“I need to spiff up.”

She pointed down the hallway and followed Gaby to her cubicle. She set Gaby’s plate, nearly finished, on the desk and indicated she should sit. She’d have to finish her own lunch later, at Dawn’s desk. She had only a few minutes before she had to get back.

Zanne took a black blazer from the locker next to her desk and put it on over her T-shirt, rolling up the sleeves. In the drawer, she found a jar of pomade and ran some through her hair. Then a spritz of cologne and she was done.

“How do I look?” she asked.

Gaby licked her lips and tugged on the V of her blouse. Zanne felt her own nipples harden under her shirt, and she moaned.

Gaby laughed, then stood up. “Okay, I should go. You’ve got a busy day and you should...focus.”

“No, wait. Don’t go. Stay for the party.”

“What? I can’t! You can’t. You’re working.”

“I’m always working. We can’t let that stop us.”

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“I’ll find you something. It’ll be fun, I promise. Just hang out here for a bit? I’ll be back.”

Zanne hurried out of the cottage, before Gaby could refuse. She followed the path to the bend; one fork led to Ted’s office, the other to the main house. Just as she was about to head one way, she saw James moving toward her as if he were fording a river in flood. He was back from his wife’s doctor’s appointment. Zanne knew instantly that it was bad news. When he was close enough that she could see his face, she understood just how bad.

“I need to talk to him,” James said.

“Of course,” Zanne said. They walked together in silence to Ted’s office. James followed her inside and waited at Dawn’s desk while she opened the door. Ted wasn’t on a call, just on the computer. She beckoned at James to come now.

“Ted,” she said, getting his attention. He was accustomed to working while others moved around him, good at tuning out the peripheral. “James would like a minute.”

James went in and Zanne went out, shutting the door behind her.

“Damn,” she whispered.