I WOKE UP to my phone buzzing. I snatched it up to find a message from my dad.
Him: I’m going to pay you back for all you did for me, I promise.
Me: Please don’t worry about it. I’m going to find a way to make all my back payments. I’m
making a lot more now.
Him: You bought me a cabin. I’m going to worry about it. I know you got a raise, but I’ve been
thinking about it since you told me that. You shouldn’t have to work yourself harder to balance
out my misfortune. I’m going to find extra work and pay you back.
I had to get ready for work, so I stopped messaging him, but I was also half hoping not
responding would end the conversation. I didn’t regret helping my dad. But I didn’t know how
to dig myself out of the consequences helping him had caused. Or how I woul d pay back the
mortgage payments I’d missed. My first paycheck had my lender’s name on it, even though I
hadn’t gotten it yet. That paycheck alone wouldn’t be enough to save me, but it would be fine.
Everything would be fine. I was sure once I made some ki nd of payment that the bank would be
happy again.
To that end, I put on my most uplifting playlist in my car. As I’d gotten dressed and ready, I’d
decided not only would my home situation turn out fine, everything else would, too. I’d make
Lochlan like me, or at least tolerate my presence. I’d get a smile out of my new boss, or at least
not a frown. I’d slay at my new job. I was on day three and would prove my worth that day. I
didn’t know how, but I would.
I stopped by a drive - through coffee place and bought myself a sixteen - ounce mocha with an
extra shot of espresso. Usually I went gentle on the caffeine, but I was so charged up anyway
that an extra shot felt like the right decision — not just right, a great decision.
The elevator seemed surprisingly smooth on the way up, and I wondered if that was Rex’s
doing. I hadn’t made my way up that thing without a worrisome shudder in ages.
When Lochlan attempted to ignore me as I strutted my way from the elevator to my desk, I
threw my brightest smile at him.
“Good morning, Lochlan,” I said.
I think he growled at me in response.
“Today is going to be a good day,” I told him.
“If you say so.”
“Where’s Tasha?”
“She called in.”
Spending the day with only Lochlan would make it a little tougher for me to make this an
awesome day, but I had faith in myself. I could still do it. I would just have to pretend like
Lochlan wasn’t there, which wouldn’t be too difficult as he preferred no t to talk to me, anyway.
I delved into my work as soon as I sat down. Rex had sent me some correspondence to clean up,
a mailing list to format and organize, and mentioned that he had an important meeting the
following day to get scheduled. I loved formatting mailing lists with an odd amount of passion,
so I started with that, and promptly lost myself to it for the next hour and a half.
I was working on the final page, checking to make sure each address was formatted exactly the
same, when my phone rang.
I’d only been at this job for three days, but Rex had already forwarded all his calls through me so
that I could screen them for him.
Because you’re a rockstar at this, I told myself.
I picked up the phone. “Mr. Claremont’s office. How may I help you?”
“Hi, this is Ed Lisowski. I’d like to set up a time to talk with Rex,” a man’s de ep voice said. I
remembered his name from the meeting on my first day. He was one of the VPs, but hadn’t
been in attendance. I was fairly sure I’d met him at a company holiday party a time or two. He
was a friendly guy and very funny.
“Let me see what he’s got available,” I said. “How is your morning going, Mr. Lisowski?”
Lochlan turned his head toward me, obviously interested in something, but I wasn’t sure what,
so I ignored him. His attention distracted me.
“My morning is going great. Thanks for asking,” Ed said. “How are things going at Quinn today?”
“Oh, you know, the usual,” I said. “The elevator only shuddered once on the way up.” I giggled
at my own joke. The caffeine was definitely coursing through my veins.
“Oh? What’s wrong with the elevator?”
“The usual. The same thing that’s wrong with most of the building, like we were talking about in
the meeting. Lots of infrastructure that’s a little behind the times. I guess you weren’t there, but
it was the topic of the day. Quinn just needs a lot of wor k. Nothing new.”
“Nothing new?” he asked.
“Not at all. I’m sure you’ve noticed. Most of the building looks like it’s stuck in the nineties, just
like Rebekah said.”
“Rebekah Claremont said that?” The tone of his voice changed, and that brought me back to the
moment. He
didn’t sound familiar with this topic, like he hadn’t been in the meeting at all.
That was about when I remembered I don’t tolerate large amounts of caffeine very well, and I’d
had far more than my usual amount that morning. My brain was humming and filled with words
I probably shouldn’t let out of their cages.
I decided we should move on from my attempt at chitchat. “I’ve got an appointment open for
tomorrow at three, Friday at two, or we can look at next week.”
Ed Lisowski paused before he answered. “Let me check my schedule again, and I will call you
back.”