Chapter 6
ARI
Walking quicker than I can keep up with, Janice, the human resources manager, reels off names of staff, departments, and locations of things I should be taking note of but can’t.
While I might be in the building I’ve wanted to be inside of for as long as I can remember, I’m also internally having a meltdown.
Now that I’m here at the beginning of a fresh new week, I don’t feel as confident after I decided to forget all about what happened on Friday night and spent the weekend cleaning my apartment, grocery shopping, and binge-watching every episode of Yellowstone …
for the third time. Then I made another decision. I’m here for a week.
In and out. Mission accomplished.
“And the executive team is on the top floor?” I interject, derailing Janice’s induction as I take double the number of steps to her one.
Flaring her nostrils, she shakes her head dismissively and replies, “Yes. I already said that. Now pay attention, Ari.”
“I was, I promise, I was just clarifying.” The last thing I want is to upset Janice. With over a decade of experience at the company, she’s deeply familiar with everyone and everything about the office. Building a good rapport with her could prove invaluable, even if it is for only a week.
As I’ll be working in the basement in the records room, I’m relieved to discover that I will not be seen by any of the partners or executive team. There are more than ten floors separating us, which is what I was hoping for. Whew, what a relief.
If I have to come in earlier than everyone else to avoid bumping into anyone, then I will. If I have to take the stairs for a week, I will. Eat my lunch at my desk? I’ll do that too.
In fact, this week, my middle name will be Avoidance. Arianna “Avoidance” Donovan.
Perfect.
“Janice.” A frantic-sounding disheveled girl appears looking like she’s already been through the wringer and it’s not even nine o’clock in the morning.
“She’s not coming back.” She clutches a laptop firmly to her chest and her knuckles that are wrapped around the edges of the laptop turn white before she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear that’s escaped from what I think was once an immaculate-looking bun. “She just called in.”
Janice purses her lips before saying, “That man is going to be the death of me. Where is Evelyn?” She shoots her first question at the slip of a girl.
“Vacation.”
Janice fires another name out of her mouth. “Jodie?”
“In meetings all day.”
Like a tennis match, my eyes ping-pong back and forth between them.
“Jessica?”
“Also on vacation. And everyone else is either in meetings, busy, or unavailable today.”
Janice places her hands on her hips and arches her neck back. Eyeing the ceiling, she lets out a long-exaggerated sigh. “Do I have to do everything around here?” Dropping her head, she pins me with her takes no shit glare. “You can take minutes.”
“Yes,” I reply, unsure of what is going on.
“It wasn’t a question. Follow me.” Janice spins on the balls of her feet and hastily moves between the sea of desks. “Samantha, pull up the forms.”
“Yes, Janice.” The girl I now know as Samantha follows behind us as her fingers move fast across her screen. “Here.” She holds the laptop in front of me. “Sign the space that says signature with your fingertip. It’s a touchscreen laptop.”
“What am I signing?” I ask, confused, because I can’t see the document heading.
“An employee confidentiality agreement,” Janice replies coolly.
Of course, I expected I’d have to sign something like this. It complicates my larger plan, but if I want to avoid drawing attention to myself, I’ll comply.
Using the pad of my pointer finger, I sign my name and hand the laptop back to Samantha.
“This way.” Janice marches past the elevators to another elevator hidden around the corner.
She taps a keycard against the wall, the doors slide open, and she hands me the keycard then whips Samantha’s laptop out of her hands and thrusts it into mine.
“You’ll need this. It has all the software you are familiar with on it. ”
“Where am I going?” I step inside the elevator, feeling bamboozled.
“Top floor. You’ll take the minutes for the meeting as no one else is available for today.”
Holding the door open to stop it from closing me in, I exclaim, “What? No.” Sweat beads across my top lip. “You hired me to be a records clerk.” I applied for that job for a reason.
“Which is ridiculous given that you were a legal secretary before this position and have an impressive résumé, Ari.” Face stern, Janice doesn’t back down.
“The meeting requires you to take down the exact wording of all resolutions, decisions reached, and outcomes of motions or proposals. I’ll call Joseph, our top-floor receptionist, to tell him you are on your way up. Congratulations on your promotion.”
Promotion?
No!
This can’t be happening.
My heart drums faster than a heavy metal band against my ribcage.
Unconsciously, I throw my hand up in the air, removing it from where they were keeping the door open, causing it to begin closing.
“I can’t do this.” My voice rises a few octaves as I step forward but I’m too late and the doors slam shut, sealing me inside.
“Welcome to the company, Ari.” Janice’s voice fades behind the doors, muffled as it penetrates through the thick barrier.
“Shit.” I run my hand through my hair.
This wasn’t what I had in mind.
I hold my hand over my thumping chest as panic like I’ve never felt before threatens to strangle me.
If I have a heart attack right now, it wouldn’t be a bad thing; at least this way I could die in an elevator without ever having to come face-to-face again with the son of the man who ruined my life, or the man I had earth-shattering sex with. It was amazing. Unforgettable.
My strategy started going off the rails on Friday, and my carriage is careering down the track and I’m losing control.
Nothing is going according to plan.
I miscalculated all the what-ifs.