Nick grabbed his iPad. “Ready to get back to work?”
Derek nodded. “You alright, man? Looked like you drifted off there.”
“Cute kid.”
“Most of them are.”
He nodded. A damn shame he couldn’t give Liz one of the things she wanted. But even if he could—he wouldn’t. The genes from his drunken, murderous fatherhadto stop with him.
10
“You like the job, Erin?” Liz popped open the container of salad and chicken she’d brought for lunch and addressed the new hire Major Chan had introduced her to earlier that morning.
“Definitely. I like administrative work, and Major Chan seems like a good boss. Tough but fair. I’m looking forward to the challenge.” The twenty-something with jet-black hair scrutinized her sandwich.
“Good for you. That’s great.” Something about the girl was familiar. “Have we met before? What’s your last name?”
“Erin Carson.” She looked away and stirred her coffee.
Liz slipped a cucumber slice into her mouth, eased out a chair, and sat across from the young woman wearing goth makeup and trendy clothes. Liz had silently admired her black lace-up heels every time she’d strutted down the hall that morning. Sexy heels and a prosthetic didn’t really work.Damn.She missed sexy shoes something terrible today.
“What’s your name again?” Erin inquired, and then stared intently at her cup.
“Liz Nelson.”
“Right. You’re in the third bullpen on the left. You’re the team leader, aren’t you?” She lifted her eyes and looked directly at Liz.
“Yes, great memory. Major Chan appreciates qualities like that.”
“What do you do exactly?” Erin took a sip of her coffee.
Liz leaned back and chewed a bite of chicken. “Internet security.” She answered any question about her job the same way. Rule #1 was never talk shop in the lunchroom. An employee manual guideline insisted they never reveal what or whom they were working on outside of their bullpen. If caseloads crossed paths within the building, which was rare, they’d find out later during the catch phase. It was a simple first day mistake. The girl was new.
Erin laughed and tossed her hands in the air. “Well, duh, the whole building works on internet security. But what do youdo?”
Liz poked at a squirmy piece of red pepper and thought for a few seconds. “May I ask if you’ve read your employee manual yet?”
“Um, not completely. Why?” She crumpled the aluminum foil from her sandwich, tossed it at the recycle can, and made the shot.
“You’ll want to read it this afternoon. Especially the section on lunchroom etiquette. Honest to goodness, that’s what the heading’s titled in the manual. Just tell the Major you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, and she’ll understand.” She punctuated the advice with a warm smile. The last thing Liz wanted to do was offend the new girl on her first day.
Erin sat back and crossed her arms. “Lunch etiquette? Are you kidding me?”
Liz shrugged. “I know it sounds weird, and it doesn’t have anything to do with napkins or cleaning up after ourselves. There are a few choice instructions on conversation that you’ll want to read up on. Most bone-up on it before their first day, but you came on board fast, so I get why you haven’t read it all yet.”
“Oh, okay,” Erin shrugged. “Human resources mentioned it last week after I did the paperwork, but when I saw the size of the booklet, I set it aside.”
Liz nodded and repacked her lunch tote. Human resources did more than mention it. Those hounds repeated it six times during her entrance interview. “By the way, I like your heels. They’re beautiful. They look great on you.”
Erin pointed the toe of one elegant foot. “You think so? Thanks. I love them. Got ‘em at a clearance sale on Bloomie’s website. My boyfriend likes them, too, if you catch my drift.” She made a point of glancing at Liz’s shoes. “Guess you dress for function being a boss and all?”
Ouch.Maybe she’d buy the girl a real book on etiquette.“I’m more comfortable in these shoes. Sometimes, I spend hours on my feet.” Liz stood and gathered her belongings. “Sorry to cut this short, but duty calls. I’ve got more to do before lunch is over. Have a good afternoon.”
Liz headed straight for the nursing mother’s room. After that conversation, she was grateful to be the only nursing mother on this floor and to have the secluded space to herself. She set up the breast pump and attached the plastic bag with a little more force than necessary. It tore.
Shit. She pounded the table with her hand and grabbed another sani-bag. It was a rare stranger who could cut her to the bone with one slice like Erin did. That girl had no idea how much Liz wanted to wear a pair of high heelsagain. A practical impossibility, unless Liz could find the fifty grand to purchase a custom prosthetic. And she’d already been gifted a made-for-her swim foot from Johns Hopkins for her favorite sport and work with Sanctuary, Inc. She really wasn’t in the running for a second prosthetic gift.
She took a series of cleansing breaths. Logically speaking, Erin didn’t know about her foot. Liz had worn pants today and had only the slightest limp. She turned on the breast pump, leaned into the plush, leather seat and tried to relax. Her shoulders were one massive knot. She always got uptight when her breasts strained at her shirt.
