Page 7 of Five

“What is Mr. Boone doing here?” I ask Evelyn.

She sends a quick glance at Lori, then swallows, looking tense before answering. “Mrs. Kruger, the administrative manager had an…accident.”

Lori’s sniff follows.

“Accident?” I focus my gaze on him.

“A glue-related accident. She found herself stuck to her computer mouse, her desk drawer, and…her chair. We had to cut her skirt to release her,” Evelyn quickly replies.

Lori’s attempt at sucking his lips in to cover his mirth is less than subtle.

“Why do you think Mr. Boone is implicated?”

I know Lori is guilty. Like he was of the stink bomb in one of the associate’s offices. And also of the glittery purple dick in the box that exploded on an HR assistant’s face in the middle of the reception area. They had made homophobic jokes at work and heavily mocked Lori, I had discovered. But I still should have fired him, if for no other reason than the blatant way he addresses me. And yet, he’s still working for the firm, while I’ve fired or transferred everybody else.

“Mrs. Kruger complained to HR about Mr. Boone’s choice of wardrobe a few days ago,” Evelyn says with a sigh.

Feisty Little Wasp, Bez chuckles.Fire the hag. Nobody trashes him.

“Rubbish! MissScrooge?—”

“Kruger,” Evelyn tries to correct him, but Lori just keeps going.

“And please remember the Miss, the bitter spinster insists on it. If she feels intimidated by real fashion, it is hardly my fault. Karma always finds her bitches.” Lori stands up, displaying his lean legs covered in a pair of skinny gray jeans with fringes on the sides. He surely has his own signature fashion style. He places his painted black nails on his hips, and I’m suddenly hit with his delicate lily scent.

“So, how did she get stuck to her desk?” Evelyn asks him.

“Perhaps some people skipped pre-school and can’t handle glue as well as taste.”

He’s always so unapologetically himself. And I respect that since I know how hard it is to stay true to yourself. But this is a place of work, not kindergarten. You’d think people should know how to behave.

“Do you have any proof?” I ask Evelyn.

“No, but this is not the firstaccidentwhere Mr. Boone is most likely involved.”

“Please, stop with the ‘mister’ already. We meet at least once every two weeks, Lori is just fine.” He says it like it’s a good thing to meet the head of HR weekly.

“Lori.” She gives him a quick, exasperated-looking half smile.

“Am I the F word?” Lori asks, looking between me and her. “Fired?” he clarifies.

“No!” Bez growls out, taking charge of my mouth. He never interferes during work hours. But wanting to keep Lori working for my firm seems essential to him…and his dick. And that’s one of the reasons why Lori is still working for me.

Lori’s amber eyes are filled with puzzlement. But he’s fast at regaining his sassy attitude. “Even if I tell you I’m the mastermind behind Miss Scrooge’s sticky accident?”

“Miss Kruger,” Evelyn tries again with a sigh. It doesn’t really matter what her name is, since she’ll be gone next week.

“Do you want to get fired, Lori?” I ask. More likely, he’s testing the limits to my patience.

“Is that a trick question? ’Coz in that case, I’ll take help from the audience.” He waves at Evelyn’s befuddled face.

Bez chuckles, it sounds like a rumbly noise inside my head.

I keep staring at Lori until he says, “It seems to be only logical to expect it.”

“Logical,” I repeat in a deadpan tone. After interacting with Lori in the last few months, I reached the conclusion that his brain must suffer a logic insufficiency. “This is a workplace not a frat house. If someone offends you, come to Evelyn and file a complaint.”

“I’m no snitch.” He sniffs like one of those Italian gangsters on TV.