Ravensong Read Online Free PDF Page B

think I’ll have a beer to
celebrate. Anyone want to join me.”
    The rest agreed, except Ravensong who
was still staring at Elena.
    “ Coming, Josh?” asked
Elliot over his shoulder as they moved toward the door.
    He shook his head. “No, I’m
not hungry. I’ll get something later.”
    Elena watched them leave and then
retreated to the bleachers, lifting her purse and snapping it open.
As she searched through it, Ravensong approached her.
    “ Why’d you do that?” he
asked, leaning a hip against the bench and crossing his arms over
his chest.
    Elena glanced up at him.
“She wasn’t producing and I didn’t like her unprofessional
behavior.”
    “ You’ll never make Julian’s
deadline now. You know as well as I do that he only agreed to this
project to watch you fail so he could fire you.”
    Elena paused in rummaging
through her purse and considered his words for a moment. “I don’t
intend to fail,” she told him firmly, then hesitated and looked up
at him again. “Why do you put up with that kind of treatment? I
could see you didn’t like it.”
    He considered her words now, then shook
his head. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just used to it. It’s easier
on the band anyway if I just comply.”
    Elena moved closer to him,
crossing her arms in front of her. “You don’t have to take that,
Joshua. Sexual harassment is sexual harassment whether you’re a man
or a woman. No one has the right to make you feel uncomfortable or
degraded.” Her voice rang with emotion, but she wasn’t sure why it
made her so angry to see him accept such humiliating
treatment.
    He drew a deep breath.
“I’ve never learned how to say no, Elena. I guess I’ve never
thought I had the right.”
    “ You do. You don’t
belong to Avalanche or anyone else for that matter.”
    He looked away, a troubled
expression on his face. “Anyway, what are you going to do
now?”
    Elena reached for her purse
again and started searching through it. “Fortunately my best
friend’s a photo journalist for the Chronicle . She’d love to help me out
of this jam.”
    “ What if she’s
busy?”
    Elena laughed. “Katie,
hell, she’ll jump at the chance to freelance a little with a famous
rock band.” Elena didn’t add that Kate would do anything for the
chance to meet Ravensong; she thought it would sound a bit
hypocritical after her previous lecture. “Now if I could just find
a graphic artist who’d be willing to work late tonight.”
    Ravensong smiled his
crooked, seductive smile. “It just so happens I have a good friend
who’s a graphic artist. He’s done work for the band before and he
owes me a favor.”
    Elena shook her head. “No,
you don’t have to bail me out of this mess...”
    “ You got me out of that
mess,” he said, nodding over his shoulder. Then his face became
serious, his eyes piercing. “I don’t want to see you lose this job,
Elena. You’ve brought a breath of fresh air into this organization
and I don’t want you to leave.”
    She had to suppress an urge
to throw her arms around his neck. “Thank you,” she said with
emotion, “I really appreciate it.”
    He shook his head. “Let’s
go make a few phone calls. After you,” he replied, motioning her in
front of him.
    * * *
    It was nearly eight o’clock
by the time Kate finished the shoot, but finally she put her camera
down and rubbed the back of her neck, then smiled at her captive
audience.
    “ We’re done,” she
announced.
    Her announcement was met
with weary cheers from everyone. Elena hugged her friend in
gratitude, but Kate brushed her off. “Don’t thank me until we’ve
developed the pictures.”
    “ Go home everyone,” said
Elena. “Julian still expects you bright and early at
eight.”
    “ Can’t wait,” said Ralph
sarcastically, wrinkling his nose at Elena.
    She laughed and knelt to help Kate
pack up her gear as they filed from the auditorium. Only Ravensong
stayed behind.
    “ How long will it take to
develop the film?”