Dynamite & Whiskey

Chapter 3

"Close the door," your editor bid you.

You did as he asked, not missing the way Lawrence studied you. He'd only done that a couple of other times before. Both times, you'd been in trouble. When he motioned for you to have a seat across the desk from him, you took a deep breath.

After a couple of minutes, Lawrence locked his gaze with yours.

"I'm just going to come right out and say it." Lawrence blew out an exhale. "You're fucking him."

Shit.

Lawrence read the answer in your face and shook his head. "Maria in accounting saw him leaving your house this morning when she went out to get her paper. Said he walked to the end of the street and it took him ten minutes to defrost the Audi."

"Lawrence, I'm so sorry."

You were. Shame and anger washed through you.

Maria, who lived on your street, went out to get her paper at 5:30 in the morning? No. It usually arrived at 6:45. You could set your watch by it. You knew that because it was the paper you worked for.

"I guess I know now why you were jerking me around on covering his son's case." Pushing his glasses up his nose, he stared you down. "Jesus... Did you have to do this now of all damn times?"

"What do you mean?" You were all too afraid you knew what he meant.

"Look, I'm not surprised really," Lawrence told you. "I always kind of thought you had the hots for him. And it really shouldn't be anyone's business who you go around with. I'm not judging you. But..."

But.

"Word gets out." Lawrence didn't have to tell you that. "You got your wish because now you can't cover the case."

Okay, that was good but that wasn't the end of it. You could tell.

"But I'm going to have to furlough you for the time being," Lawrence said carefully. "And I'm sorry about that. It's just this case is huge, it's drawing a lot of attention. My star reporter fucking the suspect's father? It's a conflict of interest."

Fuck.

"I could end it," you tried weakly but the pity you read in your editor's face threatened to break you.

"Wouldn't make a difference now," he replied. Dropping his gaze to a print out on his desk, he sighed. "So it looks like you have almost three months of leave built up. That will help."

Help?

"Surely this will blow over way before three months," you argued.

More pity. "The trial date isn't for another month. And you know better. You of all people know how these things go... We can evaluate in three months time and see where we are but..."

You were screwed. Completely screwed. Blinking back tears, you clumsily rose from the chair.

"I understand," you said finally. "I've gotta go."

Lawrence rose behind the desk, his expression filled with concern.

"I'm really sorry about this," he told you. "Take care of yourself."

You nodded, afraid to say anything else right now.

You ran out of the building, out to your car. Looking around in your driver's seat, no one seemed to notice you. Swiping at your tears with the back of your hand, you backed out of the parking space and headed for the grocery store before making your way home.