Joy rushed through her. She could tell him. And if his being here was any kind of sign, he was excited too.
She gave him a bright smile. “We need to talk. In my office.” She nodded toward the door with her name engraved on the plaque a few feet away.
He walked toward her, glancing from the smashed mug and splattered coffee to her and her office door. The look on his face was strangely blank. He paused on the far side of the ceramic shards and coffee splatter. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Yeah. She should probably clean up the mess first. “I’ll get a mop and a broom. But then we need to talk. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I can’t speak with you. Not without your boss present.”
He wasn’t making any sense. He wanted her to tell him the big news in front of Jim? “What? That would be…awkward.”
He cocked his head. “Audrey, I’m not here to seeyou.”
“Oh.” The hope and joy deflated faster than her mug had shattered. “Then why are you here?”
Jim stepped out of the conference room. “Warrant Officer Rivera, a representative for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is ready to hear your statement.”
Sickening dread slid down Audrey’s spine, but nothing could prepare her for Xavier’s next words.
“I’m here because I know you denied the Navy’s proposed training exercise because I slept with you and then rejected you.”
What happens when Audrey interrupts the training right when it’s about to start?