“He’s a cop,” I said. “That’s kind of his job, I guess …”
“You know I’m a Marine, right? Just like him. Just because I don’t wear my dog tags doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten what they mean.”
Okay, now it looked like I was heading into totally-offended-Parker’s-manhood territory. I was temporarily at a loss. This was ground I’d never been on before.
“I didn’t mean to imply—”
“Sure you did,” he cut me off.
And it hit me. He was feeling … inadequate. Because of Ryker. It was surreal. Parker was nearly revered at KLP Capital. I felt more than a twinge of pride that I was his assistant. And now his ex-bff-turned-cop, my boyfriend, was making him competitive? Over me?
The elevator doors opened and we exited as normal, Parker heading straight into his office while I went to my desk. I was starving and the cheese Danish he’d bought me was devoured almost immediately.
It didn’t take long at all for Megan to show up at my desk.
“Oh my God, I heard what happened!” She rushed around my desk to throw her arms around me. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
I squeezed her back, despite the twinge in my stitches. “I’m fine, thank goodness. But I definitely wouldn’t want to live through that again.”
She pulled back, looking at me seriously. “The news said someone shot up your apartment? Some kind of gang drive-by thing. Is that true?”
I nodded, deciding I’d just go with the gang story the CIA had apparently leaked to the media, and she gasped in horror.
“That is so … I just can’t … thank God you’re okay.” And she threw her arms around me again. “Why are you even here?” she asked when she released me. “Please tell me Parker isn’t making you work today.”
“I’m sure he would’ve given me the day off if I’d asked,” I said. She pressed her lips together, but didn’t say anything. I hurriedly spoke again. “I’m fine. Really. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I weren’t here.”
This seemed to satisfy her. “If you’re sure,” she said. “Hey, it’s the end of the month so we’re ordering in lunch today. Chinese. No one has time to go out. Want me to order something for you, too?”
“Yeah, that’d be great.” I gave her my order for sweet and sour chicken along with some money.
“Anything for Parker?”
I hesitated. Usually, he ate out somewhere unless it was a Monday. But he didn’t have a client meeting scheduled today and if Viktor was targeting him like he was targeting me …
“Yeah. Get him Szechuan chicken, please.” The thought of someone shoving Parker into traffic made me shudder. I’d just come up with some excuse that would make him have to stay in today. I didn’t know what I’d do tomorrow, but resolved to take it one day at a time.
Work was the usual and my arm wasn’t too bad. For all that had happened the past few days, I was for the most part physically relatively unscathed. As for mentally or emotionally … well, let’s just say that it was a relief to be buried in work so I didn’t have time to think about anything else.
At about a quarter to noon, Parker came out of his office.
“I’m heading to lunch,” he said as he walked by.
“Wait,” I called out, jumping up from my chair. He paused as I scurried around the counter. “I, um, need your help … on this report.”
Parker looked at me strangely. “What report?”
I thought fast. “The report for Contracts. They, um, need to know which customers have holdings in the Asian markets.”
“Why?”
Good question.
I gave a fake little laugh. “Like they’re going to tell me. I don’t know; I just got the request in and they need it by this afternoon.”
Parker glanced at his watch, frowning. “And you can’t do it on your own?” he asked.
I shrugged. “You know I get confused with some of the Asian stuff.” Parker wasn’t fluent, but he knew enough Chinese to get by, whereas it was all Sanskrit to me.
“Okay, fine,” he said, heading back toward his office. “Send me what you have so far.”
That wouldn’t take long, since I had nothing.
“Sure!” I said brightly to his retreating back. “Thanks a lot. Really appreciate it.”
He glanced back and arched a brow before going back into his office.
Hurrying to my computer, I created a quick-and-dirty spreadsheet and threw a few companies onto it, then sent it to Parker. I felt kind of bad for making him do made-up work, but then I thought of what could happen to him outside and the feeling went away. This whole idea that he was going to work with the CIA to lure Viktor out was appalling.
A half hour later, I took the Szechuan chicken into his office. “Hungry?” I asked, setting the plate down on his desk.
Parker glanced up at me, then sat back in his chair.