Raul
"Excuse me, Ms. Hernandez," Pamela says, looking embarrassed as she enters Bianca's office. "I know you didn't want to be disturbed, but Marcus says he needs to see you right away."
Bianca sighs and puts down her pen. She and I have been going over the company's major projects for the past hour. "Thank you, Pam," she says, getting up. "Raul, could you hold on a sec? I just need to take care of this."
"Take your time."
She punches a number on her office phone. "Marcus? Pam says you needed to see me." She pauses. "All right. You're sure it won't take long?" Another pause. "All right, I'll be there in a minute."
"It sounds urgent," I say.
"There's an issue with the last payments to one of our suppliers. He just needs me to confirm something. He says it won't take long."
"I can wait."
She hesitates. "You sure?"
"Of course."
"I'll be quick." She walks briskly across the room. As she's about to open the door, she pauses and turns toward me. "How's Olivia, by the way? I understand you had her go on leave."
"She should be fine." I smile. "A little shaken, but she's a trooper."
"Good, good. I feel terrible for what she must be going through."
"So am I."
***
Katelin
Wednesday
"I have exercise equipment at home, you know," I say, dropping my gym bag.
Marcus grins as he sets down a pair of dumbells back into the rack. I don't know why I'm surprised that his home gym was huge and outfitted with every exercise machine ever invented. Like the one we have set up at home. "Yeah, but what's the fun in doing it alone?" he says. Eyeing my outfit, he says, "I distinctly remember telling Giles to show you where to get changed."
I glance down at my baggy sweatpants and old college shirt. "I am changed."
"Sorry. I thought women only wore—" He shakes his head. "Never mind. We'll start you off with some stretches."
"Are you my trainer now?" I raise my eyebrow.
"I hope your regular trainer doesn't mind."
"I don't have one."
"No? Not even for yoga?"
"I have YouTube." Sighing, I follow him to the corner of the room. "I'm still not clear why we're doing this." He texted me after lunch and suggested we do gym at his place after work. I didn't think Marcus was the type of guy who needed a gym buddy, not even Raul.
"Exercise clears the brain. Makes you think more clearly."
I try not to stare at the way his ass strains against his gym shorts when he bends down to pick up a stray dumbbell. I look away, kicking myself mentally. You're a married woman, I remind myself. Sure, I'm not getting any, but that's only because I haven't yet decided to forgive my husband for being a manipulative jerk.
"Kate?"
"Huh?" I pretend to study a large piece of equipment with springs levers and bars — probably something for pilates. Or torture. Who knows.
"Come, I promise to be gentle."
I groan inwardly. Give me strength.
***
Raul
I take a deep breath and let myself in the apartment.
It's quiet. No music, no television. I find Olivia in the living room sitting by the glass window wall, in a large wingback chair. The curtains are drawn, showing the city lights twinkling in the distance and on the buildings across the street. The lamp behind her illuminates the fiery tones of her long red hair, falling softly around her shoulders and down the front of her white shift dress. Sensing me enter the living room, she looks up from the book she's reading.
"Raul!" she says, a wide smile on her lovely face. Quickly, she drops the book and gets to her feet. "I was hoping to see you." She runs toward me, stopping just in front of where I stood on the threshold of the hallway, as though she were about to fling herself into my arms but thought better of it. "Sorry," she says, flushing. "I got your flowers. They're beautiful."
I follow her gaze to the mantle where the two dozen red roses have been arranged in a crystal vase. After meeting with Bianca yesterday, the rest of my day was busy. I didn't have time to check on Olivia, not even by phone. I was supposed to take her to file a police report on the break-in at her apartment. I felt guilty and, like generations of men before me, I resorted to giving her flowers. "You must hate having to be cooped up here all day," I say. "I thought the flowers would cheer you up."
"It's not so bad. But they did make me feel better."
"They can't make up for having to be alone all day. I'm ... sorry I didn't have time to see you yesterday."
She lowers her gaze, looking embarrassed. "I hope it's not because Kate was upset you spent Monday night here."
"It's fine." It wasn't. Between everything at work that kept me there until late last night and the fight we had on Monday, Kate hasn't spoken to me since. "She knows I'm preoccupied right now. Have you been online?"
Her eyes grow wide and she shakes her head. "No, you told me not to."
Silently, I hand her the copy of the newspaper I've been holding, folded to show the pertinent headline. "My lawyers are working on this but as you see, this has been hanging over my head all day."
She saw the headline and gasped, a hand over her mouth. "But ... this is just an op-ed, right? Just a theory by some political gossip columnist?"
I take off my suit jacket as I make my way to the sofa. "I suppose we'll find out soon enough." With a weary sigh, I toss the jacket over the coffee table. "I hope you don't mind," I say as I loosen my necktie as I sit down on the sofa.
But she's not looking at me. Her focus is on scanning the newspaper I gave her as she follows me to the sofa. Her brow furrows in worry. "This is ridiculous," she says, glaring at the paper. You didn't even show up until after I found Señor Saldana's b—" She pauses, swallowing. "I was there."
"Yes, well, you may have to testify to that in court. Because the CCTV footage of the outside of the ladies' room seems to have disappeared."
"Oh God." She drops beside me on the sofa, a hand on my knee. "You don't think it will come to that, do you? You being charged for Señor Saldana's murder?"
"Don't worry." I squeeze her hand to reassure her. "I have the best lawyers, they'll have this resolved by noon tomorrow. I don't want you worrying about it, okay?"
"I'm so scared, Raul." Her voice drops to a whisper. "What if they arrest you?" Tears glitter in her long eyelashes. "I'll never forgive myself."
"Shhh." I cup her face with one hand gently, brushing a thumb over her soft cheek. "It's not your fault. I don't want you to ever blame yourself for any of this."
Wordlessly, she rests her head on my shoulder. When I put an arm around her, I could feel her take a shaky breath. "I'm so scared, Raul," she whispers. "We still don't know who broke into my apartment or why. And now you're in trouble too."
I stroke her arm to comfort her. "I'll be all right. Besides, if anything happens to me, Kate has access to all my resources. And you know how much she cares about you. She'll keep you safe."
"I know. But you've been so kind to me, it's not right for them to blame you for something you didn't do."
"We'll figure this out, all right?" I squeeze her arm gently. "First thing tomorrow, I'm taking you to the police to file that report on your apartment break-in. I'm almost sure that had to do with Saldana's murder, so maybe it could be a lead."
I feel her stiffen but she didn't say anything.
"Olivia, I can't force you to go to the police but —"
She puts a hand on my chest. "I'll do it. I said I was scared, but ... if I have you by my side, I can go through with it." Raising her head from my shoulder, she looks up at me. "First thing tomorrow?"
I nod. "I'll be staying here tonight, it will be easier if I don't have to make the long drive here to pick you up. You don't mind?"
Her face lights up. "Of course not. You know I always feel safer when you're around." She lowers her gaze shyly. "I don't mind if you sleep here every night."
"Maybe I should."
She looks up at me, her eyes wide. "But... won't Kate mind?"
"Olivia, you wouldn't even have been at that party if I hadn't invited you. That makes you my responsibility." I take a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger welling up inside me. "Especially if you're in danger from the people responsible for Saldana's murder."
"You're so good to me, Raul." She glances down at her hand still resting on my chest. There's a shadow of worry in her expression when she lifts her head to meet my gaze. "I feel so much safer with you here tonight. But... won't people talk?"
I study her face. She really is quite good at this. The fake concern about her reputation and mine. The way she got dressed today, knowing no one else would see her but me — not too obviously for seduction, yet enticingly enough to hold a man's attention. Her white dress clinging to every curve, her dark red hair let down, free from her usual efficient work chignon. The scent of perfume on her skin that held the promise of honey.
My wife knew better than to hire a wilting flower to be my assistant. Olivia got the job because she was intelligent and tenacious when it came to getting things done. It was only the other night that I found out what she really wanted from me, and it had nothing to do with getting me coffee or running my work schedule efficiently.
In a way, she'll be getting what she wants. But only because it will get me what I want.
"No one else knows about this apartment, remember?" I give her a reassuring smile. "This situation requires us to conduct our ... activities discretely. Do you understand?"
She smiles. "You know I can keep a secret."
"I know you can. I wouldn't be here otherwise."
"But Kate knows you're here, doesn't she?" Olivia is almost breathless with excitement, even as she stares at me with those wide, innocent eyes.
I sent Kate a text earlier to let her know I'd be spending the night here. Even if I didn't bother, she'd guess where I was anyway.
"Shhh." I brush a finger lightly over her lips. "Let me worry about what to tell my wife."
After all, Kate knows how to keep secrets too.
"Okay." Olivia bites her lower lip for a moment, then releases it slowly. I know the gesture is meant to draw my attention to her mouth, and it works. "Anyway, you're just here to keep me company, right?" She laughs. "It's not like we're doing anything inappropriate."
"You're going through a lot, Olivia." I take the hand she has resting on my chest with my own, and squeeze it. "I just want to be here for you."
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