Chapter 27
Haylee’s hands shook as she reached for the black handlebar on the door of the Holbrook Foundation.
She’d been a chickenshit when calling in that day and had just texted Cherish, saying she was too sick to come into work. She hadn’t used a sick day in the almost entire year she’d worked there, and she wasn’t exactly sick today either.
No, today she would have her conversation.
With Allegra Ilic.
The one person Cherish seemed to despise and think that Febe needed to hate as well, but Haylee just hadn’t seen it. Allegra and Febe worked decently well together from what she’d witnessed. Then again, maybe she wasn’t seeing everything. It wouldn’t be unlike Cherish or Febe to keep her at arm’s length about some things.
Her stomach was in knots.
She’d finally paid off the loan she still owed on her car and was working her way through a few of the credit cards. If she kept her job with Febe, then she’d be able to pay off the rest by next summer. But that would mean keeping her job, and lately, that had become untenable. Whatever had happened between her and Cherish had put everything off kilter.
She should have known better before she’d allowed anything to happen.
She should have kept her damn pants on.
Cringing, Haylee pushed that thought to the side as she navigated her way through the building to find the Holbrook Foundation’s office suites. She could do this. Passion. That’s what Cherish had told her. She needed to show that passion and tell Allegra exactly why this was so important to her.
“Um…I’m here to speak with Allegra Ilic?” God, she sounded pathetic. Haylee clenched her jaw hard. She needed to fake confidence if she was going to have any chance of landing this interview. Was it really an interview? That’s what she was calling it, because if everything went the way she wanted it to, then she wouldn’t be working with Febe any longer.
“Just a second,” the young man at the desk said. He futzed with his computer while Haylee tried to take deep breaths to steady herself. She needed this to work, because Allegra was the last option she had right now. But she wouldn’t ever give up on this. “She’s the third door on the left. Go right in.”
“All right.” Haylee swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Her knees were jelly as she walked down the long hallway and counted the doors.
Allegra’s had her name on it, the door was open slightly, and Allegra was sitting at her large desk. Fuck, she was gorgeous. Haylee could see why anyone would be attracted to her, which probably meant she was straight because that was Haylee’s luck. Knocking on the door lightly, Haylee pushed it open.
It was now or never.
“Ms. Ilic,” Haylee said into the room.
Allegra jerked her head up, her highlighted brown hair falling over her shoulder in long curls. She was the complete opposite of Febe. Warm, inviting, and free from whatever was holding her back. Haylee plastered a smile on her face.
“Ms. Coleman.” Allegra smiled and stood up, coming around her desk with her hand extended. “I’m glad you were able to find us.”
“It was no problem.” Haylee shook her hand, Allegra’s skin warm against hers. “I um…I had to call in sick today, and I know you meet with Ms. Aarts often about business. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention that.”
“Secret’s safe with me.” Allegra winked. “Come, sit down. Let’s have our chat.”
Right. That comment ramped Haylee’s nerves up again. Haylee sat, but she was on edge. She felt like she floated above her seat. Allegra didn’t seem like someone who would pussyfoot around either. They were going to dive straight into the heart of this meeting. When Allegra sat next to her instead of behind the desk, Haylee knew she was done for if she didn’t get her passion across this time.
“I was hoping to talk to you about an idea I had about veterans.” Again, Haylee cringed. Hoping to? She was there actually doing this, and she needed to get over herself fast. “I’ve found there’s a severe lack of help for those most affected by the work and the impact serving has on the lives of veterans. They have things through the VA, of course, but not all soldiers and their families are willing to go to the VA for assistance.”
“They want someone objective, who isn’t going to tell their superiors everything,” Allegra added, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap.
“Yes. Families need the freedom to be able to talk about issues without fearing consequences.”
“And what makes you think a veteran or their family or even active-duty military might utilize these resources?”
Haylee froze. “What I’m proposing is to reach the people on the fringes, those who need the most help.”
“There are a lot of resources out there for veterans, not just those associated with the military.”
“I know, but it’s more the friends and family that I feel need the specialized care. The ones the VA doesn’t cover. The ones no one thinks about.” Haylee wiped her sweaty palms along her thighs.
“Friends?” Allegra looked intrigued by that. Had Haylee said something right for once?
Nodding, Haylee dove into the speech she’d practiced. “When I was in high school, it was right at the start of the war in Iraq in 2003. My brother, Jackson, was a senior when I was a freshman, and we were all so scared about what would happen. If there would be a draft. If there wouldn’t be one.”
Allegra said nothing, but Haylee felt compassion and understanding flow off her in waves.
“I was stuck in that limbo for a very long time. My brother’s best friend, Tyler, enlisted as soon as he graduated.” Tears built up in Haylee’s eyes. This was why she never wanted to talk about Tyler. She hated crying. “He was like a second big brother to me. In elementary school, he’d watch out for me during recess every day.”
“Sounds like he was raised right.” Allegra reached toward her desk and snagged a tissue.
Haylee winced but accepted it, dabbing her face where the tears had started to spill already. She could never do this in front of Febe. Febe would run her over and stomp on her for good measure. “He was.”
Silence filled the space between them, but it was so comfortable. Haylee leaned into it and steadied herself before she went into the next part. This part was even harder.
“Tyler died two months into his deployment.” Her nose burned. Haylee tried her best to hold back the tears, to keep herself steady, but her throat grew thick with mucus, and it was getting harder to speak by the minute. “His family, his immediate family, had help. But the rest of us?” She shook her head. “We had nothing.”
“Ah, I think I understand.” Allegra smiled. “You want to work with those on the fringes of who’s affected. People who aren’t covered by the resources, who are missed. The cousins, the nieces and nephews, the friends and found family.”
“Yes.” Haylee smiled at Allegra’s use of found family. Maybe she wasn’t as straight as Haylee had originally thought. That or she was very familiar with the community.
“And you’ve brought this up with Febe, and she doesn’t have any interest in the project?”
“None.” Haylee wasn’t quite sure how true that was, but it was the stance she was taking for now. She was giving up on Febe and Wellbeing Works taking on her call to work with those on the fringes of the military.
Allegra paused, rubbing her hands together as she studied Haylee over. “I don’t have the resources to help you.”
Haylee’s entire body turned cold.
“I think it’s an excellent idea. I think you should talk to Febe about it again.” Allegra licked her lips, glancing toward the doorway and then her watch.
She really mustn’t want to be there. Haylee swallowed that lump that was back. “I understand.”
“We work with families on the edges here, and we have a lot of people in our care that could benefit from something like that. We have a lot of military in the area. Febe has a much wider range than we do.”
“Yeah, she does.” Haylee tensed, trying not to cross her arms and act like the disappointed selfish kid on Christmas.
“Why come here?”
“Because Febe doesn’t see the point.”
Allegra canted her head to the side. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’ve talked to her several times about this idea, and she’s shot it down each and every time. This is something I feel strongly about. People need help, and they need resources.” Haylee’s hands were still shaking.
Allegra glanced at her watch again and then stood up. “Let me think about it and see if I can offer any support and connections that might help you find a home for your idea. I think you’re right. This is something that’s needed.”
So that was it then.
Another rejection.
Haylee tried not to let her disappointment get the better of her. This rejection was easier to take than the ones Febe had given her. She could handle this. She’d spend the rest of the day throwing herself a pity party, and then tomorrow, she would walk into work like nothing had happened.
“Thank you for your time.” Haylee extended her hand again, and Allegra took it.
The handshake was quick, and Allegra moved to walk Haylee to the door. “I’ll give you a call when I can get some resources put together for you.”
“All right. Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
Haylee left Allegra’s office and walked back to the main entrance. Her heart was in her throat. Was Allegra pushing her out of there? She must really not be that interested. Shaking off the mood as best as she could for now, Haylee reached for the door handle and jerked back when it suddenly opened.
She froze.
Febe Aarts stood on the other side, her high cheeks a rosy red, her hair pinned up in a perfect bun, her vivid blue eyes wide, and her thin lips parted in surprise. Haylee cowered.
What the hell else was she supposed to do?
She was supposed to be sick.
She was supposed to be home and resting for the day.
Not talking to the enemy.
Wait. Enemy?
If Febe was here…
“What are you doing here?” Febe’s tone was sharp, and it snapped Haylee back to attention.
“I…uh…” Haylee couldn’t find a single word for the life of her. She was so fired for this. Not just calling in sick but for flat out lying to her boss. She was doomed.
“Answer me, Haylee.” Febe’s voice was louder by the second.
If they weren’t careful, Allegra would hear them. And whatever resources she might have would be out the window in a second flat.
“I had a scheduled meeting.”
“You what?” Febe narrowed her eyes, flicking them over Haylee’s shoulder and presumably toward Allegra’s office.
Haylee grimaced, and when she looked at the young man sitting at the front desk, she knew he was about to get the show of a lifetime. “I had a scheduled meeting.”
“For what exactly?”
“I don’t have to share that with you.”
“Like hell you don’t.” Febe spun on her toe and stalked down the hall.
Haylee raced to catch up, knowing exactly where they were both headed. Maybe this had been what Allegra was hoping to avoid. Febe didn’t even knock as she burst into the office, the entire feel of what it had been before—a comfortable place—was gone now.
“Are you trying to steal my employees?” Febe lobbed the accusation carelessly.
“No.” Allegra stood up, sending Haylee a pitying glance. She walked around her desk, as if to put herself between them. “I don’t have the budget to hire a new employee. You know that, considering we’re meeting today to discuss my current budget.” Another glance at Haylee told her that had been exactly why Allegra had pushed her out of the office so quickly. “And you’re conveniently thirteen minutes early.”
“What is she doing here then?” Febe threw her hand out to her side in Haylee’s direction, like that was going to explain everything they needed to know.
Allegra’s lips thinned, and she sat on the edge of her desk. Was that defeat or was it just understanding? “Haylee, I think you should answer that one.”
“I think that’s not a good idea.” Haylee cowered.
“I don’t think you have a choice.” Allegra looked at her directly.
Haylee choked. Febe slowly turned, anger still riding in her shoulders. Her entire body posture told Haylee that this wasn’t going to end well no matter what she did. So she might as well suck it up and explain it one more time.
“I came to talk to Ms. Ilic about helping those on the fringes of the military. You weren’t helpful, so I thought she might be able to help or at least point me in the right direction.”
“This again?” Febe droned.
“Yes. This again!” Haylee bit her tongue. She was practically yelling at her boss. But at this point, she knew she was as good as fired. The dream of paying off her credit cards was out the window. “Because it’s important! I’m not talking about those in the military or even their immediate families. I’m talking about the people who don’t have resources. The nieces and nephews, the adult siblings, the friends. They need specialized care when they’re struggling with someone being in the military or retiring from the military or hell, dying during duty.”
Febe pursed her lips.
“And I knew you wouldn’t listen, so why would I even try again? But I needed that help, Ms. Aarts. And no one was there for me. For three years, I was drowning because my brother’s best friend, my best friend, died—” Haylee’s voice cracked as a sob threatened to steal through her. She had to get a grip on herself. “No one deserves to go through that. With the resources you have, we can reach those people who are slipping through the cracks. But since you wouldn’t help, I turned to Ms. Ilic who is also reaching some of these individuals. Maybe she’ll help them, unlike you.”
The silence was so loud.
Haylee’s ears rushed with a nonexistent wind, and she could barely hear her own ragged breathing over it. What the hell was she doing? She wouldn’t even be able to get a good recommendation for the next job she knew she’d need.
Febe stepped closer to Haylee, looking deep into her eyes.
Haylee trembled.
Raising an eyebrow, Febe shook her head slowly before her lips twitched and threatened to pull into a smile. “Now that’s the passion I was looking for.”