Chapter 8: Early

I didn't have much time.

I yanked the dress up over my hips and Tony zipped it with one hard pull.

My underwear was somewhere on the rug.

I couldn't see it, and there was no time to look.

"Ring," Tony whispered.

I snatched it off the desk and shoved it into my coat pocket.

Footsteps crossed the front hall, light and quick.

"Tony? Are you in here? The cooler died, so I came home to..."

Tony opened the study door and stepped into the hall, pulling it shut behind him.

"Study," he said. "Valeria's here. We're doing the seating chart."

"At midnight?"

"It's the only quiet time."

I stood by the bookcase with a sheet of invoices in my hand, terrified.

The door opened.

Lila came in with her coat half off and a bucket of white peonies on her hip.

She looked at me, and her whole face lit up.

"Valeria!" She dropped the bucket and hugged me. "You're here. You're a saint."

"Seating chart," I said into her shoulder, and almost choked.

"You two are the best. I swear, I don't deserve either of you."

She pulled back.

Her eyes were wet again.

"Cooler broke at the shop," she said. "Three thousand dollars of flowers. I came home before I cried on a customer."

"I'm sorry."

"I called Brett to vent. He said he had a headache and was going home." She sniffed. "Everybody's cranky tonight."

My stomach clenched.

Brett's quote had ended early, then.

He had sent her away, or she had sent herself.

"Is that your earring?" Lila asked.

She bent and picked something up from beside the desk leg.