10. Eden
TEN
eden
Me: Hey, how are things at the office?
Katie: Eden! Are you okay? I started to worry when I hadn’t heard from you.
Me: Well, I’m looking at sideways rain and the thunder is make the windows rattle.
Me: I’m fine given the circumstances.
Katie: Did you make it back to Jacksonville?
Me: No. I’m stuck on the island. They closed the bridge to the mainland before I could get back.
Katie: Oh shit. Were you able to find a room on the island?
Me: Not exactly.
Katie:…
Katie: So where did you stay?
Me: Chase’s house.
Katie: *gif of blonde girl looking confused*
Katie: Excuse me? Did I read that right?
Me: If you read “Chase’s house,” then yes. You read it right.
Katie: Please tell me you have your own bedroom. Far away from him.
Me: Well…sort of…
Katie: I don’t know if there’s enough money in petty cash to bail you out of jail for killing him.
Katie: Of course, if you use that rat poison I told you about, it’s undetectable.
Katie: No body, no crime.
Me: *eyeroll emoji*
Me: You and your crime shows.
Katie: Wait, rewind. What does sort of mean?
Me: It means I have a bedroom, but it’s his. The other bedrooms don’t have any furniture or anything.
Katie: *gif of woman blinking in disbelief*
Katie: Are you okay?
Me: No, I’m freaking the fuck out.
Me: It’s a beautiful room. Would be a nice view of the ocean if it weren’t for a hurricane.
Katie: Why do I feel like the hurricane is not your problem?
Me: I’m stuck here and everywhere I look in this room, I see him. I smell him.
Me: And let me be clear, he doesn’t stink.
Katie: Eden…
Me: It’s fine, Katie. I just need to freak out for a few minutes and get some sleep.
Katie: If you say so. How’s it going? Did he agree to be the speaker?
Me: He’s thinking about it.
Katie: So he said no?
Me: Anyway, I don’t know how long I’m going to be stuck here.
Me: For the moment, we still have power, and Chase says he has a generator. I’ll still be able to work.
Me: Tell me how things are going in the office.
Katie: We’re all good here. I haven’t heard about any hiccups except for when we ran out of Cheetos in the vending machine.
Me: Let me guess, David?
Katie: Yep.
Me: It’s a wonder he isn’t orange.
Katie: *gif of girl laughing and spitting out water*
Katie: What do you need me to do here?
Me: There’s nothing pressing outside of this mess I’m dealing with.
Me: Can you send me the corporate Christmas party file? I need to work on that proposal.
Katie: Consider it done.
Me: Don’t worry, I got this covered here. Just hold down the fort there, okay?
Me: I love you forever and when I get home, I’ll take you shopping at Bergdorf’s.
Katie: I never turn down a trip to Bergdorf’s.
Me: This I know well. *smiley face emoji*
Me: Thanks for helping me out. Call or text me if you need anything.
Katie: Will do.
Katie: Hey Eden?
Me: Yeah?
Katie: Be careful, okay?
Me: I’m perfectly safe. I’m telling you, this house is a fort.
Katie: I’m not talking about the storm. We both know this.
Katie: I was there the last time you came back from being around Chase.
Katie: You were devastated. Hell, you both were.
Me: He’d just lost his wife. Of course he was.
Katie: I talked to him, Eden. It wasn’t about his wife.
Me: I’m fine. Promise. Thanks for looking out for me, though.
Katie: Okay, boss.
Me: Talk soon.