Page 55 of All the Right Words
‘It’s not usual to do it this soon. But I think Olivia wants to get some early press out there to reassure the shareholders that money is coming.’
Harper chewed it over. ‘Well, I guess if Olivia thinks it’s a good idea, I’ll talk to Brenda. See what she thinks.’
Gina nodded. ‘Luckily, you can just tell her what she wants to hear, and it will be the truth. That a reading will get people chomping at the bit for the release.’
‘It’s always great when it lines up like that,’ Harper smiled. ‘I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think everyone’s jobs here will be safe.’
Gina nodded with an odd air of sadness. ‘I’m glad for them.’
Harper felt something off. ‘Them?’
Gina tried to wipe the sadness from her face and did pretty well. ‘Yeah. I mean, for everyone. Olivia. Vincent, maybe. Everyone.’
Harper raised an eyebrow. ‘What’s going on?’
Gina shrugged. ‘What do you mean?’
Harper forgot to be self-conscious for a change. ‘I mean, what’s going on? Withyou.’
Gina looked away, hiding behind her glossy dark mane of hair. ‘Just kind of… assessing. My situation. I don’t know if it might be time to move on.’
Harper was horrified. ‘Gina, shit! What?! You’re leaving?’
Gina looked surprised. ‘I mean, it’s just a job. Plenty of other assistants in the world. Olivia will just get someone else.’
‘I don’t think she’s gonna see it that way.’ Harper shut the main door. She didn’t want the office to hear her attempt to talk Gina out of leaving. ‘Is there an offer yet? How much is the raise? Who’s trying to poach you? Is it Jack at Mason? He’s always on the lookout for new talent.’
Gina started laughing. ‘What? No one’s trying to poach me. Who the hell is Jack at Mason?’ She seemed to find the very idea hilarious.
Harper was relieved. ‘Look, I realise you’re probably ready to stop being an assistant. But you could get promoted here. You realise that, don’t you?’
Gina looked perturbed. ‘I was never trying to be more than an assistant. I don’t even get why you’re working so hard to try and talk me out of leaving. You don’t work here.’
Gina had a point. ‘No, but… I’m here a lot. And I know Olivia would hate to see you leave. And I…’ Harper swallowed. ‘…I like dealing with you.’
Gina walked into Olivia’s office properly and perched herself on Olivia’s desk, her legs dangling. She seemed tired. ‘Look, that’s kind. I guess. But I just think I might be done here.’
‘But you’re leaving to dowhat, though?’ Harper pressed.
‘I really don’t know. I hadn’t gotten that far.’
‘So you don’t want to go anywhere. Which means you just don’t want to be here?’ Harper asked, sitting next to Gina on the desk.
Gina didn’t say anything for a long moment. ‘I guess so.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing. Everything. Probably just a quarter-life crisis.’ She tried to laugh, but it faltered.
‘Life led you the wrong way. It does that,’ Harper said.
Gina heaved a deep sigh. ‘It sure does.’
Harper’s hand did something strange then. It shot out of its own accord, and Harper found she was holding onto Gina’s wrist. Harper didn’t think she’d ever touched Gina before, but by Christ, she was doing it. Gina’s delicate wrist, in Harper’s hand. ‘Whatever’s going on for you, you could tell me,’ Harper stuttered, feeling like this was too much. Gina would snatch her wrist away any second, give her a stern look, and say, ‘I’mfine.’
Only she didn’t. She let her hand stay there. She didn’t look at Harper, say anything, or move, for a long time. Harper was silent too. At any moment, someone should have broken it up. But they were just frozen in space and time. Barely a breath could be heard.
After an eternity, Gina looked up, meeting Harper’s eyes. Still, she didn’t speak. Though she was sayingsomething, the same thing Gina was always saying with those dark, enigmatic eyes, something electric, magnetic. Harper felt like she was falling into those eyes, and she desperately needed to climb back out because Gina was aloof and puzzling, and Harper could never really get anywhere with her. Only she was gettingsomewherebecause she was leaning in, and Jesus Christ, it was happening, it was happening, it was happening. Lips on lips, skin on skin, body on body on the desk. Erotic, confusing, red-hot, terrifying.
