“Should be.”
“No wishy-washy, hear me?”
“Wednesday. I’ll know by Wednesday,” I assure.
“Cool. If it’s a-go, let me know and you’ll have more details ASAP. If it isn’t, you send me the kill fee. But A, you should not park your hiney there for more than another few months. Max. You hear?”
It feels like I’ve been slapped.
“I hear you.”
Why is she this angry with me?
“And Wade’s hourly rate just doubled, by the way,” she adds.
Wade doesn’t even charge me. Does this mean I have no access to him or that he’s going to start charging me? I have no idea.
“Wade doesn’t charge me, though.”
“Double times nothing is nothing.”
What does that mean? Does that mean I shouldn’t call Wade anymore?
“Tori…”
“Names!” she corrects angrily. “Fuck sakes. Please tell me your head is on straight.”
I gulp. We can’t use names on the phone. I forgot.
“Sorry,” I mutter.
“Right,” she grumbles. “Well, get it straight. Immediately. I have to go. Wednesday.”
“Okay.”
I hang up feeling worse. Because I sort of kind of thought we were friends. But it’s all about the money, obviously. And the risk, of course – which I do get. And now I don’t know if she wants me to back off calling her brother or what that means, but it feels like my little circle has gotten littler and if I go to Japan, I’ll have absolutely nobody.
***
I get a text at noon.
Carly: Lunch?
Me: Can’t today. Slammed with work.
Carly: Why are you working in the conference room?
Me: I’m behind and need to focus. Catch you later.
Carly: You’re mad at me.
Me: Not mad at you. Just busy. TTYL.
***
At four o’clock I get another text.
Jude: We need to talk. Tonight, Vixen.
I feel like I need to throw up at the notion he might’ve figured out who I am.
I think I do need to go to Japan.
***
Five o’clock, another text.
Carly: We’re heading out. You coming?
Me: I’ll grab a ride later. Gonna finish this project.
Carly: Ok. Wanna do something tomorrow?
Me: Sure. I’ll call you tomorrow after the animal shelter.
Tomorrow is Saturday and I don’t know if I can do something with Carly based on the way I’m feeling, but if I give her a ‘sure’ for now, it’ll probably calm her down.
I hear the buzz of people leaving and decide to keep working.
My phone rings.
W.
It’s Wade calling. He almost always emails instead of calls, so this strikes me as strange.
There’s also a knock at the door. Shit.
“Hey. I’ll call you back,” I answer. “Two minutes.”
“Okay, sure,” Wade replies.
I hang up.
“Yeah?” I call out.
The door opens and it’s Rosie, the office cleaner poking her head in.
“Sorry, Ally. It’s after five thirty and I thought the room was empty and someone just forgot to leave the door open. I have plans so was hoping to get this done.”
“Oops, I’ll get out of your hair,” I say.
I gather my stuff and head to my cubicle to put it down.
What is Wade calling about?
My boss, George, is still in his office so I decide to hit the supply closet to return Wade’s call from there since it’s pretty much soundproof.
I stick the key in the door and turn the knob.
When I get it open, I gasp. But I’m not the only one gasping.
Mr. C, Quentin Carmichael, the owner of the company is slumping forward over someone. It takes a second to untangle this in my brain. When I do, I realize it’s Alice, his assistant and they’re… they’re doing it doggie style over a stack of boxes of printer paper!
“Quentin! Ally, call an ambulance!” Alice calls out as Mr. Carmichael falls forward to the floor, clutching his chest and his freaking suit pants and boxers which were around his hips droop to his ankles. Alice looks completely freaked, her curly hair is a mess, her lipstick is smeared, and her blouse is undone so I can see her bra.
“Oh my God!” I’ve got my phone in my hand, so I immediately touch 9-1-1.
Mr. C rolls over onto his back, groaning and I shield my eyes too late. I’m gonna go blind. I saw Aiden’s father’s junk.
The voice in my phone asks what my emergency is.
“Hi. Um… what’s… what’s?” My back is to Mr. C.
“I think he’s having a heart attack!” Alice calls out, squatting and talking to him. “Quentin. Q. Cough. Cough hard if you can. I’ve got some aspirin in my desk, Ally. Run fast and get it. Top drawer. Here, pass me the phone.” I hand my phone to her and dash off to fetch the aspirin.
***
It’s after eight o’clock when I call Wade from the back of a cab on the way home.
“Sorry to leave you hanging,” I say, ”The big boss at my job just had a heart attack while fucking his secretary in the supply closet and I walked in on it and had to call 9-1-1 and wait for the ambulance. I then had to phone my best friend who is his daughter-in-law so they can meet him at the hospital. I’m on my way home finally.”