“Yeah?”
Ori lifted a shoulder in an awkward shrug, which was odd because the woman was usually as comfortable and casually elegant as one could be. “I know it’s none of my business, but is everything all right? You’ve seemed…different lately. Distracted.”
Elle stiffened.
“I know working here can feel like a boarding school sometimes. Clique-y, you know?” She shrugged again. “So I just wanted to put it out there that even though you’re my boss, if you ever wanted to grab a drink after work or chat about something other than work, I’m game. I’ve found it helps to have friends here. We get how hard this job can be. And how isolating living out here in the bayou can get. So I…just wanted to put that out there.”
Elle stared at her for a moment. Her initial instinct was to brush off the offer. That was her standard go-to when she’d first started working here and people had offered to socialize. I like to keep my work and home life separate. She didn’t want to build bonds, get attached, make things more complicated. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
She liked Oriana, respected her. And Elle knew what kind of reputation she had developed around here. Approaching her prickly boss with this brand of kindness was a big risk for Oriana. She was reaching out. And not to kiss the boss’s ass or to get gossip on her. She could see it in her face, the open expression, the offered hand. This was genuine.
I’d like to get to know you. I’d like to be a friend.
The offer touched something inside Elle that made her throat go tight and words burst out. “I’m dating Lane Cannon.”
Ori’s eyebrows jumped up. “Oh.”
Elle put her fingers to her lips, surprised that the statement had escaped. “Shit. That wasn’t what I meant to say.”
Oriana grinned. “That wasn’t what I expected you to say, but I guess that explains why you’re acting differently. And explains a whole lot about what I saw that day in your office.”
Elle shook her head and rubbed her brow. “I guess I just needed to say it aloud to someone.”
Ori tipped her head to the side, her dark halo of hair making her look like an angel with a secret. “I’m honored I get to be your confessor today. Lane seems great.”
“He is.”
“And your secret’s safe with me.”
Elle nodded. “Thanks.” She should’ve told her it didn’t have to be a secret anymore. There was nothing forbidden. Lane wasn’t in her department or a direct report, so she didn’t need any kind of special approval. But she couldn’t quite say the words. “And I’ll definitely take you up on an after-work drink sometime.”
Ori’s face brightened. “Excellent.”
She cocked her head toward her closed door. “I better stop making Dr. Rush wait.”
Ori lifted her hand in a good-bye and headed toward the group room. Elle turned around, took a breath, and stepped inside her office. Marin Rush was in the chair across from Elle’s desk, texting on her phone, a secret smile on her face and a little flush on her cheeks.
She was probably texting with Donovan. Elle waited for the jolt of jealousy to go through her, but nothing came. She felt…nothing about the two of them being together. Huh.
“Good morning, Dr. Rush.”
Marin glanced up, turning her phone over in her lap, and her expression smoothed into a polite, professional one. “Dr. McCray.”
“Oriana said you needed to speak with me,” Elle said in a measured tone as she took her seat behind her desk.
“Yes. I apologize for barging in on you first thing, but both of our schedules are crazy today. I thought we could squeeze in ten minutes before the chaos began.”
Elle straightened a row of pens on her desk. “What can I help you with?”
Marin tucked her phone in her jacket pocket and linked her fingers around her crossed knees. “Jun Alexis.”
“Okay.”
“I had two sessions with Jun over the past week. I usually try to delay any treatment on my wing until the clients over here have fully completed your program, but Oriana told me that Jun’s sexual issues are deeply intertwined with her substance abuse issues, and she doesn’t expect Jun to come back for separate treatment once her time in rehab is up. I wanted to see how open she’d be to talking with me.”
Elle flipped open a legal pad and wrote down the date and Jun’s name. “How’d the sessions go?”
“Promising, actually. She opened up about an assault a few years ago, one that happened before she became well-known. After a show at a club one night, she got attacked by two guys who’d attended. Apparently, her stage performance was provocative and they felt like she’d offered them the invitation by paying attention to them during the song.”