Kevin was giddy for his lunch with Uncle Dean. After the debacle in Stephanie's office, which was being called 'a better fireworks display than the Fourth of July' by lucky witnesses, he had texted Uncle Dean about inviting Stephanie as well. Based on the number of emojis included in the response, he knew Uncle Dean was excited to meet her. If all went according to plan, Stephanie wasn't going to be bothered by David anymore.
Kevin saw the footage of Stephanie putting David in his place and had never been prouder. He still wished she'd thrown one of the signature punches he'd heard so much about, but the verbal take down was better than nothing.
He gave Stephanie Uncle Dean's direct phone number and email to forward to Kate. Kate had been in contact with the COO during Dean's absence, who said they would deal with the situation internally. Kevin knew David was close with the COO, and everything would likely be brushed off as a simple misunderstanding and overreaction by the girls. Kevin refused to let that happen, and set part two of his plan in motion. He needed David to see Stephanie with him.
On Thursday, Kevin got to Uncle Dean's office earlier than normal. He texted Stephanie and told her to come upstairs.
Nancy greeted him with extra enthusiasm. "Hi Kevin! Dean told me to order lunch for three people today, is someone else joining you?"
"Yeah, my girlfriend is." Kevin noticed a flicker of acknowledgement on Nancy's face, when David appeared. Right on schedule.
"Did I hear this guy say he has a girlfriend? Did Nancy turn you down enough that you finally found someone else more on your level?" He sneered at Kevin while handing Nancy a stack of files, "Scan these for me would you, hun."
Nancy was blushing "No David, I never turned him down. He never asked."
Kevin cut in then. "David, why are you always here? I come for lunch every few weeks, and you are literally always here instead of your desk." He noticed Nancy was blushing more. "Do you have a thing for Nancy?"
He was immediately rewarded with a stone-faced glare. Nancy was looking between the two of them like it was a tennis match. At that very moment, the door opened, and Stephanie walked in. She smiled directly at Kevin, not a glance anywhere else, and he thought his heart would burst.
"Hey Steph!" He opened his arms and she stepped into them, rewarding him with a deep kiss. The reaction from the other side of the room was immediate, like the fuse finally detonating a bomb.
"What the hell is this? Really Steph?" Stephanie flinched when he said her name like that. David was gesturing at Kevin in disgust. "Him? Could you possibly sink any lower?"
"Yeah, I could if I was with you." Stephanie shot back. Nancy's eyes were as wide a saucers.
Kevin stepped between David and Stephanie then. "She's not into you man. How about you just accept it and move on?"
This only seemed to further enrage David. He puffed up his chest and his voice reached a yell, "She seemed pretty into Steve too. He stood her up and she still kept messaging him, reeking of desperation. But you know who was always there?"
He paused as if daring anyone to answer, while his face turned an ugly red. "Me. I made sure you were never really alone Steph. Why do you think I'm working here? It's so I can look after you."
There was a stillness in the room that made Kevin afraid to breathe. "You were following me?" Stephanie let out a horrified whisper, but David was just getting started.
"And you know what else, Kevin? She was texting Matt for weeks. Weeks! What do you think you have that they don't? They weren't good enough for her, and you won't be either."
All the colour was gone from Stephanie's face now, "How could you possibly know that? Unless it was you! That's why Matt would never meet me in person."
David was in Kevin's face now, towering over him. From the corner of his eye, Kevin saw Uncle Dean come out of his office and behold the scene in front of him.
David continued, "I am the one who deserves her. What are you? Just some short, nerdy, IT guy? With a pathetic little start up? I will do whatever it takes to make Steph mine. You are just some passing fancy. How could you give her the life she deserves? When she tires of you and she wants to be with a real man again, Steph will dump you and run into my arms where she belongs!"
After that, everything happened at once.
Stephanie yelled, "Do NOT call me Steph!"
Uncle Dean thundered, "WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE?" in a voice Kevin had never heard before.
Nancy rushed up behind David. She placed her hand on his arm, and quietly said, "David, calm down..." at which point he turned and backhanded her across the face, sending her glasses flying while she crumpled to the floor.
David turned back as if to take a swing at Kevin next, when Dean was on him, restraining his arms behind his back, and wrestling him to the ground with a knee in the back. "Kevin, call the police."
Stephanie rushed over to help Nancy, while Dean continued with a serenity at odds with the situation, "You know, David, I had a very interesting phone call during my lunch yesterday from a planning company down on the sixth floor. It completely ruined my first day back from vacation." He dug his knee in a little bit more, but maintained a very casual façade.
"You see, the manager down there was calling me directly to cancel our services. When I asked why they would want to do that so soon, the answer was quite simple." He settled himself on top of David, as if he had nowhere better to be. "You."
"I really don't like losing clients, David, because losing clients means losing money. I saw video of your actions, and I'm inclined to believe every single accusation raised against you by the young women working down there, of which, there were many.
"Now, you've ruined a second lunch of mine in as many days. After this little display you've put on for us here today, I am well within my rights and I can happily say, you're fired."
Kevin got off the phone with the police, and marveled at the way his uncle was handling the situation. Kevin went over to join Stephanie and Nancy when the door opened by the delivery boy bringing lunch. He paused in the doorway and took in the scene in front of him. "Uh, I have food. I think this was the requested delivery time..."
Uncle Dean was the first to speak up, "Ah yes, right on time. Sorry about the mess here, we're having a bit of a personnel problem. Just give me one moment and we'll get what we owe you. Kevin, if you could just..."
Kevin rushed over to the delivery guy, "Don't worry Uncle Dean, I've got this one. You seem to have your hands full."
"Oh, but I was supposed to treat you and your girl, and now I believe lunch is ruined. I'm sorry."
"Trust me, you will never know how big of a favour you are doing for us right now." Turning to the delivery guy, "how much do I owe you?"
Stephanie was helping Nancy get up to her feet. She was going to have a black eye; David had left quite the mark. "Is there any ice in there?"
Kevin reached in the bag and pulled out a can of pop. "It's not ice, but this feels cold, does that work?" Stephanie nodded and he tossed it to her. She sat next to Nancy on the couch, and helped hold the can to the side of her face.
The police arrived fifteen minutes later and arrested David. It took a bit of convincing, but Nancy finally decided to press charges. Everyone gave their statement; Stephanie included her experiences with him following her and feeling threatened by him for weeks, and David even admitted to cat fishing Stephanie while pretending to be Steve and Matt. It took nearly an hour to get everything settled and for David to be escorted out.
When the door closed behind the police, they all fell silent.
Kevin was the first to speak. "Nancy, I am so sorry."
"For what? You didn't hit me."
"No, but I feel like it's my fault he hurt you. I was hoping to trigger him. I didn't expect he'd be violent to you."
"Oh, it's okay. I will be alright," she touched her face gently, "or is it that terrible?"
Stephanie jumped in then, "Oh no, it's not terrible. It will fade. You will probably have a bit of a black eye though. I can show you some ways to cover it with make up if you want." Nancy turned towards her with tears in her eyes.
"You would do that for me?"
"Of course. I've taken more than one volleyball or elbow to the face over the years."
The office phone rang then, and Nancy stood up to get it. Dean's weary voice cut through the air, "Leave it."
"But sir, it could be important!"
"It's not. And if it was, that's what voicemail is for. So, leave it. You have the afternoon off, and so do I."
"But..."
"No, Nancy. Please just relax. After everything that just happened out here, we are done for the day. And if you refuse to take the rest of the day off, then I am going to ask you for help with something."
"Yes, sir?"
"I am going to order some more food, since that stuff is stone cold, and we are all going to enjoy it together. I am asking you to participate in that too, Nancy." He stood up and headed to the reception desk. "We've all just experienced something insane, and I think it's best if we don't just pretend it never happened. So, any requests? Where can we get ice cream delivered from?"
Kevin pulled out his phone and texted Jared.
Kevin: Lunch got crazy, I'm taking the rest of the day off. And probably tomorrow. I'll tell you all about it later.
Jared: Wasn't today lunch with Stephanie and Dean? Is this a get-really-drunk kind of day off that you want company for?
Kevin: Haha not quite. I'll show you the police reports on Monday.
Jared: THE WHAT!?
Stephanie was on the phone with her boss, and he could only catch snippets of the conversation. She came back to join him after ending the call.
"Ugh, I really wish I'd kicked him in the balls when I had the chance. I have literally wanted to do that since I met him."
Kevin laughed at her attitude and mumbled a "me too" under his breath. He felt a confusing mixture of fear and attraction to her, and an intense desire to hide her away and protect her from the world. She sat beside him and he put his arm around her, drawing her close. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I'll have to go grab my stuff at the end of the day, but I'm all good with Kate." She whispered with her eyes closed.
"I'll go with you. I'm off for the weekend now."
She turned towards him, "You took tomorrow off?"
"Of course. Don't tell me you have to work? I was hoping we could spend it together. Recover from this whole ordeal."
Her face lit up and then she was kissing him. When Dean cleared his throat, they broke apart looking sheepish, but he was smiling.
"We've got Chinese food and ice cream on the way, and I believe I've got some whiskey in my bottom drawer if anyone cares to join me." He headed into his office, and everyone followed.
"Now, Stephanie, my dear, it is an absolute pleasure to meet you, but I have a very important question to ask before we go any further." He paused for dramatic effect.
"Are you a Leafs fan?"