“The check,” Benjamin orders, his voice glacial.
“Yes, sir.”
She returns and deposits the small leather binder on the table. He picks it up, sticks his credit card in, and hands it back to her immediately, not even bothering to look at the price of the meal.
“I could have helped,” I bring myself to mumble when she walks away. “I have cash.”
He shakes his head, and he can’t even look at me. God, this is unbearable. I should have kept walking when he called out to me. When the waitress returns, he leaves her tip on the table and hops up, snatching his coat from the back of the chair and turning as if he can’t wait another second to be outside and away from me. I walk with my coat on my arm through the restaurant, more than a little nervous. He’s holding the car door open for me when I step outside.
“No, it’s really all right, Mr. Scott. I’ll get a cab.” I look around for one, and thanks to my luck, the street is empty.
“Just get in the car, Darcy.”
“No, I’m really—”
“NOW!” he demands, his voice blistering with rage. I get it instantly; he’s embarrassed. I walk to the car reluctantly, get in, and buckle my seat belt, my eyes glued to the window.
Benjamin presses the button to summon Dimitri. “Miss Fontaine’s apartment.”
“Yes, sir.”
The entire car ride is spent in unbearable silence. I can feel the sizzling heat leaping off of him. I want to apologize, but I fear I’d just get more anger from him so I keep silent.
“I’m right here,” I inform him when we approach my dilapidated building on the left side of the street.
“Here, Dimitri.” He lets go of the button and turns to look at me for the first time since we left the restaurant. His eyes are distant, and for some strange reason, it makes my stomach churn with fear.
“Good night.”
“Good night, Mr. Scott. Thank you for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.”
Dimitri opens my side and I step out, flashing him a pitiful smile en route to the stairs, desperate to be alone in my apartment where my stupid mouth can do no more harm to my career.
***
“I don’t know how I could have been so stupid, Doris.”
“Sweetheart, he seems pretty taken with you by what you’ve told me. I mean, he has never done this with any of his employees. But he is still your boss. I would be extremely careful of forming an attachment to him.”She sighs heavily.“Although it seems you already have, haven’t you?”
That’s what I fear. I fear even imagining that my feelings will grow further for this man.
“I just have a hard time understanding what he does with these women, what he wants from them.”
“Some people have no respect for themselves, Darcy. Obviously you do. He probably saw that, which is why he acted so upset when you disapproved of him.”
“I’m worried I’m going to lose my job. What should I do?”
“You have two options. You can apologize or you can act like it never happened, though neither guarantees you your job. Unfortunately, that’s a big reason why you don’t get close to the people you work with.”
I nod to myself, knowing full well that she’s right and way too sweet to me. I fucked all of this up.
I glance at the clock; it’s nearing midnight. “I’m sorry to call you so late. I just couldn’t sleep until I talked to someone about it.”
“Of course, darling. Feel free to call at any time. Between you and me, I think he deserved to hear those things.”
***
