I shoved them deep into a closet in my mind and slammed the lid.
“Outside the Box?” I asked tentatively.
He held up a finger. “Yes, that’s the one.”
This conversation was not going at all like I planned. I’d rehearsed every possible way it could go but nothing had gone right since I entered Vincent’s office. Why had they been talking? Was this a man-to-man thing? Was I not good enough? Quickly, I shut those thoughts down. I had spent hours talking to William. He wouldn’t go over my head.
“You talked with William Goin?” I asked.
“No.” Vincent pressed a finger to his lips as he thought. “That doesn’t sound right. I wrote it down somewhere.”
I fought to keep a frown from screwing up my features. His glasses dropped back in place as he continued to search through the mess on his desk.
“They want to talk on the phone?” I felt my tongue grow thick with frustration, my drawl slurring my words.
“No. He’s here,” he said.
“Here? In Green Valley?” I asked. That didn’t make any sense. William and I had planned to speak next week, when I thought I would be in my new role.
He nodded distractedly, still searching the papers on his desk. “Though he didn’t say why,” he mumbled lost in thought.
I shook my head, not understanding. “But it wasn’t William? Soft-spoken, nice guy?”
“Soft-spoken? Hardly.” Vincent cocked his head. “This guy was definitely—”
Vincent’s desk phone rang. He exhaled sharply with frustration and held up a finger. “This thing rings nonstop. Sorry, hang on.”
As he picked up the phone, I felt the world spinning out around me. If not William, then who? And why was he here in Green Valley? I tried not to think the worst but my mind was already sprinting toward the danger zone. Maybe William had shown up to Carillo’s that night. Maybe he had seen me dancing like a ho on some guy and decided I wasn’t worth talking to.
No. I pushed the thoughts away.
He covered the mouthpiece. “Listen, I have to take this. I’ll schedule a meeting for us next week to talk more. And I look forward to tonight,” he said and flashed a quick, polite smile.
I nodded numbly as I got to my feet. I snuck quietly out of his office as he spoke in brisk bluntness to whoever was on the phone.
There was no need to panic. He probably got the companies mixed up after reading through my presentation. There was no need to assume the worst. But assuming the worst was my favorite pastime. You can’t be blindsided by disappointment if you prepared for all the worst-possible scenarios.
I had been so sure I’d walk out with a new title and my very own office. I’d been so close, worked so hard these past years. I fought the burning in my eyes, fought that voice that told me I was starting all over from square one by clenching my fists until my nails dug into my palms.
No, I repeated to myself. I could do this. I’d handled Wraiths, I’d rebounded from painful rejection resulting from a lifetime of bad decisions. The new Roxy had something to prove. I would show Vincent Debono that I was worthy of that promotion and nothing would stop me. Nothing.
Chapter 7
Sanders
I hadn’t planned to go out. I was content to stay in and catch up on work, but after wandering the Lodge and three different employees mentioned the movie night at the old drive-in, I figured this must be some sort of historic event in Green Valley. It would give me a chance to get out and meet the locals. And I was always up for some research.
There was a shuttle taking Lodge guests up but I decided the two-mile walk would be good for all my chaotic energy I needed to burn. I was too wound up. My skin felt too tight, and if I sat still for too long, my brain started to dwell on things I didn’t want to think about.
I hadn’t found Roxy yet. I’d talked to a manager a bit about the Lodge cooperating with Outside the Box, but he seemed a bit distracted. Skip told me Roxy was handling the events side of things and I didn’t want to seem like I was going over her head. I suggested to Vincent that all three of us should meet but I also didn’t want that to be the first time I saw her. This wasn’t an ambush, it was a reunion. I needed to handle this whole situation with tact as I had acted without an actual plan. I suspected that Skip would never equate me with tact, but alas, I was trying to turn over a new leaf. The fresh Tennessee air was inspiring me.
I all but kicked my heels as I sent Gretchen a text asking for details about the movie night. She responded almost immediately with explicit instructions on how to get there, what weather to expect, and the best place to park to see the screen. I dressed in my usual uniform of khaki cargos, hiking boots, and a Henley—blue to make my eyes pop—having decided anything more would look like I was trying too hard. I might have messed with my hair a solid ten minutes so that it looked tousled but un-styled.
The single-lane highway leading to the drive-in wasn’t conducive to walking I soon discovered. I balanced along a thin strip of dirt at the edge of the asphalt surrounded by a dense forest on either side. Some corners didn’t even allow for a shoulder and I had to walk on the road. I kept my ears pricked for the sound of motors so I could jump to the side as needed. The sun was just setting and I contemplated the journey home when it would be pitch-black—because who needed streetlights on windy backroads? I would have to see if I could hitch a ride or risk becoming roadkill.
The night was
