9
RAVEN
I sit at my desk,my laptop in front of me chock full of tasks––complex graphics and information needing to be organized, analyzed, and interpreted––and my mind wanders away, my eyes hovering over the Manhattan skyline.
Long wisps of fog hang low while fresh snow swirls in the air before covering the sidewalks below.
It’s warm inside, and it smells like freshly brewed coffee.
I lift the paper cup half filled with coffee from my desk and drink mechanically, sliding my gaze to my phone screen.
I tap it gently.
It’s almost three in the afternoon, and I haven’t heard from him.
“Hey.”
Shauna’s voice echoes in the doorway.
I set the cup down and shift my eyes to her.
“Hey. What’s going on?” I ask.
Her eyes glint with a smile.
She struts in, wearing a cream sweater dress with a roll neck.
The color and texture highlight her features and her eyes.
“Kai just walked in,” she says quietly as if sharing a secret.
My pulse instantly races.
Although I’ve never fully confessed to the nature of my relationship with Kai, she knows we are close.
She also believes my friendship with Kai has protected her from his father.
Robert and Shauna are no longer together, and she stays out of his way as much as she can, but the tension is still there, and sparks fly when they’re in the same room––the worse kind of sparks.
I’ve tried to convince her to let him be, but I know how these things are. I also know men like Robert Walker get away with a lot of shit.
The first thought that pops into my head spurs a wave of panic.
Why didn’t he call me?
“He did?” I murmur, checking my phone again.
I flick my head and peer across the corridor.
There are people in his office. His secretary, some HR people, and a few men I don’t know.
“When did he arrive?” I ask.
“Minutes ago.”
“Huh.”
My puzzlement doesn’t escape her. I try to shake off that feeling and move my eyes away from him.