w bar manager. Richard Percival.”
I took in his slick hair, his suit, his pale blue shirt, wondering what kind of bars he had actually managed. “Nice to meet you.”
“You’re the one who has been off for two months.”
“Well. Yes. I—”
He walked along the optics, scanning each bottle. “I just want you to know that I’m not a fan of people taking endless sick leave.”
My neck shifted a few centimeters back in my collar.
“I am just laying down a marker, Louise. I’m not one of those managers who turn a blind eye. I know that in many companies time off is pretty much considered a staff perk. But not in companies where I work.”
“Believe me, I have not thought of the last nine weeks as a perk.”
He examined the underside of a tap and rubbed at it meditatively with his thumb.
I took a breath befo
