Chương 5
He stepped in, looked at Marianne’s hands still covering her face, then at Eve.
“Monday?” he offered.
“You have no idea,” Marianne said.
The doors closed again.
In the lobby, Marianne regained enough composure to become Eve’s boss.
“We do not discuss this with anyone at the agency.”
“I wasn’t planning a newsletter.”
“And if we win the account, your contact with Sterling remains strictly professional.”
Eve stopped.
Something about the wording irritated her.
“My contact with him is already strictly professional.”
Marianne’s expression softened slightly.
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“I know you, Eve.”
“That isn’t what you sounded like upstairs.”
“I am trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
Marianne glanced around the lobby.
“From a situation where people decide you got access because a powerful man likes you.”
Heat climbed Eve’s neck.
“He doesn’t like me.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He met me twice.”
“That has never stopped office gossip.”
Eve adjusted the strap of her bag.
The warning made sense.
She hated it anyway.
“So if we win, I should pretend I’m surprised he remembers my name?”
“No.”
“Should I disclose that he witnessed me having nasal drainage?”
“Don’t be childish.”
“I’m trying.”
Marianne sighed.
“I’m not accusing you of anything.”
“It sounded close.”
“I’m telling you the rules will be different for you whether that’s fair or not.”
That ended the argument because Eve knew it was true.
Outside, the wind off the harbor slapped cold against her face.
They walked toward a coffee shop before their afternoon flight.
Marianne ordered an oat milk latte.
Eve ordered black coffee and immediately regretted it because her stomach had contained nothing except half a hotel muffin since dawn.
They sat near the window.
For several minutes, neither woman mentioned Sterling.
Marianne peeled the cardboard sleeve from her cup and tore it into narrow strips.
“Are you okay about Preston?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Eve looked at her.
Marianne shrugged.
“I’d be worried if you said yes.”
The ordinary kindness of it nearly undid her.
Eve stared through the window at a man fighting with an umbrella that had turned inside out.
“He took his things.”
“When?”
“While I was here.”
“That’s cowardly.”
“I keep wanting to defend him.”
“Don’t.”
“I know.”
“No, I mean don’t do it for my benefit.”
Marianne pushed the torn cardboard strips into a little pile.
“You’re allowed to miss somebody who behaved badly.”
Eve wrapped both hands around her coffee.
Her phone buzzed on the table.
For half a heartbeat, hope rose automatically.
Then she saw the number.
Unknown.
Boston area code.
She almost ignored it.
The preview showed a short message.
This is Lena Morales from Sterling Capital.
Eve opened it.
Thank you for this morning.
Please don’t book your return flight yet if it can be changed.
Mr. Sterling would like to speak with you again at four.
Eve read the message twice.
Marianne saw her face.
“What?”
Eve turned the screen toward her.
Marianne’s eyes moved across the text.
Then she looked up.
“Why does he want to speak with you alone?”
Eve’s coffee suddenly tasted bitter.
“I have absolutely no idea.”
Marianne kept looking at the message as though another line might appear if she stared hard enough.
“Maybe he wants to discuss the presentation.”
“Then why me?”
“You gave the presentation.”
“So did you.”
“I introduced you and tried not to die while you told a private equity firm it had a credibility problem.”
Eve rubbed her thumb along the rim of the paper cup.
“That was strategic honesty.”
“That was a professional near-death experience.”
Despite herself, Eve smiled.
Marianne handed the phone back.
“You should go.”
“I thought you were worried about appearances.”
“I am.”
“That sounded inconsistent.”
“It is.”
Marianne gathered the cardboard strips she had torn and dropped them into her empty cup.
“Welcome to management.”
Eve looked again at Lena’s message.
Four o’clock left less than three hours.
Her original flight departed at five-twenty.
Changing it would cost money the agency would notice.
Staying another night would cost more.
Her practical brain began assembling the problem before her emotional brain could object.
“I’ll call the travel desk.”
Marianne nodded.
“And I’ll come with you.”
The message arrived before Eve could answer.
Just you, please.
Marianne saw it over her shoulder.
“Well.”
“That feels worse.”
“It feels specific.”
“I preferred ambiguous.”
“So did I.”
Eve typed a reply confirming she would be there.
The three dots appeared almost immediately.
Thank you.
Someone from reception will bring you up.
That was all.
Marianne checked the time.
“My car for Logan is in twenty minutes.”
“You don’t have to stay.”
“I could.”
“You have the MedCore meeting tomorrow.”
“I know.”
“And your daughter’s recital.”
Marianne stared at her.
Eve lifted one shoulder.
“You mentioned it six times last week.”
“I mentioned it twice.”
“You showed me the dress.”
“It has sequins.”
“It has enough sequins to be visible from space.”
Marianne smiled reluctantly.
Then she reached across the table and touched Eve’s wrist.
“Call me the second you leave.”
“And if this turns into anything other than business, you leave.”
Eve’s first instinct was irritation.
Her second was gratitude.
She nodded.
“Okay.”
Marianne studied her face.
“And eat something.”
“That sounded maternal.”
“It was managerial.”
“Sure.”
They ordered two sandwiches at the counter.
Eve managed half of hers.
At three-forty, she stood outside Sterling Capital again with her overnight bag because the hotel had already checked her out and the sight of it made her feel oddly unemployed.
She considered leaving it with security.
Then she imagined explaining why a woman invited personally by Adrian Sterling had arrived carrying luggage and decided there was probably no version that looked normal.
Reception sent a young associate down for her.
He introduced himself as Simon and looked young enough to have received his college diploma by email that morning.
“Mr. Sterling is finishing another meeting.”
“That’s fine.”
“He asked me to take you to forty-one.”
May you like
Eve glanced at the elevator display.
“I was on thirty-eight earlier.”
