Page 36 of Hidden Ties (Made Men #11)

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S hutting the door, Sage made her way back to the small cubicle where she worked in defeat. What was she going to do? Dispirited, she stared at her computer monitor while thinking over what options were left available to her.

“What has you looking so glum?”

Sage raised her eyes from the computer to see a co-worker peering over the partition separating them. “Nothing, Livvy,” she lied, refusing to give the woman any ammunition to gossip about her and hoping she would take the hint and leave. “I need to concentrate on a document I’m reading.”

Coming around the partition, Livvy sat down on the edge of the desk. “I take it asking for more hours was shot down by Bree?”

Since Livvy wasn’t buying that she wasn’t upset, there was no need to keep pretending. The best way to deal with the gossipmonger was to act as if the disappointment didn’t hurt. Clearly, the head of HR hadn’t waited to text Livvy about what the meeting she had asked for was about.

“Bree reminded me that I was hired for part-time employment. There isn’t any room in the office budget to give me more hours.” Keeping her voice even, she didn’t show any anger that her request had been denied.

“If there isn’t room in the budget, why is the company hiring another record clerk? Why not give you more hours?”

She picked up an ink pen to check off a box on a list she was working on. She wasn’t about to walk through the imaginary door Livvy had opened in an attempt to get her to say something negative so she could repeat it back to Bree.

“I didn’t ask.” She sighed. She was so sick of the toxic atmosphere that was allowed to flourish in the big law firm where she worked.

“I’m sure if Bree were able to give me more hours, she would.

” Patting herself on the back for getting the words out without choking on them, she checked off another box.

Livvy’s lovely pansy-colored eyes shot her an angry glare, unaware Sage was watching her through her lashes. The look was gone when she raised her eyes upward to one of indignation.

“If I were you, I would quit. Why put up with the hassle of working here if they’re not going to make it worth getting out of bed for?”

Because I wouldn’t want to make your day by quitting , she thought snidely.

“Grab your purse. I’m taking you out for lunch.”

She wanted nothing more than to get out of the office for an hour but shook her head.

Lunch out was not in her budget for the foreseeable future, thanks to Bree’s refusal to give her more hours.

Even if she had money to burn, the last thing she would spend it on was eating lunch with Livvy, who was a conniving snake, luring people in with her beautiful eyes, only to strike when you least expected it.

“I brought my lunch.”

“What did you bring?” Livvy brought her gaze back to hers. “Peanut butter crackers?”

She wished. She had run out of those last week. This week was ramen soup. Thankfully, she no longer blushed in embarrassment at the cheap lunches she brought to work, which seemed everyone in the department was keeping track of.

“I brought soup to heat up.”

“You can save the soup for tomorrow,” Livvy told her determinedly. “Today’s Nancy’s birthday. We’re all treating her for lunch.”

Before she could form an excuse, Sage found herself being pulled from her chair as Livvy opened her bottom desk drawer to take out her purse.

“Livvy, I can’t—”

“You’re coming. Don’t worry; I’ll pay your part.

” Livvy’s hand went to her arm, preventing her from sitting back down.

“Nancy is Bree’s BFF. You get in good with Nancy, maybe Bree will reconsider giving you the full-time job opening,” she whispered in an undertone while maneuvering them through the cubicles. “Wouldn’t you like your own office?”

Ugh. What made Livvy as lethal as a snake was her ability to pinpoint other’s weaknesses.

She wanted her own office to stay out of Livvy’s sight.

Her cubicle was right in the middle of twelve others in the room, so she was a sitting duck anytime Livvy turned a venomous gaze in her direction from inside her office.

Sage felt the rest of her protests die in her throat at Livvy’s compelling inducement. Unable to stop herself from being ushered out of the office without making a spectacle of herself, Sage gave in.

Livvy loosened her hold on her arm when she realized the battle between them was over.

Sage hoped they would have lunch at one of the nearby fast-food restaurants, but those hopes were dashed when Livvy turned the corner and stopped at a restaurant she had never eaten at before but had heard other workers in the office discussing how delicious the food was … and how expensive.

“Livvy, this place is too expensive.” Her budget was already spread paper thin. She barely had just enough money to cover her rent due in two days.

Holding the door open, Livvy motioned her inside. “Move it. I don’t want us to be late going back to work. If Bree writes me up, I won’t be responsible for whom I will take it out on.”

Knowing full well Livvy didn’t make idle threats, Sage felt as if she had no choice other than to go along with whatever plan Livvy had in store for her.

As she glanced around the bustling restaurant, she thought she might have an easy out.

“There’s no way we’ll get a table and be back on time.” Turning back toward the entrance, she found Livvy blocking her way.

“Susan and Nancy are already seated.”

Her shoulders slumped when Livvy took her arm again, ushering her around a long line of customers waiting to be seated.

When they walked through the restaurant, she felt her stomach plummet.

There was no getting out of whatever plan Livvy had in store for her.

The restaurant was huge; another level was slightly above the one where Nancy and Susan were seated.

Decorative screens blocked who was sitting at the tables above, giving the diners below a sense of privacy.

Taking an empty chair at the table, Sage looked around the restaurant curiously as Nancy handed her a menu, giving her a smile, which made fear run down her back.

“I’m glad Livvy was able to convince you to join us.”

Nancy’s friendly greeting heightened her trepidation. Glancing around the table, she felt her hands go clammy. Whatever the plan was, all three women were in on it together.

“Livvy kind of took the option out of my hand.”

Livvy, who was scanning the menu, didn’t look up. Nancy and Susan both laughed, assuming she was joking. She wasn’t.

Susan leaned forward as if she were about to share a secret. “Anytime we have a client who is determined to talk to their lawyer, I switch them to Livvy. Makes my day brighter just listening to how she handles them.”

“She missed her calling.” Susan was squeezing lemon into her water. The disrespectful way she talked about Livvy grated on Sage’s nerves, whether she was there or not. “Livvy should be on the top floor, making the big money.”

Sage listened absently, trying not to gape at the prices on the menu and gag at what Susan was saying at the same time.

Livvy laid her menu down. “Don’t tell anyone, but there is a promotion in the works. Bree told me yesterday. I’m just waiting for Mr. Hollingsworth to sign off on it.”

Nancy gave Livvy an envious look. “Lucky girl. Is there any chance I could take your job once your promotion comes through?”

“I don’t see why not. I’ll speak to Bree when I receive the promotion formally,” Livvy said, as if it were a done deal.

Tearing the top off a sugar packet, Susan appeared downcast at Livvy’s quick answer. “Why should you get Livvy’s job? I’ve worked there longer than either of you.” Her gaze swung to Livvy’s. “I guess Mr. Hollingsworth isn’t as happy with my work as he is with yours.”

Sage wished she were anywhere else other than at the table with the three women who were supposedly friends.

“And … Kent Bryant.” Susan dug her grave deeper. “I hear you’re making him very happy, too. Must be nice to be so popular.”

Sage looked up from the menu to see Livvy sending Susan a venomous glare.

“What have you heard?” Livvy asked silkily.

Goose bumps broke out on Sage’s arms. She wanted to push her chair farther away from Susan’s to be out of striking range. Sage sat still, however, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

“I was only joking.” Susan’s skin went ashen.

Livvy’s expression was stone cold. “Am I laughing?”

“N-no,” Susan answered whisper-softly, fear lacing her voice.

“Then I wouldn’t joke about something you know nothing about.”

Susan bowed her head to stare down at her menu. “I won’t.”

“Good.”

Sage focused on the menu, not wanting Livvy’s wrath brought down on her. She’d had enough problems dodging Livvy’s bite without putting herself within striking range.

The only good outcome of this tense lunch was finding out Kent Bryant was a topic not to be brought up around Livvy.

Kent was one of the newer lawyers in the firm.

He had been given an office on the top floor, which had shocked everyone in the firm.

There was only one other lawyer on the top floor, and that was the owner of the firm, Garrett Hollingsworth.

There was another occupant on that floor, but he wasn’t a lawyer.

Desmond Beck was a billionaire philanthropist who kept his own personal staff.

Were Kent and Livvy involved? If so, they must be keeping it on the down-low, because she hadn’t heard a smidge of rumor about them.

On the other hand, she wouldn’t have. She had kept to herself as much as possible, and when she was forced to interact with her colleagues, which was as little as possible, she steered clear of workplace drama, keeping to the topic of work if anyone stopped by to chat.