Then stop, a voice insisted inside. Take a step back and see if he steps forward. Give him room.
Donna put her wine glass in the dishwasher, glancing at the door of the red room as she walked to their bedroom. Since their return from Florida, intimacy had been both less frequent and more "ordinary". Satisfying, though. Lovely. She couldn't complain. There was a valid concern that rough play might delay the healing in his arm, might injure him further. But there definitely seemed to be something else holding Eric back, although she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I haven't been sexy enough, or sweet enough, or needy enough. Stop. It doesn't have to all be about you.
In a few minutes, Donna slipped naked and soundlessly between the sheets, snuggling close to Eric's warm back. She put her arm around his waist and listened to his soft breathing as he slept. Goodnight, wonderful man. I do so love you.
Suddenly, Eric stirred and picked her arm off his side, pushing it behind him.
"Eric?" she said softly. "Do you need me to get you anything?"
Silence.
For some time, Donna tossed and turned, the first night she could remember when she and Eric had not fallen asleep touching, at least by a hand or a foot. Was I wrong to tell him about my father? Maybe I shouldn't say anything about Lance, after all. I'll tell Worth, and he'll get fired, and that will be the end of it.
14
Anti-climactic
Donna was nervous as she stepped into Worth's office. Jessica was already there, too, at her request. They were more than bosses, they were friends. But she was blonde—old stereotypes notwithstanding, she had a well-deserved reputation as being a little flighty. Maybe they wouldn't take her seriously. Perhaps Lance was more of an asset to the magazine than she was. Paul said he'd won some awards, anyway. Although Donna had come a long way over the years, dealing with the self-doubts and esteem issues trauma victims face, lately… everything had happened so fast this year. She wasn't sure she had managed to keep pace.
"Come in, come in!" Worth boomed. Handsome in a light gray shirt and signature green tie that matched his eyes, Worth Vincent beckoned for her to sit beside his wife. "How's Eric holding up? Almost out of that cast?" When his mother had purchased the magazine the year before, it had been doing well. Jessica had only been working there a few months. Under Worth's editorial guidance, Our City had really flourished. Jessica's flourished too, she thought, grateful for her presence.
"Any day now, I think," she told them. There was an awkward silence, but no one rushed her. Finally, she lifted her head and said, "I don't know where to begin."
Jessica heard the uncharacteristic tremor in her friend's voice and reached out to squeeze Donna's hand. "You can tell us, whatever it is." Her mind was racing. "Eric?"
Donna took a deep breath. "No, no, Eric's fine. It's someone here. The new photographer, Lance Glover. He has been… inappropriate with me several times." Donna's plan was to start at the beginning with a litany of Lance's random comments and innuendos, building up to last night's assault. Although she hadn't been hurt, she had no doubt that without the night watchman's interruption, Lance had intended to molest her, at the very least. At the very worst… the thought made her feel nauseous.
Worth relaxed visibly. He sat back in his chair and shook his head. "Lance Glover no longer works here."
"What?"
"He no longer works here. He sent an email to me last night, quitting. He said that his side gigs are more lucrative than he had anticipated and his job at the magazine is actually holding him back. He even said he would forfeit his next paycheck in lieu of two-weeks' notice." Worth nodded, remembering the initial interview, his work, the email. "Nice fellow, though. Really talented photographer."
When Jessica shot him a look, he cleared his throat. "But obviously, that's no excuse for being inappropriate, talent or no talent. That was always a struggle with Jessica and me, you know. As the boss, I was perhaps more sensitive to what things might sound like or look like than I needed to be, but I'm genuinely sorry Lance said anything out of line." Worth frowned, looking toward a filing cabinet nearby. "As soon as we're through here, I'm going to add a note to his personnel file in case he ever asks for a reference. Any future employer would need to know about this. Thank you for letting me know."
All the wind was out of Donna's sails. She'd pumped herself up for a grand reveal, prepared to drag the guard in to substantiate. There was no need for dramatics. "No, that's okay. I came here instead of HR because you're friends… but if he's gone, he's gone." She managed a smile. "That's a relief, actually." She stood up. "Well, I've got work to do. Sorry to bother you."
After Donna closed the door behind herself, Jessica sat for a moment, silent and frowning.
Worth came around the desk and sat beside her, leaning over to kiss her tenderly. "What is it? You heard her. She's relieved. And Paul can hold down the fort until we find a replacement. Lance finished his last assignment yesterday. The timing works out great for the magazine, in fact."
Jessica shook her head. "It's not that, Worth. I've never seen Donna so… vulnerable, transparent. It's like her wall of giddy perkiness is gone now. She seems different. Not bad different, just different. Whatever Lance said or did, obviously has her shaken up." She had a thought. "It might be a good idea if I were to sit in on interviews? Get a female's input? Sometimes our initial impressions are spot on."
Worth chuckled. "I'm glad I passed muster with you. Eventually, anyway! We men can be oafs, that's for sure.
