“Thanks. I was expecting Mario but I got Clark Brando. He climbed down to get me and pulled me out as I started hyperventilating everywhere.”
“Of course you did.”
“So he carried me into a room and calmed me down, put his hand right here.”
She looks at my chest and frowns. “So you were having a panic attack and he used it as a chance to touch you up?”
“It wasn’t like that. He was a gentleman.”
“Shame. You could do with touching up. So could I. Did he have a friend with him at all?”
“No, but he did have a driver who might be your type.”
“A driver? I could do a driver. Male, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Hot?”
“I don’t know, I wasn’t really looking.”
“But you were looking at the guy who got you out of the elevator, right?”
“I wasn’t.”
“I can tell. You’ve got that voice you’ve only ever had when you’ve been talking about Cary Grant.”
“What? He was hot, all right?”
“Cary Grant or mystery man?”
“Mystery man is named Mr. Felici.”
“Holy shit. You mean you met the big boss?”
“Met him and got driven home by his driver.”
“And that’s who you were leaving the message for?”
“Yeah.”
“Good thing you sounded so smooth on the phone.”
I pass her the check. “He gave me this. I wanted to know if it was really the amount he intended to give.” My phone pings. I check the message. It’s from him- Cash the check.Coat will be mailed to you.I show her the message and then the check.
“What’s this for?” Cathy asks. “Holy shit, five thousand? What did you do, suck him off ten times?”
“He said it’s a severance package and compensation for what happened tonight. I thought we could split it fifty-fifty.”
“That’s very good of you but I don’t think I deserve any of it.”
“I wouldn’t have got it if you hadn’t offered me this job.”
“And you wouldn’t have gotten trapped in an elevator.” She clicks her fingers. “I get it.”
“You do?”
“It’s so you don’t sue him for the trauma of being stuck in the elevator. Buying you off to try to stop you taking him to court over it.”