Page 75 of Bound By Fire
“It worked. Do you want my job?”
She laughs. “No, thank you. I would suck.”
“Doubtful,” I mumble.
She balls up the wet towels and dumps them in my wastebasket. She doesn’t go, though. She comes around to my side of the desk, leans her hip against the edge, and folds her arms.
“Um…Robyn.”
“Mmm?”
“Are you okay?” She cocks her head, scrutinizing me.
“I’m fine.” I put on a happy voice and even smile.
“You arenotfine. I know you. You’re rattled.”
“Iamfine.” I widen my eyes. “I’m tired. I had a rough night.”
“How so? What happened?” Her voice is laced with concern.
I close my eyes for a second, then look up at her.
“I had a run-in with a guy at the store yesterday. I had to pick up a few things on my way home.”
“What kind of a run-in?”
“He told me to go back home to the Mainland. That I wasn’t welcome on Draig anymore.”
“Nooooo.” Carla puts a hand in front of her mouth. “What did you do?” Her eyes are wide.
“I ignored him, but he got mean and insistent. He wanted a rise out of me.”
“You must have been so scared.”
“Ridge was with me and so?—”
Her brows shoot right up. “He was with you. Whyyyyyy?” She frowns.
“He wanted to see where my car was parked. My route home. He wanted to look at my apartment building and inside my apartment.”
“You took him home?” She giggles.
“It wasn’t like that. He looked at all the doors and the windows and the fire escape, and then he left.”
“Damn. And here I was getting all excited for nothing.”
“It was strictly professional.”
At least I wish it were.
Why, oh why did I say those things?
“He stepped in and put the shifter in his place. The guy apologized and left, but it left me a little shaken. Then Ridge found my security seriously lacking and insisted on sleeping on my sofa.”
“He stayed over!” Carla practically yells.
“Stop it!” I tell her in a hard tone. “No. He insisted, so I lied about having a boyfriend.”
