Shay blinked back the insult. “Fuck off, Eric.”
He leaned in but Shay refused to back up. “This isn’t over,” he breathed in her ear. And then he swung away and left through the main doors.
Shay sat down hard, her breath coming in little gasps.
Doris’s threat hadn’t moved her. But the anger in Eric’s voice had chilled her in a way no sweater could insulate against.
DIE CUNT.
The crude, ugly words carved into her car door seemed etched in her mind.
Did his latest threat mean he would ratchet up the harassment? No, he couldn’t afford to be caught doing that now that she’d gone public with his treatment of her. Even if he didn’t totally believe her side of it, Cadwallader Jones would be bound to look into the story she’d told him this morning. She only had to ride out the storm. The lightning and thunder couldn’t touch her now because she’d taken shelter in the truth.
It took a few more seconds for the stares of the customers in the lobby to penetrate her awareness. Eric was gone, blown through the exit like an expensively clothed tornado. Every person in the lobby was staring at her.
For an instant the world swooped down to pinpoint size, a prick of light in a black field.
She was sixteen, in the bleachers. Everyone was laughing …
And then the scope of her vision widened again, the room brighter than before.
She was twenty-six years old. In a bank building where she worked. Everyone who wanted to judge her for standing up for herself could go straight to hell.
Shay sat back down, picked up her earphones, and pushed the answer button on the next call.
Ten minutes later, Cadwallader Jones came into the lobby with one of the bank’s security personnel. Together they watched as she gathered her things, picked up her purse, and then escorted her to the door.
*
“I don’t know what to say, Shay.”
Perry Deshezer stared at his employee as if a whole new being had emerged through her skin.
“I don’t expect you to forgive me. What I did was unprofessional and unethical. But Eric put me through hell this last year. I couldn’t let him get away with it anymore.”
Perry rubbed his bald head absently. “I’ve known for some time you weren’t happy but I, none of us, ever guessed the cause. Why didn’t you say something?”
She shrugged. “At first I thought it was all my fault. Later, I didn’t think anyone would believe me.”
“What will you do now? Do you think Mr. Cadwallader Jones will press the issue with you?”
“The last thing he said to me was that my services, professional and otherwise, were no longer required. And that he hoped I would find other opportunities for employment soon. I hope that means he plans to take care of things himself.”
Perry raised his brows. “In that case, it’s my turn.”
Shay bit her lip. She knew what was coming. That’s why she’d come here instead of going home to sulk. “I’m fired.”
“That’s not even remotely on my mind. I think what you did was a brave thing. I wish you had told me what was going on sooner. I’d have backed you up, Shay.”
That snapped her head up.
Perry was smiling. “You’re one of my most reliable people. That phrase should sound familiar to you. I respect your opinion and your word. Sexual harassment is covered in our agreement with our customers. I’ll have something to say if Halifax Bank tries to screw us out of business, or talks against us to any of their business partners. To my way of thinking, they can’t afford the bad publicity associated with a problem like Eric Coates. They may cover this up, to keep feathers from being ruffled among their investors. But Eric’s future there is gone. And I don’t mind going to the mat for a good cause. If they don’t take appropriate action, Logital Solutions will go public with our side.”
Shay tilted her head, gratitude warring with anxiety over that word “public.” “You don’t have to do that for me. Eric will leave me alone now. He’s got problems of his own to deal with.”
Perry wagged his finger. “I’m very disappointed in you. I’d do that for any of my employees. I just happen to like you particularly well. A customer tried to extort sexual favors from one of my employees. I can’t allow that. But, quite frankly, I think you need to stay in-house until we know what’s going to happen. I need a person to work the Logital Solution’s reception desk. It’s a full-time position, and the pay is about the same.”
“Thank you.”
“Go home, get some rest. Then we’ll see you in the morning.”
Shay nodded.
Perry’s reaction was better than she could possibly have hoped for. He believed her. Just as James had. Maybe after being so accustomed to hard knocks, she had been missing the thumbs-up and helping hands around her. All she had had to do was stand up for herself.
When she reached the parking lot she saw that the wind had torn an edge of the map away from the tape. It flapped back, revealing the scratched D and I and part of the E. She retaped it before driving away.