Big Dick Energy - Cindi Madsen Page 0,56
undoubtedly insist on remaining extremely professional at work.
But when I’d approached her desk, she’d popped to her feet, mumbled something about a meeting, and then disappeared for an hour.
Paranoia wasn’t anything I usually experienced, and four hours was enough for me to declare I wasn’t a fan. I’d go so far as to state I fucking hated it.
I did my best to convince myself she was merely catching up, but my instincts yelled there was something else at play.
Was she mad I hadn’t texted or called yesterday? The last half of the weekend passed by in a blur. First off, I’d been dealing with Izzie’s first period—talk about unqualified. When I’d asked why she hadn’t stayed at Sydney’s house where their mom could do a better job of helping, Izzie burst into tears.
Unsure what else to do, I’d gone to the store and bought half the products in the feminine aisle. Then Izzie asked if she was going to bleed enough to need all of them while doing some more crying.
After leaving three messages for my mom, I’d almost called Penelope and asked for help, but it’d been early on a Sunday morning. Luckily Mom called in time for me to make my afternoon appointment.
As I sat at my computer, peeking through the monitors at her, I pulled up an email and typed her name. Then I thought about the confidentiality disclosure and how they could go through all our emails. If I outed us that way, she’d only have another reason to be mad at me.
When twelve-thirty hit and I noticed she was grabbing her purse, assumedly on her way to lunch, I saved what I was working on and rushed after her.
She shot me a sidelong glance but didn’t say anything until we were both inside the elevator, doors closed behind us.
The instant I opened my mouth, Penelope threw up a hand. “Let me stop you right there and get right to the issue: you went golfing with our boss and Mayor Gonzalez yesterday.”
I hit the brakes on the words I’d planned to say, and they collided together on the tip of my tongue. What did my going golfing have to do with anything? “Doug reserved the tee time weeks ago. I had no idea the mayor would be there, but what was I supposed to do? Tell him he couldn’t play with us because it’d make you mad, when I didn’t realize it would and don’t understand why you’d care?”
Due to being on the receiving end of disappointment before, I immediately recognized it in the pinch of Penelope’s features. “That’s the point,” she said. “You and your good buddy Doug hit the course with the mayor—the boss of one of the men deciding which set of blueprints to vote for—and yucked it up. Let me guess? The complex just casually came up, and you had no choice but to mention all your brilliant ideas. Mr. Bishop told me this morning how much he loved them. How great for you.”
“I…” I didn’t have a leg to stand on with that and shit, I was already losing the battle I’d been unwittingly dropped into. “So what? I’m supposed to run everything by you? My emails and my golfing plans? Do I have to salute and ask for permission to speak freely?”
Penelope lifted her gaze to the ceiling tiles, and after spending the past couple of days with a weepy female, I recognized the rapid blinking as an attempt to stifle her emotions. “Nice try, throwing it back on me. Are you honestly so dense you can’t see how that puts me at a disadvantage?”
Despite the urge to counter that insult, I didn’t want to be constantly at war with Penelope anymore. Nor did I want to push her to tears. My hands went up in surrender as I scrambled to remember what I’d said about the complex. I’d been excited to discuss my ideas, and Doug’s and Mayor Gonzalez’s enthusiasm spurred me on. Add in the beers, and ensuring I played well enough to win without leaving them in the dust in the process.
“I mentioned a few of your ideas in there, too,” I said. Surely, I had.
“On the golf course. Where I wasn’t invited. As if it takes a dick to be able to swing a club and hit balls into holes. Seriously, can men get any more phallic-obsessed?”
“Would you have wanted to go golfing with us?” I couldn’t imagine she would’ve enjoyed herself.
Penelope’s exhale held so much