Until this week, she’d had her health managed pretty well. Now, all of a sudden, it seemed like she was having asthma attacks one after the other. She frowned, took a deep breath, and nodded.
Stay focused.
“I have a meeting at noon with Mr. Brian Monster,” she managed to say.
Harper nodded and looked at her computer. Then she typed something, clicked something, and finally, looked back up.
“I can see your appointment listed right here,” she said. “You’re with Dragons Daily, right?”
“That’s right,” she nodded.
Harper frowned and cocked her head.
“Someone arrived about ten minutes ago,” she said. “A man said he was taking your place in interviewing Mr. Monster.”
Winter’s heart fell.
“Was he about this tall?” Winter held her hand up to demonstrate.
“Yes.”
“With a balding head?”
“Uh-huh.”
“And a suit that was just the slightest bit wrinkled?”
“Um, yes.”
Leon.
Leon had come and snaked her appointment time. Of course, he had.
“Listen,” Winter said. “I need to get to Mr. Monster right away. The guy who took my appointment is a complete asshole.”
Harper raised an eyebrow, but if she was surprised at Winter’s language, she had the decency not to act upset about it.
“He’s trying to trick Mr. Monster into giving away personal information that he can then sell to Dragonette Daily,” she spoke all in a rush, and the woman nodded.
“Well, he certainly sounds crappy,” she said. Harper jerked her head toward the elevator. “Go on up, then. Top floor. I’ll call the secretary and let her know you’re coming.”
“Thank you,” Winter said. Then she ran to the elevators, pressed the button, and hopped into the first elevator that opened. As soon as she was inside, she jabbed the button for the top floor, hitting it over and over again.
She was going to be too late.
She knew it.
She just knew it.
Why, oh why, had she come on time instead of early? She had suspected that Leon might try to take her appointment time, but the dude was always late. Always. She wasn’t sure whether it was polite to show up early to a business meeting, so she’d aimed to be exactly on time.
Apparently, that was going to cost her.
Well, her or Mr. Monster.
She wasn’t sure.
Winter reached for her inhaler and took a puff, breathing in the medication before she shoved the inhaler back in her pocket. She took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm herself and her racing heart.