Page 29 of Sweeter than Honey
My heart pounds. Her irises contract slightly, and I realize that she noticed it. There’s a thick pause between us that I don’t know what to do with. To my embarrassment, all I can manage is an awkward laugh. “Before we get on the elevator,” I say. “I should tell you…”
“Yes?”
“That…that you have a streak of blood on your face. It must have been from the fight…”
“From the fight?” she looks confused, then she brings her hand to her face and feels it. “Oh, that’s…yes, thank you for telling me, Lily.”
She takes out a fresh handkerchief and wipes her face, then she pulls out another and hands it to me (how many does she keep in those pantsuit pockets?) “You have a little blood at the corner of your lip.”
“Oh?” I take the handkerchief from her and bring it to my face, wiping my mouth as delicately as I can.
“No, wait…” She takes the handkerchief from me and, with a gentle finger, brushes the edge of my lip with it. There’s a tender expression on her face, one I haven’t seen very often.
My heart flutters, and there’s a warm feeling in my core.
Oh fuck.
Oh fuck fuck fuck fuck.
Idefinitelyhave a crush on my boss.
Chapter 11: Paperwork
Renata
“Howmuch is the final charge?” I shout furiously at the speaker of my desk phone.
“Um…fifty-five thousand, Ms. Espina…” crackles the voice of our accountant on the other end.
“Who signed off on it?” I ask sharply, my fingers clicking quickly across my keyboard, pulling up the unfinalized expense report from this week.
“It was Ms. Price,” says the accountant nervously.
“Did you tell Ms. Price that it is not within her jurisdiction to approve…”
“I’m sorry, Renata. Usually Lily keeps an eye on the statements. You know she’s the only one who can talk any sense into Ms. Price. But since she’s been away…”
I heave an angry groan. “It’s fine, I’ll deal with my sister myself.”
I press the button to end the call, and sit back down in my chair, rubbing my temples in frustration. I’m glad that I gave Lily the time off - I feel terribly guilty about endangering her on the holding floor - but her absence has been sorely felt these past few days. I didn’t even realize all of the things she was taking care of. In the past evening alone, I’ve had to deal with a screeching Mrs. Harrigan, who insisted that her mattress “felt different” and that we had sneakily replaced it for some reason, a squatting family of mermaids who refused to check out of their room, and now, a ridiculously large charge on the businessAMEX made by my dear sister.
With an irritated sigh, I press the button on my desk phone again to call Lexi.
If she isn’t her office, so help me god…
“Hi, Ren!” her chipper voice says through the speaker.
“Get in herenow!” I shout.
“Jesus, calm down! What, are you being attacked by bear shifters, or something?”
“Just get in here!”
With superhuman speed, the door to my office opens and Lexi appears. Today, her hair is in a long braid, with a quilted pink headband. She wears a tube dress in a similar shade. To top it off, in one hand she holds a massive Stanley tumbler, in exactly the same shade of pink as her outfit. She puts a hand on one hip, and takes a sip from the opaque straw.
“Whatare you drinking?” I ask.
“Bloodwine,” she replies cheerfully. “Gotta hydrate!”