I’d still find a way to bury it, and not because Lexington had bullied me, but because it was the right thing to do.
I was in hell.
More of a hell than usual.
Dining with Dick.
Which meant I’d barely eaten a thing and was getting lightheaded on wine.
It was a few days after Lexington had bullied me at my apartment and I was no closer to figuring out a way to get Dick off this story and off my back. Instead, Dick’s boss, Jack, had asked Dick and I to wine and dine a possible investor in WCVB.
Mitchell Montgomery, the toilet paper king.
Yes, the guy made a lot of money in toilet paper.
It made sense, right? Everybody needed toilet paper.
And apparently the toilet paper king liked This Morning and he especially liked the weather reports. It was becoming clear on this little lunch why Mitchell Montgomery had earned the moniker, “The Asswipe.”
Somehow I’d gotten through the meal but to my horror, Mitchell had insisted we join him in the cocktail bar for a midday Scotch.
“You know what I was thinking,” Mitchell leered at me, “you should start wearing a bikini under a transparent raincoat while you’re reporting the news. That would be adorable.”
Oh yes, adorable for sure.
“Great idea,” Dick agreed.
Like that was a surprise.
I shot him a filthy look, the lack of food and three glasses of wine having lowered my survival instincts. “It’s a little demeaning, don’t you think?”
Dick kicked me under the table.
“Are you a feminist?” Mitchell scowled.
“Definitely.”
“You don’t look like a feminist.”
What the hell did a feminist look like? Ugh.
“Nadia is joking, of course. All of your ideas—”
“Lexington!” Mitchell cut off my boss as he yelled over our shoulders.
My shoulders hunched up around my ears at the name he called out.
Seconds later a familiar deep, smooth voice said, “Mitchell, how are you?” And then he was there, standing over our table.
“Coming from a lunch meeting?” Mitchell asked.
“Yes, with Carraway. He’s gone back to his office and I’m heading to mine.” His eyes shot to me but he didn’t give anything away before turning back to Mitchell.
“Join us for a little while.”
To my horror, Lexington swiftly agreed and slid in beside Mitchell.
“Lexington, this is Dick and Nadia. This is Henry Lexington. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. Lexington, Dick and Nadia are from WCVB.” He reached over and squeezed my shoulder too hard. “You must have seen this gorgeous creature doing the weather.”
My attempt at a smile failed, becoming more of a grimace.
“Of course.” Lexington surprised me by throwing me a wide, flirtatious smile. “Nice to meet you, Nadia.”
It was the first time he’d said my first name.
In that moment I had to wonder what meeting him would have been like if we didn’t hate each other. To our companions, Lexington seemed charming as ever, but I saw the coolness in the back of his eyes when he looked at me.
“I’m thinking of investing in the station,” Mitchell told him.
“Ah, I see.”
“It would be a wise decision.” Dick smiled at Lexington. “Food for thought.”
Lexington chuckled. “Not my area of expertise. I’ll leave the investing in media to Mitchell here.”
“Well, I don’t like to brag but I’ve got some ideas.” Mitchell smirked. “I was telling them about one. Don’t you think Nadia would look fantastic in a bikini and one of those transparent raincoat things while she reported the weather? That would certainly increase the ratings, right?” He nudged Lexington with his elbow and I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I was trapped in the middle of the good ol’ boys club.
Something like irritation flickered in Lexington’s expression. “And what does Miss Ray think of that idea?”
“Hates it.”
Dick kicked me again and I winced.
Lexington studied me for a moment and then Dick, before he turned his attention back to Mitchell. He grinned suddenly and clapped the man on the shoulder. “It’s a goddamn awful idea, Mitchell.”
Surprise turned to more surprise when Mitchell laughed and agreed Lexington was probably right.
How did he do that? How did he criticize someone and get away with it?
They spoke for a little bit about our governor and local politics and then Mitchell turned back to me. “Now, now, we’re being rude and neglecting my guest. We should talk about things more on her level.”
Because politics weren’t on my level?
“What would you suggest?” I attempted not to seethe.
Mitchell shrugged. “Shoes?”
He and Dick laughed but I noted Lexington didn’t. He seemed embarrassed for me.
Or for my dinner companions?
“Oh, I know,” Mitchell leaned toward me, “I have a question that’s plagued me for a while now. Is… is your ass real or is that surgery? Because if it’s real… Jesus H. Christ.”
My stomach roiled as Dick laughed beside me and offered, “It’s all real,” like he knew from firsthand experience. Which he did not.
“Okay, gentlemen,” Lexington patted Mitchell’s shoulder again, “I think you’ve had too much to drink. I’ll need to ask you to remember your manners.”
“Oh, we’re kidding. She knows that.”
Inside I was screaming.
Two months ago my life was going somewhere. I was successful, respected, and popular.
Lately I felt like a play toy in a man’s world, and I thought I’d left that feeling behind.
“Mitchell,” Lexington warned.
The Asswipe sobered and held up his hands in surrender. “I apologize.” He turned to me and took my hand in his to press his lips to my knuckles. “I apologize, dear lady.”
I wanted to rip my own hand off and beat him over the head with it.
Instead I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Excuse me, gentlemen.” I used the term loosely. “I need to visit the restroom.”
As I got up and walked away, I heard Mitchell say, “You’ve got to admit, though, that is quite the ass.”
Alone in the ladies’ restroom, I was shocked to discover how badly I was trembling.
No job in the world was worth this.
No.
Never.
Tears burned in my throat as I tried to catch my breath and make my decision.
I was quitting.
And tomorrow I was going above Lexington to tell Caine Carraway everything.
Decision made, I knew I couldn’t crumble when I went back out there. I would excuse myself and then call Dick when I got home to tell him I quit.
Throwing open the door, I came to an abrupt halt at the sight of my boss glowering outside of it.
Dick gripped my right bicep and hauled me none too gently down the empty corridor out of sight where he practically threw me against the wall.
Fear and anger pulsed through me and I made to shove past him but he trapped me with the entire length of his body. His heat and hardness overwhelmed, his cologne suffocating me again. The feel of his hot breath on my forehead made my breathing tight and short. When you wanted a man’s attention, the weight of his body could be comforting; when you didn’t want a man’s attention, the weight of his body could feel like a two hundred-pound prison.