Page 7 (1/2)

"Okay, that one’s a little funny," I ad mood

"Yeah, that’s one of my wife’s favorites, too"

Poor Phyllis The woman is a saint

The elevator spits ht in thethe pope I say good-bye to Denny and trudge toto be the only reat shock, I’m not alone

Michael Maddox stands at the wall of s across fro with his hands shoved into his trouser pockets and his proud shoulders rounded with an invisible weight

I stop dead in s sit up and holler rr-ow!, like Mr Bingley when he wants his dinner

Michael looks like he ht’ve slept in his clothes His hair is rumpled, his shirt is wrinkled, his normally crisply pressed trousers are distinctly uncrisp A shadow of stubble darkens his square jaw, and holy hell the le of lust, because Michael turns and seesat him in a hazy, hormone-fueled stupor

"Oh," he says, startled

Oh, indeed Howmy chin?

Flustered, I stammer, "II’m sorry I didn’t mean t-to disturb you I justjust"

My lips aren’t working right My brain is refusing to coordinate with ue, which sits insideflies

"You’re working again today?"

The universe, taking pity on how utterly pathetic I am, finally allows me the power of speech "Yes"

Michael draws a breath, squares his shoulders, then seous nonetheless "We can’t be paying you enough for this kind of dedication"

Take off all your clothes and I’ll consider us even

I laugh It sounds unhinged, like I’ve recently freebased cocaine

He blinks at me as a wave of heat rises from my neck to aze from his, and scurry over to my desk like some nocturnal rodent in search of food I collapse into my chair It wheezes in protest and deflates six inches on its pneuh to the desk withshoved up under my chin

Which is how Michael finds ht?"

He peers down at enuinely concerned by the ridiculous predicairl in the puffy down jacket the color of rancid pea soup that her o and she was too cheap to replace

Ah, hindsight You are one giant, ruthless bitch

"Fine," I nity as I can muster--which isn’ton the desk, and readjust the chair, all the while acutely aware of Michael’s presence

HeHe , clued goat He must think--