CHAPTER 4
Elena
Hours later, I’m juggling a bag of takeout and a large fountain drink, along with everything else as I push open the front door to my childhood home. The small two bedroom whose rental fee skyrocketed with the influx of oilfield business is dark. To make matters worse, it’s stifling.
Like just about every other single woman in town, Mom ended up with an oil field boyfriend. Thankfully, she spends her nights at his place because having Lonny staying here, with these paper-thin walls, is a little more than I can handle. Despite Dad being gone since I was little, it’s still weird to have Mom with a man. For most of my life, it’s only been the two of us.
I hook a foot behind the door and kick it closed. The change in my balance is enough that I lose the battle with the lid on the diet drink. “Damn.” I fumble with the flimsy cup, but soda splashes on the bag, on my jeans, and over one shoe before splattering onto the floor. A perfect ending to an absolutely rotten day.
Dropping my laptop, purse, and the bag with my lunch and the receipts on the floor, I scramble through the house to the kitchen. I hoist the mess into the sink and manage to catch the bag on the metal dish rack. The damp paper splits apart, sending the hastily made drive-thru burger to the floor with a messy plop.
“Seriously!” Flipping on the light, I press my fingers to my eyes and take a moment to breathe. Bright amber eyes fill my mind. You do know how to say something other than no. I open my eyes. Argh. That man. I curl my toes, trying to stifle the urge to stomp my foot and end up having diet soda squish between my toes.
If I was in the city, I’d order dinner, but in a town the size of Nueces, Texas, not even Pizza Hut delivers. With the influx of people, going to the only grocery store in town means standing in line for an hour at best. I just haven’t been up to it.
I toe off my shoes and pad over to the pantry. The shelves confirm the limited options. I reach for a container of mac and cheese, which will have to be enough for now. Peeling back the plastic cover, I add water then pop it in the microwave while I clean up the mess.
Yanking on the roll of paper towels brings a string of the perforated rectangles. “For heaven’s sake.” Snatching up the pieces, I toss the burger in the wastebasket and clean up the condiments smeared across the worn linoleum.
Once the microwave beeps, I finish preparing the blue cup then open the fridge to find the last two bottles of hard apple cider. “At least something went right,” I mutter under my breath.
With my haul firmly gripped, I head back to the living room and set the bottles on the coffee table before plopping down on the love seat. I put a forkful of mac and cheese in my mouth then reach for the laptop, bringing it out of sleep mode.
Sitting with Addler was a test of my patience. Even though he took the chair across from me at the conference table, he was still too damn close. He chose to look over my head at the monitor behind me. Half the time, it felt like he was scrutinizing me instead of the numbers on the screen. I was lucky he let me choose where to start. I’m not sure how much he understands from the invoices or coding, but he asked enough questions to leave me concerned.
With him stopping to inspect the invoices, I’m not sure we’ll get through everything before Monday. At least it gives me time to come home and finish reviewing costs and correcting codes on the rest of the projects in the evenings. Hopefully, I can stay several projects ahead of him.
How these field guys come up with their categories is beyond me. Everything’s in a jumble, and the admin Bill fired didn’t bother to make corrections. I’m able to make changes, but there are some costs I don’t know how to handle. The description the vendor included doesn’t match my cheat sheet. Without actually knowing the work, I need Bill to review some of these before they can be finalized.
Bill. I don’t even know where to start with him. Will he be back? I pull my purse over to dig out my cell, checking to make sure I didn’t miss a call. I don’t want to bother him with this now. There’s no telling what he and Isabela are going through. I’ll see what else I can add to the list and call him in the morning, before Addler shows up.
Taking a drink from the bottle of hard apple cider, I settle in for a long night. Working on this little monitor is going to be brutal, but I’d chosen it over sitting with Addler in the conference room.
* * *
Elena
A loud bang jolts me from the fog of sleep. Bleary-eyed, I jerk around, checking my surroundings. It takes me a second to focus enough to figure out where I am. I’m in the living room, sprawled across the love seat, so I check the door.
“I’m sorry, mija,” Mom apologizes as she struggles with the door, her hands full of dishes. The jingle of tags tells me she brought her pup. “Come on, Daisy. Get in.” The wind whooshes through, tossing her hair around. “I’m glad you were able to take the day off. You’ve had such long days lately.”
Take the day off? The words register, sending a wave of dread through me, shaking me fully awake. “Oh damn.” With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I reach for my cell. Seven twenty-five. “No-no-no.” I should be at the office by now. Oh God, Addler.
“You overslept?” She unclips the leash on the curly haired Labradoodle, leaving her to explore every corner.
“Yes.” On the worst possible day it could happen. Daisy makes a beeline for me, trying her best to lick my face as I untangle myself from the laptop power cord. “Daisy, stop.”
“I’m sure Bill will understand,” she says, dismissing my concern. She’s right. If it were Bill I was working with this morning, this wouldn’t be quite so bad. Unfortunately, he’s not the one I’m supposed to meet. “Daisy, no. Let Elena get up.”
Although it’s a holiday weekend, the energy business runs twenty-four seven. Normally I could have worked from home since the office is technically closed, but Addler’s probably on his way to the office, if he’s not already there, waiting for me. Something I’d rather not discuss with Mom. “I need to go.” I manage to get on my feet then reach out to help her.
“I’ve got this,” she says, tightening her hold on the dishes. “Go get ready.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I head down the hall, pulling my blouse over my head. Rushing into the Post-it-sized bathroom we share, I reach into the shower and turn on the water so it’ll warm up the tiniest bit while I shed the rest of my clothes. Seconds later, I’m gritting my teeth as the chilly water hits me like a spray of needles. Well, it was worth a try.
The door opens. “Elena, the fridge is empty.” The disappointed accusation comes from behind the shower curtain.
“I know, Mom.” Why haven’t I learned to lock the door? I work shampoo into my hair as I figure out a way to keep from being chastised. I’ll get enough of that once I get to the office. “I haven’t had a chance to go shopping.”