Page 147 of The Right Sign

“She did.”

“Deej mentioned you did something for me.”

“Did she?” He acts nonchalant.

“What was it?”

His eyes flicker up to the heavens, noting the grey clouds gathering in an ominous formation. There’s no hint of the flirty, dangerous Dare who was teasing me about making babies with him. It’s like a mask fell over his face.

I lean forward, sensing this is big. “Please tell me it has nothing to do with my PR crisis.”

Still no response.

“What did you do?”

“We should head back. It’s going to rain.”

I grab his arm to stay him.

He looks into my eyes, sees how serious I am and gives in.

“I bought…” He finger spells the company name and I know where he’s going before he finishes.

The truth flings me back like a punch to the stomach and I almost drop off the bench. It doesn’t register that I’m actually sinking until Dare grabs my hand and yanks me forward. But he over-calculates, and I end up half-splurged in his lap.

It’s ironic that I ended up right where he wanted me to be, but I’m too shocked to make sense of my new seating arrangements.

My eyes are peeled open and my signs come out rapid fire. “Are you serious? You bought Ru-Carpsel? You bought theentirecompany?”

He nods.

I can’t breathe.

“We’ll send a…” He makes a sign that’s totally wrong and that I would normally correct if I were in my right mind, “tomorrow.”

Press release, my brain fills in.

“We’re going to totally revamp the company. Gut it out. Build it back from the ground up and…”

Revitalize.I find the word from the context of our conversation.

“It’s going to be a lot of work and I don’t see it all happening overnight, but I believe it can be done.”

My head is spinning. I struggle to make sense of everything. “But… but what about…”

“The workers who were…?”

“Taken advantage of.”I correct him by habit.

He copies my sign and moves on without skipping a beat. “I thought you’d be concerned about that. Yes, we did pay the CEOs of Ru-Carpsel a lot of money, but they’re not going to see a penny of it because we’realsosuing them on behalf of the workers. They won’t get a dime of that buy-out. It’ll go to the workers and their families.”

Lightning flashes.

My hearing aids pick up a roaring sound. The clap of thunder.

I don’t move, but the world around me is shifting fast. Gloomy clouds. Whipping tree leaves. Scurrying forest animals heading for cover.

Oh no, oh no, oh no.

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