“I don’t know. It’s not quite 8 a.m., so most folks aren’t here yet. How did you miss them coming in?”
“I take the stairs.”
Frank gaped at her. “Every day?”
“Yes, it helps me stay in shape.”
Frank raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment further on the topic. “Okay. Do you want help?”
Alex shook her head no. Frank was an authority figure at their company but was definitely a conflict avoider type of guy. As much as she appreciated his offer, he wouldn’t be much help if things got ugly.
“No, I’ll handle it. Thanks, though.”
Alex strode to the IT section of the office and found who she wanted. Jack was a quiet, unassuming man packaged in a professional football player’s body. She needed his size and fierce looks.
“Jack, can you walk with me? I need to address a problem in the lobby and could use your brawn standing behind me.”
The systems admin sat back from his keyboard. “Are you expecting trouble?”
“No, but I prefer having the threat of an ass-kicking looming behind me when I tell them all to go to hell.” She grinned at him, knowing he would love the bluff.
“I’m in. Need anyone else? I think the server team came in early today.”
“Nah, we should be okay. I’m calling security before we talk to them.”
“Well, okay then. Let’s do it.” Alex winced as Jack rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation.
She used his desk phone to call building security and brief them on the situation. The man who answered informed her someone had called earlier about the problem and they were already on their way up. She thanked him and hung up.
“Here we go.” She turned toward the lobby. Alex clenched her fists to hide her shaking hands as she walked down the hallway, Jack following close behind. She was normally calm as ice during a crisis and had handled emotional situations similar to this before. But those were never about her. She was a neutral party in those circumstances, and this felt distinctly different.
She stopped in her tracks at the sheer number of people packed into their lobby. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls separated the lobby from the interior of the office, and the glass doors required a key card to open. The space was a temporary waiting area for visitors and had room to accommodate up to seven or eight people comfortably. Right now, reporters, camera crews, and photographers packed the anteroom. Alex looked at Jack, whose mouth hung open.
“There must be twenty people jammed in that room!” she said.
“Maybe thirty,” Jack added.
“For fuck’s sake,” she muttered before she could help herself. She cringed and mouthed an apology to Jack for her unprofessional language. “Thank goodness for the key cards to keep them corralled.” Alex squared her shoulders and marched forward.
A barrage of flashes went off as she and Jack entered the lobby and several people shouted her name.
Alex stood silently, her hands folded in front of her, until they quieted. She looked every person in the face before speaking.
“This is a place of business. This is not an entertainment venue or a Hollywood premiere. Kindly leave the premises on your own or we will have you escorted out by security. Failing that, we will call the police and have you arrested for trespassing. Thank you.”
The crowd fired off questions, and Alex crossed her arms refusing to speak. As if she’d planned it, one of the two elevators dinged, and two security officers stepped off. Once the security team had things under control, she and Jack left the lobby and walked back inside.
“Thank you, Jack. Sorry for using you like that, but sometimes your menacing linebacker look comes in handy.”
Jack chuckled, but put a hand on her arm to stop her. “Hey, if you want me to escort you to your car when you leave, give me a call, okay?”
She patted his hand and thanked him for the offer. They separated at the corner and she headed to the executive wing. She found Frank in Jeff’s office where he was updating the CEO on the lobby situation. Jeff typically arrived early, so he’d likely missed the spectacle.
Normally, she would have flopped in one of the visitor’s chairs and boldly asked why the hell they were talking about her behind her back, but not today. Right now, she felt like a fragile dandelion that would break apart and drift away at the slightest breeze.
“You okay?” Jeff asked.
“To be determined,” she replied, then addressed Frank, “I’m scheduled to be off this week starting tomorrow, but I’m thinking of bailing now, if that’s okay. I intended to meet with you today to discuss the interviews, but I’m not sure my head’s in the right place at the moment. Can you look over what I gave you and email me?”
