Chapter 6 6

The restaurant Daniel chose was in SoHo, all exposed brick and Edison bulbs and prices that made Joanna wince. She'd changed three times before leaving the apartment-nothing too nice, nothing that suggested this was a date, but nothing that looked like she'd thrown it on in despair either.

She settled on black pants and a blue sweater. Safe. Professional. Armor.

Daniel was already there when she arrived, seated at a corner table with a view of the door. He stood when he saw her, smiling that smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Joanna. You look lovely."

"Thank you." She slid into the chair across from him, putting the table between them. "I appreciate you meeting me on short notice."

"For you? Always." He sat back down, his gaze lingering on her face, her neck, the place where she'd tried to cover the last of the bruises with concealer. "You look tired. Is everything okay at the gallery?"

"Fine. Everything's fine." She opened her menu, hiding behind it. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. The gallery. And our working relationship."

The silence stretched. Joanna felt his attention sharpen, focus on her like a predator spotting movement.

"Our working relationship," he repeated. "That sounds serious."

"It is," she lowered the menu, forced herself to meet his eyes. "Daniel, you're my manager, and I respect you. But lately, some of your comments and... invitations have felt like they're crossing a line. I need that to stop. I want our interactions to be strictly professional from now on."

Daniel's smile flickered. "Crossing a line. You mean you don't appreciate my attention."

"No. I don't." Joanna grabbed her water glass, took a sip to wet her dry throat. "I value my job. I don't want anything to complicate it, and I need to be very clear about my boundaries."

"Boundaries." He leaned forward, his hand finding hers on the table. His palm was damp. Clammy. "Joanna, I thought we had a connection. The way you look at me. The way you find reasons to be in my office. I thought-"

"You thought wrong." She pulled her hand back, too fast, knocking her water glass. It didn't spill, but the near-miss made her cheeks burn. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. That was never my intent. But I need this to be clear. There is no 'us' outside of work."

Daniel's expression changed. The smile vanished, replaced by something harder, more calculating. "I see."

"I hope you do." Joanna pressed on, feeling a surge of strength. "That's why I wanted to talk to you in person, away from the gallery. So there would be no confusion."

"No confusion." He sat back. His eyes traveled over her face, searching for a weakness. "And if I say I'm disappointed?"

"You're allowed to be disappointed, Daniel. But you're not allowed to harass me. I just need you to respect my decision."

"Of course." He picked up his wine glass, swirled the red liquid. "Forgive me. I was under a different impression. But if this is how you feel-" He said the words like they left a bad taste. "-then I will, of course, respect your wishes."

The waiter arrived. They ordered-Joanna barely tasted her food, picked at a salad while Daniel ate steak and watched her with eyes that missed nothing. The conversation turned to work, to upcoming exhibitions, to the artists they represented. Safe topics. Professional topics.

But every time she looked up, Daniel was watching her. Studying her.

She escaped as soon as she could, pleading a headache, an early morning. Daniel walked her to the subway, his hand hovering near the small of her back but not touching, a gesture that felt more menacing for its restraint.

"Take care, Joanna," he said as she descended the stairs. "I'll see you at work tomorrow. Strictly professional, of course."

She didn't look back.

The apartment was empty when she got home. Leah was out-date night with her boyfriend, a text on the fridge informed her. Joanna was grateful for the solitude. She couldn't face questions, couldn't pretend to be normal for one more minute.

She showered. Brushed her teeth. Crawled into bed with her phone clutched in her hand like a talisman.

It rang at midnight.

She knew who it was before she looked. The number was unfamiliar, but the timing was his. The arrogance of calling when he knew she'd be alone, vulnerable, thinking about him.

"Hello?"

"Did you have a nice dinner?"

Joanna's blood went cold. She sat up, clutching the blanket to her chest. "How did you-"

"I told you, Joanna. I have resources." His voice was calm. Almost amused. "So. You had dinner with your boss. The man you ran to after you left my car. The one who can't keep his hands to himself."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me." The amusement vanished, replaced by steel. "I saw you leave. I saw you meet him. I know what he is. What I don't know is why you would seek him out. Why you would put yourself in that position."

Joanna's hand was shaking. "It's none of your business. I was handling it."

"Joanna." Her name, spoken like a sigh. Like disappointment. "I had you followed. I know he touched you. I know you pulled away. I know you think you 'handled it,' but men like him don't respect boundaries. They see them as a challenge." His voice dropped. "You should have called me."

She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. "You're stalking me."

"I'm protecting what's mine. There's a difference." She heard movement on his end, the rustle of fabric, the creak of leather. "Tomorrow. One o'clock. The Met. The European paintings wing. Be there."

"I won't-"

"You'll be there." His voice was soft. Certain. "Or I'll come to the gallery. I'll introduce myself to Daniel. I'll explain, in detail, my concerns about his management style. Perhaps I'll even mention our night together. The sounds you made. The marks I left." He paused. "Your choice, Joanna. Public or private. But we will talk."

The line went dead.

Joanna stared at her phone until the screen went dark. Her heart was hammering, her hands shaking, her mind racing through options that all ended in the same place.

She couldn't run. Couldn't hide. Couldn't build a wall he wouldn't tear down.

She was trapped.