“Yep.” Perry’s chest puffed out. “They can’t do without me.”
“That’s great.” Dani smoothed her dress over her knees. “Who else survived?”
Perry named half a dozen others, then went on a long tirade about corporate policies.
As he wound up his rant, he said, “When Webster kicked the bucket, I should have gotten the manager’s job, but Evie was sleeping with one of the VPs and they gave it to her.”
“Oh.” Dani wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but a disgruntled Perry was good for her plan. “That’s so not fair to you.”
“Evie’s already screwing up, so I’ll probably get the job once they fire her.”
“Won’t her lover protect her? Especially if she threatens a harassment lawsuit. It seems where the company’s image is at stake, it has very little loyalty to their hardworking employees.”
“They would definitely hush up her incompetence,” Perry snarled. “After all, to err may be human, but to pin it on someone else shows administrative potential. The VP will make sure he has all his ducks in a row for that quack.”
“That’s so true. I saw it time and time again.” Dani recognized her opening and said, “Which is one of the reasons I quit. I just couldn’t go along with corporate’s cavalier attitude toward people. Now that might be coming back to bite me in the butt.”
“We all wondered why you left,” Perry said. “If there’s anything I can do to help you”—he leaned toward her—“just name it.”
“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” Dani said, edging back from him.
She was starting to feel sleazy about her plan to use the poor guy but hardened her heart when he put his palm on her thigh, leered at her, and said, “I can take care of myself and you too, if you get my meaning.”
“Well…” Guilt lifted from Dani’s shoulders and she fluttered her lashes. “If I could have access to your computer for a few minutes, I might be able to figure out who’s behind my problems.”
“You know what?” Perry reluctantly withdrew his hand and stood. “I suddenly remember that I need to use the little boy’s room.” He gave her an exaggerated wink. “And since I’ll be right back, it’s really too much trouble to log off and back on. I wouldn’t want to be accused of wasting precious work time.”
“Hey.” Dani waved him away. “When you gotta go, you gotta go.”
As soon as Perry disappeared, Dani rose and slipped into his chair. She held her breath as her fingers flew over the keyboard. Would the files still be there or had they been deleted?
Several clicks later, she blew out a relieved lungful of air. The personnel records for the three men who had been dismissed after the harassment incident came to light were still in the system. Dani drew a thumb drive from her cleavage, inserted it in the computer, and pressed save.
Peeking over the cubicle wall, Dani saw that the coast was still clear. Returning the flash drive to her bra, she quickly cleared the screen and deleted any trace of what she’d been searching.
A minute or two later, Perry returned. He was loudly clearing his throat as approached and made a big production of settling back in his chair.
As soon as he was seated, Dani jumped to her feet and said brightly, “It was so good seeing you, Perry, but I better get going.”
“How about I take you for dinner tonight?” Perry waggled his eyebrows. “It’s all you can eat for $9.99 at the Golden Round Up.”
“Darn!” Dani shook her head. “I have a personal chef job tonight.”
“Tomorrow is buy-one-get-one-free at the Great Wall Buffet, so it will only cost us ten bucks each.” Perry rolled his chair in front of her, caging her against the cubicle wall. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
“I have a huge catering contract on Friday and I’ll be busy getting the food ready.” Dani swallowed nervously. “Right now, my new business takes all of my time.” She tried to edge sideways. “Maybe we can get together after Christmas.”
“You owe me.” Perry grabbed her wrist. “And you’re going to pay up.”
“How much?” Dani asked, wincing when his ragged, dirt-rimmed fingernails dug into her skin.
“You know what I want and it isn’t dough.” Perry scooted his chair closer until Dani could feel the rough material of the partition against the back of her knees.
“Money is all you’re getting.” Dani dug a fifty from her purse and thrust it at his chest. Thank goodness, she hadn’t stopped at the bank yet to deposit the cash from the lunches-to-go.
A calculating looked crossed Perry’s face and he said, “Make it a hundred, and we’ll call it square.” When Dani hesitated, he added, “A decent-looking pro will cost at least that much.”
“Fine.” Not wanting to hear more and feeling like she needed a shower, Dani handed over two twenties and a ten, then fled.
Driving home, Dani was disgusted with herself. She should have figured out a different means of getting the files. But she hadn’t been able to think of any other way, and the alternative to flirting with Perry had been the risk of doing nothing and having Mikeloff frame her.
When she got back to the mansion, Dani assembled the food and equipment that she would need for tonight’s dinner for Trent and Chelsea Karnes. The salted beef tenderloin was already on a rack in the refrigerator along with the bacon, potato, and cheese tart. Both needed an hour in the oven. While they cooked, Dani would make the port sauce, as well as the Georgian green beans and the lemon fluff dessert.
Once Dani was sure she was prepared for the evening, she headed upstairs with a plate of sliced fruit, yogurt, and a piece of raisin toast. She wouldn’t get to eat her own supper until after she finished at the Karneses’, so this snack would have to hold her until then.
Putting her dish on a nearby table, she fetched her laptop and settled on
