Page 32 of Spooked

If one of the windows had been open, I’d have jumped right out of it. But I just wasn’t that lucky. I didn’t want to turn around, so I sure took my time doing it, and there he was. Mr. Vale. Large as life and wearing a disapproving scowl.

“Why am I in your apartment?”

“I was going to take you home, but I couldn’t find a key to get in.” He stopped ten feet away and perched on the back of a couch, coffee in hand. This was as casual as I’d ever seen him clothing-wise—suit pants, white shirt but no tie, bare feet—but he radiated tension. “And you weren’t providing much assistance.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise how much I’d had to drink, and that man… He was justthere, and he started following me.”

“Why were you walking the streets alone, Meera?”

“Because I left my key on my desk. Why wereyouthere?”

“I was coming to pay the bar tab. Something I sorely regret offering to do if this was the result.”

“I’ll replace your shoes.” I caught sight of his bruised knuckles and gasped. “Your hands! You should go to the hospital. Have them X-rayed and get anti-inflammatories for the swelling.”

“I don’t give a shit about the shoes, and my hands will be fine.Youneed to be more careful. Next time you go out, you’ll book a car and have the driver wait outside the venue to take you home.”

“But I can’t afford—”

“On the company account, Meera.”

“You mean I’m not fired?”

“I can replace shoes. I can’t replace an assistant.”

“Uh, hello? Assistant number twenty-seven right here.” I clapped a hand over my mouth. “Sorry, that just popped out.”

“Go home and get some sleep.” He took a sip of coffee, then sighed. “And if my wife asks about this little episode, you need to tell her nothing happened between us.”

“Nothingdidhappen.”

“Then it shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

“No. No, of course not. I’ll just go home and change, and then I’ll come right back.”

“Take the day off.”

“But—”

“Take the day off, Meera.” He pointed behind me. “The door’s over there.”

* * *

“And he just kicked you out and told you to take the day off? Wow. That’s so…so…”

“Weird?”

“I was going to say ‘sweet.’”

Meera always saw the silver lining in every cloud. She was the optimist to my pessimist, the sunshine to my drizzle.

“Trust me, Braxton Vale is anything but sweet.”

“And yet he beat up another man to save you. Then took you to his luxury apartment instead of leaving you on the sidewalk.”

“He was probably worried nobody would make his 140-degree coffee otherwise.”

“No, he totally likes you.”

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