I stare at her, speechless. Ben didn抰 go back into the event last night for Miss Universe at all. He went in to kick Webber抯 ass.
揑 can抰 believe it,?I whisper. 揑 can抰 believe he抯 not defending himself.?
Except梩hat抯 a lie, because I can believe both those things. I might not like when he makes me look stupid in staff meetings, but it抯 mostly because he抯 beaten me to the punch.
Even the told you you抎 beg moment卛t抯 what we do. Someone other than me might argue he was simply continuing to play a game I set in motion. The banter, the insults, the constant passive-aggressive humor: I抦 the one who started it after he arrived at FMG and stole my client. I tossed him a ball and he lobbed it back. It抯 been in the air ever since.
I sigh heavily and push away from my desk. The right thing to do, a thing even ruthless Ben would do in this situation, is come clean. I didn抰 need him to fight my battles, but he抯 not losing his job because he tried.
I knock on the door of Fields?office and then enter. Fields is on one side of the desk and McGovern is on the other, which shows how serious this must be, because McGovern almost never comes in anymore.
揥e抮e in the middle of something, Gemma,?Fields says, his voice sharp.
揑 know,?I reply. 揟hat抯 why I抦 here. Last night匓en was defending me.?
Fields grows utterly still, while McGovern finally deigns to turn toward me. 揇efending you from what??
My nails bite into my palms. Their faces are already wary, already inclined to disbelieve whatever I say next, though in my six years at this firm I抳e never complained about harassment of any kind once, and it抯 occurred plenty. I抎 be pissed about it if there were time. 揥ebber assaulted me at that client dinner you had me go to. I kept it to myself because I didn抰 want to cause problems and maybe I shouldn抰 have. He grabbed me again last night and refused to let go.?
Fields?expression flattens. 揂ssault is a serious accusation, Gemma,?he says, as if I wouldn抰 fucking know this on my own. 揑 assume you thought carefully before making it.?
Everything in his tone says, 搚ou should have thought more carefully before you made it because I抦 certain you misunderstood.?
揝ituations like this are often卽p to interpretation,?McGovern adds. 揑t抯 easy to misconstrue the intent. Did this alleged assault occur here??
Alleged assault. Misconstrue. I抳e worked with him for six years, but he抯 sitting there creating Webber抯 defense for him.
And Webber, if asked, will tell them we flirted all night梩hat outside the bar, I stood close to him while we discussed going to his apartment, and one thing led to another. He抣l imply I wasn抰 unwilling at all, but am simply someone who later had regrets, and they抣l believe him, instantly, because they抣l have stood in his shoes. Because at some point, every man thinks he抯 navigating the 搈ixed signals?a woman is sending out, even when they抮e not mixed at all.
I guess none of that matters now, however. What matters is getting Ben out of trouble, which requires a strategy.
Even if they think I抦 full of shit, and they clearly do, they抮e both from that generation where men defended their womenfolk梡robably from the Iroquois, or perhaps the British Army during the Revolutionary War梥o they抣l respect his decision to protect the gentler sex. 揃en saw Webber grab me and saw how upset I was,?I tell them. 揌e risked his job to defend me. I抦 sure you both can appreciate how difficult the decision must have been for him.?
They nod. 揌e抯 a good man,?says Fields approvingly. I抎 be irritated by how easily they forgive their favorite partner if it wasn抰 the outcome I was hoping for.
揂 stand-up guy,?adds McGovern. 揋ood for him.?
Jesus Christ.
I force a smile. 揋reat,?I say. 揑抣l let you get back to it, then.?
揑 understand that you抮e upset, but it would help if you could make things right with Webber,?says Fields. 揚ersuade him not to press charges.?
I stiffen. They want me to call the guy who assaulted me and ask for a favor, for fuck抯 sake. Fields is as well-connected as anyone in LA and could handle all this with a few well-placed words, but he wants me to do it. He抯 punishing me because he sees this incident as a problem I created, what with my female tendency to misconstrue things.
揂bsolutely,?I reply through gritted teeth. 揑抣l call him right now.?
I walk slowly back to my office. Webber won抰 be satisfied with an apology, if I抦 even capable of one. He got beaten up in public and is probably humiliated and lashing out. The only thing that will stop him in his tracks, at this point, is fear.
I spend a few minutes at my desk, rehearsing what I will say, which will involve some creative storytelling on my part. Webber answers on the first ring, as if he was expecting me. 揧our boyfriend attacked me,?he says. 揝o this had better be worth my time.?