No. This was different. They were in a workplace environment. Besides, everyone knew he was engaged.
The official announcement had been in the Monday morning online Bank Weekly distributed to all Halifax Bank employees. There was even a picture of Eric squeezing the waist of a pretty blonde in a silvery cocktail dress. Underneath were the words “Felicitations to the Happy Couple.”
He came right around the corner of her glass partition. “Hey, Shay.” His voice was pitched in the low intimate register she once thought he reserved for her alone. Now it sounded rehearsed.
Shay raised her voice. “Congratulations on your engagement, Mr. Coates.”
The smile pleats at the corners of his eyes deepened. “Just because I’m engaged doesn’t mean we can’t still have some fun. We just need to be more discreet.”
Shay lowered her gaze, trying not to choke on her disgust. How she could ever have been so blind? He was a total douche. “I’m seeing someone.”
“The cop? Drop him. I’ve upgraded your tastes beyond his pay grade.”
He leaned in, a casual brace of his hands on her desk as if they were colleagues discussing an issue. “We’ve got a sweet little deal going here for the next five weeks. My office is right over your head.” He glanced up. “I like the idea of that, you beneath me.”
Aware of the people moving past them in the lobby, Shay leaned in before she looked up into his face. “Fuck off, Eric.”
He leaned in a fraction closer, too. “I’d rather fuck you.”
Shay waited until he was out of range before she took a deep breath.
She picked up her water, thirstier than before. She missed her mouth and spilled an icy trickle into her lap. She ignored it. Tilting the bottle again, she swallowed and concentrated on the sharp cold of the water as it traveled all the way down into her stomach. It was like jumping into an autumn lake, only from the inside. After her conversation with Eric, she wanted to shower.
She should get up and leave right now, and never come back. Perry would be furious. Probably fire her. So then she’d move out of Raleigh altogether. There wasn’t anything or anyone holding her here.
That thought was as depressing as it was supposed to be inspirational. Anger came in to take up the slack.
Don’t let the rat bastard run you off.
When she opened her eyes she saw a flashing light indicating a call. She reached for her headphones. Might as well finish the day. She needed the paycheck.
*
Shay glanced at the clock. It was ten minutes before closing. After fielding half a dozen calls from customers freaking out about their Friday paychecks not showing in their bank accounts, Shay picked up the next call with the numbing hope it was someone who’d forgotten their password.
“I’m lookin’ for Shay Appleton.”
Shay frowned. She was never asked for by name. “Yes? How can I help you?”
“You can keep your fucking mouth shut to the cops!”
“What?”
“Keep your fuckin’ mouth shut, cunt!”
He hung up.
The panic attack came on too fast for her to process, let alone prevent. A sensation like swarming ants ran all over her body. A hard shiver rocked her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t get her diaphragm to draw in a breath. Sensations of being too hot and then too cold hit her, one after the other.
Unable to move, Shay allowed her gaze to sweep frantically back and forth across the main floor of the bank, looking for any sign of who might have made the call. The tellers were all busy. The bank officers with cubicles on this floor were with customers.
Eric. Where was he?
He was emerging from an elevator, in conversation with two men in business suits. They crossed quickly to the main doors and left.
Shay shot to her feet, her head getting yanked by the cord of her headphones. She jerked them off, ignoring the flashing lights of two new calls. She grabbed her purse and shoved a palm against her mouth as she skirted her desk and headed out across the main bank lobby. Her heels made loud clacking sounds as she hurried across the marble floor.
She straight-armed the restroom door open. Thankfully no one else was there. She ran to the first sink, bending low over it. She pushed for the water to come on with one hand, splashing her face with the other.
After a moment, she lifted her head and, eyes closed, drew in a long slow breath.
Breathe. Slowly. In. Out. In. Out.
She curled her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms until they hurt. Control! She needed to get control! The panic attack would subside with control.
It was only a phone call. I’m not in immediate danger.
She opened her eyes to grab paper towels and dry her face.
She had worked IT in many different companies during the past three years. Dealt with the bug-eyed angry, dithering idiots, the socially inept, and even the occasional prankster or pervert. No one had ever called her that word before … except Eric, their final night together.