Greg didn’t hesitate. “Their words—not mine—were ‘failure to supply a competent and professional on-site consultant.’” The pause was long enough to let the insult sink in. “He also said your conduct toward him and…other men in the office has been ‘wholly inappropriate.’ Again, not my words.”
I nearly dropped the phone. “Jesus. That’s not even close to what happened.”
“So walk me through it. Because right now, I’ve got a multinational client threatening legal action and HR breathing down my neck. You’re four thousand miles away, and I’m over here with the mop on aisle three.”
I took a slow breath, pinching the bridge of my nose until the white static behind my eyes cleared. “Richard initiated a conversation unrelated to work. I shut it down.”
Greg exhaled. “Did you, though? Because what it sounds like is?—”
“Greg,” I cut in, my voice sharp as a blade. “He made an inappropriate advance. I told him to back off. He’s retaliating because I embarrassed him. That’s the whole story.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “That’s…not nothing.”
I hated his tone. Hated the part of me that wanted him to rescue me.
“It doesn’t affect my work,” I said, armor snapping back into place. “I didn’t miss deadlines. I didn’t compromise deliverables. And I didn’t create a scene. I’ve got this.”
Greg was quiet for so long, I checked the screen to make sure we were still connected.
“You know I support you, right?” he said at last.
Tears stung as they welled up. I squeezed my eyes shut, but they slid down my face anyway, hot and furious.
“But the optics are bad. You know how these things work.”
My jaw ached from clenching. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying you need to come home. Roxanne’s already booked you on the first flight out of Heathrow tomorrow morning.”
Just like that. My whole chest rattled, like someone had kicked it in.
“Greg—”
“Listen.” He cut me off, voice heavy but gentle. “This isn’t a punishment. If anything, I’m getting you out before things turn uglier. This is me protecting you, not caving to the client. Okay?”
It wasn’t, but there was no point in saying so. “Okay.”
“Good. You’re traveling tomorrow, so let’s meet one-on-one after you’re back.” He hesitated, likely checking his calendar. “Nine a.m. Wednesday?”
I sank my teeth into the insides of my cheeks. “Wednesday,” I echoed, as if reading from a script. “See you then.”
“Great. Safe travels.”
The line went dead.
I stood there staring at the phone, legs stiff as concrete, the silence pressing in until it rang in my ears.
chapter
twenty
“Fuck!” I braced against the back of the sofa and pressed my face into my hands.
“How bad?” Luka asked softly from behind me.
I stood bolt upright. I hadn’t heard him come into the living room.
I didn’t know how to answer, where to begin. The words sat in my mouth like an undissolved pill. “How much did you hear?”