He went to the buffet and piled vegetable lasagna, meatballs, chicken wings, and a few more of those pinwheel sandwiches on a plate.
“Wow, you must really be hungry.”
He turned and smiled at Melanie, who stood beside him. She’d chatted with him briefly as they ate earlier. “Oh, this isn’t for me. I just wanted to make sure Devin got some food.”
“That’s considerate of you.” She lowered her voice. “I know Pam was supposed to relieve her at the reception desk so she can come to the party, but she hasn’t done it yet. You know how she hates to miss anything. And Devin probably doesn’t want to make trouble. She’d made some careless mistakes on our documents, and I know that Laura and Marianne weren’t happy.”
David stared at her for a long moment. Something in the way she smiled at him…She did it. I don’t know how, but somehow she put those errors in Devin’s work.
Melanie’s smile turned into an expression of concern. “Can I help you with anything? I was…just about to go to the restroom.”
Her swift change in demeanor did nothing to alter his suspicion. Maybe Melanie had reported seeing he and Devin dining together to management. He knew Melanie lived in Kew Gardens, nowhere near the Upper West Side, but he wouldn’t put it past her to have followed him one night. She’d made several attempts to get next to him, all of which he’d resisted. She was a looker, all right, but something about her bothered him, and he knew she wasn’t worth raising the ire of the senior partners over.
But she had offered assistance and was waiting for him to respond. He kept his voice even. “If you don’t mind, could you cut a piece of cake and add some cookies to the plate?”
“Of course.”
“And grab a can of soda, too, will you?”
He waited for her to cut the cake and add a few cookies to the plate, then turned to go up front. Melanie followed him, talking to him from behind. “I’m sure Devin will appreciate you doing this, David. I was about to fix a plate for her myself, since Pam didn’t seem like she was going to—” she broke off when he suddenly stopped short.
David had just entered the reception area, and it looked like Larry Cotten had Devin cornered between the gate to her cubicle and the wall, his hands on her body as she struggled against him, telling him to stop. Melanie watched, fascinated, as David put down Devin’s plate on the nearest surface and rushed to confront Larry, pulling him away from Devin by his collar.
He took a protective stance, in front of Devin with his back to her. “What the hell is going on here?” He turned to face Devin. “Did he hurt you?”
She simply stood, her lips trembling, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, saying nothing.
Melanie moved forward to offer support to Larry, who had been pulled away from Devin with such force that he nearly lost his balance. Only his strong reflexes kept him from tumbling backward, like a boxer who’d taken a powerful punch. He managed to right himself and keep from going all the way down.
But he’d stumbled backward. Melanie never thought she would see this founding partner in such an undignified posture…and put there by an associate, no less.
Chapter 25
“What are you getting all bent out of shape for?” Larry said to David. “We were just talking.”
“With your hands all over her? It didn’t look like just talking to me.” David turned to the still-shaken Devin, then back to Larry. “She doesn’t look like you were just engaged in harmless talking. You’re lying, Larry.”
David made no attempt to keep his voice low; as a matter of fact, he was practically shouting. His raised voice brought a trickle of people, including Ben Holt, to the reception area from the conference room in the rear.
“What’s happening here?” Ben demanded. “I heard shouting.”
Devin had gone back inside her cubicle, emerging with her purse, blazer, and tote bag. “I’m leaving,” she said softly.
Those were the first words Melanie had heard her say since stumbling onto the scene.
Larry shrugged at Ben. “Just a misunderstanding.”
David took Devin’s arm and guided her around the front of the reception desk. He turned his head and said over his shoulder, “Misunderstanding, my ass. He was coming on to Devin. He was all over her, and she was trying to push him away. I had to pull him away from her.”
A few people gasped. Larry face reddened, and as David escorted Devin out of the office, it occurred to Melanie that she, as a witness to the incident, might be called upon to give her version of what she’d seen.
“All right, the excitement’s over,” Ben said loudly. “Everybody go back to the conference room.”
Pam had come to stand next to Melanie. “What happened?” she hissed.
“You heard Ben. Back to the party.”
Pam reluctantly turned and moved toward the conference room. Melanie tried to follow, but Marianne Baxter intervened, taking her arm. “Melanie, please stay here a moment.”
“I want to see both of you in my office,” Ben commanded, indicating Larry and Melanie. He led the way, and they followed, including Marianne.
The four of them sat at around the conference table in the corner of Ben’s spacious office.
“Melanie,” Marianne began, “can you tell us what you saw, if anything?”
She stiffened. She hadn’t been expecting to be called upon first. Even Ben looked startled at Marianne’s question. He probably hadn’t realized she’d been there and seen the entire incident. Leave it to Marianne. The woman was sharp as a twenty-dollar steak knife.
“I…I was carrying dessert and a drink over to Devin, helping David out. He had fixed her a plate because she was stuck at the reception desk, and I offered to help,” she explained. “He was walking ahead of me, so my view was blocked. When we approached the reception desk, he put down the plate he’d been carrying and lunged at Mr. Cotten, grabbing him by the back of his collar. He pulled him back so forcefully that Mr. Cotten nearly fell.” She noticed Marianne give a subtle nod to Ben, which she took as a cue for him to take over the questioning.
“What did Mr. Cotten appeared to be doing?” Ben asked.
Melanie forced herself not to meet Larry’s eyes. “He was standing with his back to us, facing Devin. They were by the wall, just outside that swinging door to the reception cubicle. It looked to me as though they were talking.”
“So, nothing looked amiss or out of the ordinary to you?” Ben pressed.
“No, sir.” Melanie decided to fall back on the old standby line people used on TV all the time. “It all happened so fast. One minute we were carrying plates, and the next, David was practically attacking Mr. Cotten. Of course, with David walking in front of me, I really didn’t have that clear a view,” she said, repeating the lie.
“Did Ms. DaCosta appear to be trying to get away from him, or struggling in any way? Was Mr. Cotten standing unnaturally close to her?”
“Not that I could see. Of course, my view of them was unobstructed only for a few seconds, the time it took for David to reach Mr. Cotten.” Melanie was careful to project just the right mixture of fear and nervousness to be believed. The fact was, she’d seen Larry’s hands wandering over Devin’s body as he pinned her against the wall, heard Devin demanding that he step back and let her pass and saw her trying to push him away, but lying about it would make Larry grateful to her. Maybe she could make it pay off somehow. David Andrews was lost to her forever; she knew that from the swift way he leapt to Devin’s defense and protectively escorted her from the office without even going to get his suit coat. All her scheming, finally getting Pam to go to Marianne and then going to see Marianne herself less than a week later, hadn’t convinced David that Devin wasn’t worth ending his career here at Holt & Cotten.
Melanie didn’t believe in crying over spilled milk. There were other men out there. Not that Larry Cotten wasn’t attractive man, but he was probably the same age as her father. But he could help her. She had to think about her own future at the
firm. Maybe sticking up for Larry now would lead to some type of promotion for her. She wasn’t interested in a man his age as a husband, and heaven knew he was no George Clooney, but he was reasonably good-looking and had a fit body. She wouldn’t vomit at the thought of going to bed with him if he made it worth her while…
“See?” Larry said, sounding triumphant. “It’s nothing. David was overreacting. I was just talking to Devin, thanking her for making sure I got that call from Four Seasons Publishing. I told her she was doing a great job. And then along comes David like some madman, pulling me away from her. We all know he’s got the hots for her, even if he did intimate it was over between them.”
Melanie’s heart sank. It was over between David and Devin, yet he had still rushed to her defense? A man didn’t do that for a woman he cared nothing about. Devin must have been the one to end it—Melanie couldn’t imagine why—but David’s reaction to Devin’s trouble was enough to soften any woman’s heart. Unless Devin was made of stone, she and David were likely about to reconcile…
“He saw me talking to her and flew into a jealous rage,” Larry was saying. “That’s all there was to it.”
“Larry…” Marianne tilted her head toward Melanie.
He held up his hands, palms out. “What’s the big deal? She’s the one who told you she saw the two of them having dinner together. It’s not as though it’s news to her.”
“Melanie,” Ben abruptly said, “thank you for recounting what you saw for us. You can go back to the party now.”
She immediately moved her chair back and got up, planning on leaving the room without another word.
“One more thing, Melanie,” Ben’s voice rang out as she had her hand on the doorknob to open it. “I must ask you not to repeat anything about what you saw or about what we discussed here to anyone.”
“Yes, sir.”
*****
When Melanie returned to the conference room, everyone was buzzing about what had happened between Larry and Devin in the reception area, and how both David and Devin had walked out. Melanie found herself swarmed by her coworkers, attorneys and secretaries alike.
“Please,” she said, holding out her hand in a stop gesture. “I’m not able to comment on the situation, so don’t even ask.”
*****
“I can’t believe it,” Devin said in the elevator. “I just can’t believe this has happened to me again.”
David was grateful that they were alone in the elevator. “But unlike before, this time you weren’t in any real danger. Not with all of us being twenty yards away.”
“I know that. But that doesn’t make it any less spooky. And I know I don’t want to go back there.” She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. “All I’m trying to do is earn a living. I’ve never done anything to give Mr. Cotten the slightest inkling that I might be interested in dating him.”
“I know you did nothing wrong, Devin,” he quickly said. “And I won’t have you blame yourself when all the fault rests at his feet.”
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I know I’m done with the firm, but what about you? I mean, the way you grabbed Mr. Cotten. Will that mean trouble for you, what with him being a partner and all?”
“Don’t you worry about that. Right now, I just want to get you settled and calmed down.”
The elevator doors opened in the lobby, and he guided her out and toward the exit doors. Still holding her elbow, he walked to the curb and hailed a taxi. When he slid in beside her in the back seat, he instructed the driver to bring them to East Forty-ninth between Second and Third.
She looked at him, confusion on her face. “I don’t understand, David. I thought you were bringing me home.”
“My place is more private. It would be awfully difficult for me to try to take care of you with your mother being there.”
“You…plan on taking care of me?”
“Of course. You’ve been through a frightening ordeal, and I still remember how upset you were the first time this happened.” He smiled. “You deserve to be coddled, to have your every wish granted.” After pausing a perfect beat, he added, “And I’m just the man to do it.”
The grateful look she gave him melted his heart, and when she rested her head on his shoulder, he felt that she might be ready to forgive him.
All he had to do now was convince her he’d never do her wrong again.
*****
Devin got out of the cab and looked up at the six-story townhouse as David paid the driver.
He came to stand beside her. “Something wrong?”
She made a “ho-hum” sound. “I was just thinking about all those two flights of steps we have to take to get to the elevator. Don’t worry, David. I’ll be all right.”
“Don’t worry about the steps. We’re taking the elevator.”
She didn’t bother to hide her relief. “Good. Because I have to tell you, I’m feeling worn out. I forgot, it’s daytime. Your parents are at work. Or are they out of town?” she asked tonelessly.”
He shook his head. “Guess again. My mother retired two years ago, and my dad cut back his hours at the same time. He doesn’t see patients on Fridays.”
Her eyes became round as plates. “You mean…they’re at home?”
“Unless they’re out,” he said with a shrug. And I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”
Devin instantly looked down to check her appearance. She looked nice, at least, even demure with her navy belted dress with cap sleeves and a white lace collar, a white blazer worn over it. She’d been in such a hurry to leave the office that she hadn’t bothered to put on the gym shoes she wore for commuting, so her feet were encased in navy-and-white slingback pumps, with off-white sheer hose on her legs.
David took her arm. “You don’t have to worry about the way you look, Devin. You’re beautiful, whether in a dress or cutoffs and a T-shirt. Come on.” He led her to the garden level entrance, a few steps down under the front staircase. “We’ll go in this way; it’s fewer steps for you and easier, since they go down instead of up.”
Devin couldn’t believe that she was about to meet David’s parents…provided they were home this afternoon. A nervous hand went up to pat her hair, which was gathered in a bun at the nape of her neck.
He used his key to unlock the door and waved her inside in front of him. “Mom? Dad? It’s David. I’ve got company.”
“We’re back here, honey!” a feminine voice called.
He guided her by her elbow through the garden level.
“Hi,” he said. “I want you to meet someone.”
His father stood up, and his mother offered a warm smile.
“Devin, my parents, Sheila and Lamar Andrews. Mom, Dad, this is Devin DaCosta.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Mrs. Andrews, Mr. Andrews,” Devin said politely as she moved forward to shake hands with them, his mother’s first. She noticed that neither of David’s parents seemed shocked, or even surprised, to see she wasn’t white.
“So you’re Devin,” Sheila Andrews said as they shook. “David’s told us so much about you.”
That explained their lack of surprise; now she was the stunned one. David had told his parents about her? “He did?”
“Yes, he did,” his father answered. “He’d been moping around the house for weeks. Sheila finally cornered him and demanded to know what was wrong.”
“David explained that the two of you had a spat over something,” Sheila said. “We encouraged him to keep trying, that you’d be certain to forgive him eventually…and here you are!” Her smile lit up her entire face.
“Um, Mom,” David began. “I’m afraid the jury’s still out on that. I brought Devin here because she had a traumatic experience at work, and I want her to rest.”
“Traumatic?” Sheila repeated, sounding uncertain.
“I think it’s best if we leave it at that,” David replied, his hands protectively resting on Devin’s shoulders.
“It’s all right, David,” Devin
said. She didn’t want her first meeting with his parents to be dominated by curiosity about what kind of trauma she’d suffered. To them she explained, “I was sexually assaulted at work this afternoon.”
“By someone named Cotten,” David added.
Lamar Andrews’s eyes widened. “As in Holt & Cotten?”
“Yes. Larry Cotten, one of the founding partners.”
“He had me pinned against a wall, and David pulled him off of me,” Devin said. “But I was never in any real danger. Everyone was in the back at a party in the conference room. I was just about to yell for help when David showed up.”
Sheila stood and came forward, taking Devin’s hand. “Oh, my dear! I understand how you must feel. Even if you weren’t alone in the office, it’s still the type of thing that can make a woman feel uneasy. I know. It happened to me, years ago. Except no one else was around, and for a few terrifying seconds I thought I was going to be raped.”
Devin’s breath caught in her throat. She’d felt that same fear when Raymond Quinn came on to her.
“If it wasn’t for that paperweight I grabbed…” Sheila’s voice shook.
David, too, seemed stunned by this admission. “Mom…I had no idea.” He looked at his father. “Dad, did you know?”
“I remember it well,” Lamar Andrews replied, his voice tight. “You boys weren’t born yet. I was doing my residency. Sheila was a bundle of nerves when she got home from work that day. I had to squeeze it out of her. I’ll never forget how she insisted she’d done nothing to encourage him.” He seemed to wince before continuing. “It just about broke my heart to see her feeling guilty about what that slob had done to her.”
“I was so worried Lamar would blame me for what happened,” Sheila recalled, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears.
Devin noted that even after all this time—over thirty-five years, if neither David nor his brother had been born yet—Sheila was still visibly shaken by the incident. My God, she thought. If women never forget men making unwanted advances toward them, how must rape victims feel?
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