Lynn blinked hard as she shuffled from the underground parking at the Bay City Press building and into the elevator. Her eyes were full of grit after her crappy night, and she was having trouble keeping them open.
She’d been too worked up over Phil to sleep. Instead she’d lain awake in bed, wondering how in the world she could find out the truth about her boyfriend. It wasn’t as if he would announce something plain and simple like “Sorry, but I have to cancel another date with you so I can bang your coworker on the side.”
An enormous yawn escaped as the elevator stopped at the ground floor and a crowd poured in, trapping her in the corner like a poorly prepared shopper on Black Friday. She couldn’t see a single thing except the tailored suit in front of her, a man’s broad shoulders blocking the view of everyone and everything.
Of course, as squished as they were, someone’s phone had to ring. Bodies shifted awkwardly, and Lynn mentally cursed whoever was jackass enough to respond while stuck in such tight quarters. As if they couldn’t wait thirty seconds and return the call when they weren’t inconveniencing everyone else in the place.
The fact she wasn’t surprised to recognize the inconsiderate bastard’s voice as soon as he spoke made her sad all over again.
“Phil Shotelle speaking. Of course, sir. I’d love to join you for lunch. In fact, I have an update regarding the big promotional sales event I’m organizing. I think you’ll be impressed.”
Lynn rolled her eyes so hard she might have sprained something.
Okay, this was stupid. The thoughts she had regarding the man were not the lover-ly reflections of a besotted girlfriend. Whether or not Phil was cheating, it was clear she needed to call things off with him and go looking for greener pastures.
Or hotter ones.
Parker’s teasing grin leapt to mind, and damned if her libido didn’t click over to high with a hum that was nearly audible in the confined space. She squeezed her legs together in the hopes she’d be walking normally by the time they reached her floor.
Small mercies—Phil exited the elevator ahead of her then cut immediately to the left without a backward glance, saving her the trouble of having to say hello, or goodbye.
She wasn’t a chicken. Much. She simply needed more coffee before officially making a move.
Only, oh joy, oh bliss, her Wednesday turned into what Suz had so perfectly branded a Crapapalooza. One unending disaster after another meant she spent more time putting out fires than moving forward. Lynn barely had time to pee, let alone stop for lunch or inform her boyfriend he’d been awarded the coveted ex status.
“Hey, girlfriend.”
She spun her chair, concern hitting hard and fast when she spotted Suz approaching her cubicle. They hadn’t spoken all day, and her friend sounded as if she’d spent the last five hours screaming and lost not only her voice, but her will to live.
“You look horrible. What’s up?”
Suz pasted on a ghastly smile. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
Oh lordy. “You’re scaring me.” Lynn jumped to her feet and dragged her BFF into the confines of her purple cubicle, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “You’re one of the best liars in the world, and that one sucked eggs. Something is seriously wrong, isn’t it?”
Suz nodded, then shook her head. “No. I mean there’s no death or disaster involved. Yet. I just…” She lifted her gaze to Lynn’s, her green eyes lacking their typical sparkle. “I hate to have to tell you ‘I told you so’. I mean, I joked about what an ass Phil was, but I don’t want you hurt, and what I’ve got to tell you—”
Shit.
Lynn slammed up a hand to halt Suz’s confession. There were too many opportunities to be overheard on the busy floor. “Come on…”
She dragged her friend down the hall to the ladies’ room, peeking under the stall doors to make sure they were private while Suz locked the main door.
“Spill,” Lynn demanded.
Her best friend sighed, the agony of her soul written in her sorrowful body language. “I was on my way to marketing when I spotted your Phil coming out of a maintenance room.”
She frowned. “A…broom closet?”
Suz nodded. “He didn’t see me, but knowing how uppity he is, it seemed like a strange place for him. I mean, he’s the type who calls for someone to wipe up spilled coffee instead of doing it himself. So I hid around the corner and hung out for a bit.”
Sadly, Lynn already knew where this was going. “And a little while later you saw Dana Hastings leave the closet.”
“Shit, what? No.” Suz’s eyes were huge. “It was Sylvia, the new temp from the second floor who’s—wait. You’re not surprised?”
Lynn wouldn’t put it that way. Holy shit, this changed everything, again. “I’m…kind of speechless.”
“But you thought he was fooling around with Dana?” Twin spots of red brightened Suz’s cheeks as fury flickered over her face. “Okay, so as long as you’re not upset, I’m gonna go kill him.”
“Why?”