He said it all with a blunt look, his voice flat with little to no emotion behind any of the words he spoke. It could’ve been something he rehearsed, for the amount of inflection given.
Swallowing, I nodded, not having it in me to say anything else. He smiled at that, leaning back out of my space as he moved toward the door. I gulped, the air rushing in as I realized I’d been holding it. The air was permeated with his cologne now, the smell was one I wouldn’t forget for a while, so distinct in its sandalwood and dark notes.
He paused at my door, barely looking over his shoulder as he gave me his last parting words. “Do you think I should give my son another chance, or is he a lost cause?”
I struggled, not knowing what to say. I didn’t believe he was owed a chance based on the bullshit he’d spat in here, but it wasn’t my place to judge or decide that for him or his son. So, in a very robotic voice, I replied.
“Second chances are always worth it, even if only for your own conscience.”
“Very well. You’ve been ever so helpful, Mrs. Carter. I do wish you the best of luck for the things to come.”
He strolled off, practically whistling as he went, and I sat there stunned for a solid five minutes before the vibration of my phone jolted me out of the trance I’d fallen into. My head was all over the place, so I closed my computer and grabbed my bag, leaving my notes to do tomorrow. I needed to make sure to let them know not to schedule him again if he changed his mind about returning. There was no way I could handle anything else to do with Dayton Mascro. I made a note to file a report as well, not convinced he hadn’t raped someone.
I found Imogen and her chaperone standing in the lobby, and I quickly turned off the lights and locked the office door. She had paused, an odd look on her face. She didn’t even see or hear me as I spoke to her, lost in her own thoughts. Placing my hand carefully on her arm, she gasped, blinking as she took in her surroundings.
“Loren, hi, sorry, I… I don’t know what just happened. I walked in, and then the next thing I know, you’re standing here. I think I blacked out. It felt like I was… back there for a second,” she whispered.
Concerned, I looked to the guard. “How long have you been in the lobby?”
“About five minutes, ma’am. When we entered, she stopped in the middle of the floor. I just assumed she didn’t want to sit down. Her back was to me, so I don’t know what her face or anything looked like. That’s my fault, ma’am.”
Shaking my head, I didn’t want him to feel bad. He wasn’t to blame. I glanced around the room, taking in the things that might be different. There was a new musical track playing. But everything else seemed the same.
“Is it the music? Did that pull your focus?”
Imogen tilted her head, listening, before returning to me, shaking her head. “No, that wasn’t it. I honestly don’t know. I’m okay now, though. It seems to have passed.”
“Okay, but if you remember anything, you let me know, okay.”
She agreed, biting her lip, and I linked our arms together as we made our way out of the office. I locked the last door, and we continued on our way, going the same way I had with Atticus. When we climbed into the SUV, her expression was more relaxed, and she easily fell into excited chatter, pushing away my fears.
“This is going to be so much fun. I can’t wait to try on dresses. I haven’t had anyone to do this with in a while or anywhere to go. Before… you know, my mom would take me, but she hadn’t wanted to leave the house in the last couple of years. I worry I missed something, that maybe he was hurting her, and that was why she turned inward.”
“It’s hard to know, sweetie. You’ll make yourself crazy if you try to figure out all the things you could’ve done differently or noticed. Just focus on what you can learn from the experiences instead of what you could’ve done differently. And yes, they are different.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I do get stuck in that loop at times if I’m not careful.”
“It’s understandable, but no one blames you, remember that. You okay to go still?”
“Of course.”
For the rest of the ride, we discussed the different types of dresses and what she was hoping to find. I realized she’d never really been to any school dances, and I was even more excited to share this with her. It still felt odd having Atticus buy me a dress, but the gesture was nice. He was starting to win me over more with his efforts, especially the benefit. I didn’t trust him fully yet, but I was warming up to the idea of him being in my life. At least as Immy’s brother and Sax’s friend. Or was it more his Boss? Either way, he was going to be in my life for the foreseeable future, so I might as well attempt to get along with him.
When we pulled up to a store, I was in a bit of shock as we got out. It was a high-class boutique that was appointment only. I’d seen the store advertised and passed by it several times, but I’d never stepped foot into it. Imogen looked at me, a funny smile on her face when she noticed my glee.
“We have the whole store. Attie called ahead with our sizes and what it was for, so they’ve picked some things out for us ahead of time. There’s still one more surprise inside. Come on.”
She pulled on my hand, my stunned body moving easily with her efforts. When we walked into the gleaming storefront, I found two smiling faces waiting for us. Nat and Stacy stood in the front of the shop, champagne glasses in their hands and broad smiles on their faces. I hugged them both, and we all slightly jumped up and down in exuberance as we greeted each other, giggling at the fact we were in this store. It had been out of my price range, so I could only assume it was out of theirs as well. I was delighted Stacy was here, her eye for style a must-have with something this extravagant.
“I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Me too. I’ve dreamed of this place for years, never thought I’d step foot into it,” Stacy gushed.
“I have to say, when Atticus called and told me to get the girls together, I was impressed. I think he likes you,” Nat whispered.
I rolled my eyes, not ready to entertain that fantasy. “Cami not able to make it then?”
“No, I couldn’t get a hold of her. I’ll have to stop by her place later if I don’t hear from her and make sure she’s not sick or something. She’s going to be so jealous she missed this! Come on, let’s try on some dresses.”