“Kate has always been dependable.”
Warm.
Paternal.
Convincing enough for anyone who had not watched him tell me to pretend we had never met.
Later, he found me in the coat room.
“I owe you an apology.”
“For grabbing my uniform?”
“Yes.”
“You shouldn’t have.”
“No.”
Then:
“I was surprised.”
“You were afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Being seen with me.”
He looked down.
“I was trying to protect the company.”
“From me?”