning back, he looks over at Courtney. “Thanks, I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. Let’s regroup at three p.m. and discuss it with the team.” He waits for her to understand that’s her cue to leave.
Courtney’s hand moves from the top of the chair, down to his arm, and squeezes it as she slowly gathers the papers together.
Lev turns to me. “So, what did you think of...” He stops as I look over at him and silently indicate we’ll talk once Courtney leaves.
We both turn to Courtney and stare at her. She looks from me to Lev and stomps to the door.
“Please shut the door on your way out,” Lev says quietly. He winces as the door slams.
“You’re going to have a problem there,” I warn him, shaking my head at her antics. “Find her another position in one of your restaurants, preferably one you don’t actively manage, before she can do any damage.”
Lev runs his hands through his hair. He doesn’t question my assessment, but I’m afraid he’ll put if off until it’s too late. He likes to see the best in people. I shrug. We’ll deal with it together later, I guess. Back to the topic at hand.
I smile as I think of my morning. Lev now looks worried. Humph, I guess I don’t smile much if that is the look he is giving me. Clearing my throat, I tell him about my visit to the practice this morning and meeting the determined but delectable Dr. Kate Michaels.
He laughs at my story. “I can’t believe they ganged up on you and won! I’ve seen grown men run from your stony face.”
“I know. Their tactics were impressive. I was so amused, it didn’t even occur to me to stop them until I was out the door and down the hall. I could even hear them laughing like loons behind the door.”
“I like her even more after this story,” he says, then stops laughing. “What do you think of her? Did you get a good read?”
“She is beautiful, professional, and polite on the surface. She and Sarah are developing a close relationship, so she doesn’t seem to have any issues with women. She is not afraid to stand up for herself, but she got uneasy when she was alone with me in the room. That could be my demeanor, though, as I was staring at her, trying to figure her out. She has powerful walls up and is surprisingly hard to read.” As I think about it, I can’t remember the last time I had a hard time reading someone. Intriguing. “She definitely seems to have gone through something in her past to have walls that strong. She had black circles under her eyes, and she looks like she hasn’t had a decent night’s sleep in a few days. I didn’t see the pain you mentioned, but you don’t build walls that strong without a reason. From a business perspective, I think the practice is in expert hands. From a personal perspective, I can see the draw to be with her and protect her.”
Looking thoughtful, he studies my face for a second. “You sound intrigued. Is it the puzzle, or the woman?”
“Both,” I admit. I glance at my watch. “I have a call with my editor soon. I’ll see you at home. Also, I’ll let Shaw know my thoughts when I see him later tonight. Don’t forget to think about Courtney. You need to solve that issue sooner, not later.”
Opening the door, I walk out and almost bump into Courtney in the hall. I wonder if she was listening at the door. Giving her the same flat stare I used to give soldiers in the Army, I let her know she needs to watch herself.
CHAPTER 7
