“It’s a shame too. You have a flair for entertaining.” His words were complimentary, but again it sounded like I was being reprimanded. And his mannerisms were dismissive at best. We walked back to the party in silence.
My conversation with Emmet was sobering. No longer distracted with the excitement of the party, apprehensively I reentered the atrium with a totally different perspective. I scanned all the faces in the room. Did they know me? Did they recognize me? Did they know Lawrence? Would they go tell him where I was and would he come for me? As I looked from one face to another a slight panic grew inside. How large was the world of international attorneys? Somehow, someway, at least one of these men or women had met Lawrence. My eidetic recall for faces was failing me for they all looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
“Come here, I’ll introduce you around,” Amanda said, taking my arm in hers. But I didn’t want to be introduced. I wanted to fade into the corner for fear I would be recognized.
“No, that’s okay. I’m more of a people watcher than a people person.” I took a deliberate step backward.
“Well, tonight you’re a people person,” she said, taking my arm once again. “You were my partner in crime with this event and everyone in the firm wants to meet you. Emmet never talks about his personal assistants to anyone in the office but me. For all they know, you could have been here for years and they finally have an opportunity to meet you.” She pulled me unwillingly further into the room. Amanda couldn’t have weighed more than ninety pounds, but Emmet had warned me she was a pit bull at getting her way. She towed me from one group to another, introducing me to most of the partners in the firm first. Once my brain was full of too many names to remember, she began introducing me to the board members and executive team of Purdy Co. Each time I did my best to direct the conversation to what they did for the company so they would ask the same kind of questions of me…and then Amanda would move me to the next group. I didn’t want anyone asking where I was from or how long I had worked for Emmet.
As Amanda continued to introduce me, I couldn’t help but notice two men watching. At first I thought it was just my paranoia, and then I realized they were watching me and talking about me. I tried not to make eye contact and when they looked away I asked Amanda who they were. Wrong move.
“Hey Rich, Bob, come here,” she said as she waived them over. “Hey guys, I want you to meet Annie. Annie this is Rich and Bob. They handle the international distribution channel for Purdy.”
I was sure my face went sheet white. International—surely they knew Lawrence. I tried to act natural, as if I was just meeting anyone else in the room, but I could tell they recognized me.
“Annie, I was just telling Rich how familiar you look, but I couldn’t place you. Where are you from?” Even if they had seen me before I would have looked quite different clad in a stiff business suit with my red hair pulled back off my face. Half the time I even wore glasses, although I only needed them for distance. Tonight in my ice-blue flowing cocktail dress and long dark hair they would be hard pressed to recognize me. The more they stared, the more I panicked.
“Michigan,” I answered too quickly. “Are you from there?”
“No, Rich and I are based out of Florida.”
The words he said immediately made me feel faint. I swayed backward.
Like a superhero, always in the right place at the right time, Emmet’s hand met the small of my back and gently straightened me up. “A little too much wine?” He asked.
“I think so, Emmet. I guess I didn’t eat much either.”
“Emmet,” Bob said, “I was just telling Annie she looks familiar; I can’t determine when we’ve met.”
“Oh, I hear that a lot, actually. I think I have one of those faces that resembles many others,” I said, not sounding very convincing to anyone and speaking way too quickly.
“So, Michigan,” Bob said. “That’s not it. How long have you worked for Emmet?”
“Just over a year now,” I said, praying Emmet and Amanda wouldn’t correct my lie and frantically wondering how I was going to explain it to them later.
“I never hear Emmet talk about you,” Bob said.
“Are you kidding?” Emmet chimed in. “The way you run Amanda around…you think I’m going to give you access to Annie too? Not a chance.” There was a courteous laugh.
“What’s your last name, Annie?” Bob asked.
“Logan,” I answered, finding myself leaning back on Emmet’s rescuing hand. I wanted to get away from these men.
“No, that just doesn’t sound familiar.”
“This is how Rich and Bob pick up attractive women,” Emmet interjected attempting to add a bit of levity to the conversation. “Whatever you do, don’t give out your phone number.”
The stress of the conversation was taking a toll on me. Once again I began to sway and Emmet steadied me. “Amanda, take Annie out to get some fresh air and please let Romulus out for a quick run. I’ll keep the guests inside until you return.”
“Great idea,” Amanda said. I knew she was dying to ask me why I lied about how long I had worked for Emmet.
We walked to the breezeway without talking. The fresh air helped revive me and I was relieved to be away from Bob’s and Rich’s stares. Amanda opened the door to let Romulus out and crunched down as if she was going to greet a toddler.
“How’s my little puppy, Romulus?” She asked.
Puppy? Romulus jumped around alternating between chasing his tail and licking Amanda on her face. I was surprised he didn’t knock her over. He had to be one and a half times her body weight.
“That’s my good boy…that’s my good, good boy,” she said, holding on to his slobbery mouth. I definitely drank too much wine. I was starting to hallucinate. Amanda continued to hug on Romulus until finally she said, “Where’s your ball? Go get your ball.” And Romulus tore off running.
“So, you and Romulus, huh,” I said. “He’s really comfortable with you.”
“He should be,” Amanda offered, standing and brushing her dress back into place. “I trained him.”
“You train attack dogs?”
“I did. Now I only do it for people I know.”
“No wonder Emmet says you’re such a pit bull. He says—”
“Annie,” she snapped, “you know I have no interest in talking about myself right now. I want the truth. You took pictures of Emmet and the boys even though he told you not to. You told those men you’ve worked for Emmet for a year when you have only been here for two weeks. I want some answers. Romulus and I both want answers, don’t we?” She gestured to Romulus and he began to growl.
“Okay, Amanda,” I stammered. “But I’m going to ask you to think twice before you say anything to Emmet. I know that’s where your loyalty lies, but just hear me out.”
“Start talking,” she said, repeating the gesture to Romulus…and his growl grew louder.
“The picture issue is easy. The boys wanted to do something special for Emmet for Father’s Day. They wanted me to help them put together a scrapbook with pictures and some of their artwork from school. Josh has it hiding in his closet to give to his dad tomorrow. Please don’t tell Emmet. The boys will be so disappointed if their surprise is spoiled.”
“And you lied to those men because?”
“That’s complicated. I left an abusive relationship. I felt like Bob was coming on to me. I didn’t want to seem temporary…vulnerable…I can’t explain it.”
“Well,