Chapter 52
Chapter Fifty-Two
Cassius
Two weeks go by and I don’t feel any better than I did when I first started. The job is fine. My co-workers are nice. It’s good to do something during the day and earn a paycheck—in a normal way.
But my heart… it’s still broken, and it still hurts.
Showing up at this office every day isn’t easy.
Harmon said he wasn’t going to be here, and I don’t think he has.
But that doesn’t stop me from thinking it’s him every time someone knocks on my door or my phone rings.
I expect to run into him which is giving me false hope.
As far as I know, he hasn’t been here. I haven’t seen him or heard a single person speak his name. And maybe I found his extension in the directory and called his office… with no answer.
Am I crazy? Maybe. Oh well.
Cammy’s mood hasn’t been any better, though she does say she loves her job. Overall, everyone at home is stressed out and pretending not to be. We miss him, but no one wants to talk about it. So, we just keep going on with our lives as best we can because this is what we do. We move forward.
I get lunch from the cafeteria every day and hide out in the corner by myself to eat and play games on my phone.
Not many workers come in to eat here, most grab things and go back to their desks, so I’m left alone—which isn’t always a good thing.
I’ve made a ridiculous amount of social media accounts, which would be a normal thing since everyone has them, only I didn’t do it for me.
I did it to search for Harmon. Turns out not everyone has social media—he doesn’t.
The only thing I found was a professional profile for him and then the Timeworks website.
Both made me extremely sad because I realized I don’t have any photos of him, but… maybe that’s for the best.
Every day I take my lunchbreak in here, to get away from my desk and computer for a bit. Not that my job is difficult, but setting aside time for a break, away from work helps me get through the day.
I toss my trash on the way out and from the corner of my eye catch the rows of iced tea in the cooler.
The one I loved so much but can no longer drink because it makes me nauseous.
I almost want to order a different brand or accidentally run out and forget to order it again.
But it’s popular with the staff, and I’m sure someone would complain.
Imagine that being the concern going up to Harmon?
Your new glorified stock boy isn’t ordering the good iced tea.
He wouldn’t even say anything about it. He’d know why.
I walk toward the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
It takes too long to go all the way downstairs for a walk, so I choose to take the stairs before and after my break.
It’s only a flight down, but it’s better than doing nothing—I’m not active and maybe out of shape. I’ve considered joining a gym.
The door opens, and I step onto the concrete landing. A voice catches my attention. Someone upset. No, angry. I catch the door before it slams shut, letting it fall closed until it’s pinching my fingers and listen to what’s being yelled about.
I don’t have much going on in my life right now. A little gossip will make me feel better. Sue me.
The voice is hushed but loud enough I can make out most of what’s being said.
“No! I did my part now you need to do yours, David. I don’t care what the lawyer says. I took way more risks than you did. He could have me killed!”
I jerk my head back. Killed? What the hell?
My heart races faster, and I wonder if maybe I shouldn’t be listening to this.
It sounds dangerous. There are a lot of businesses in this building, and I couldn’t name ten of them.
Who knows what they’re involved in? But if it’s something illegal, Harmon should know. He doesn’t need that sort of trouble.
“It’s done,” the man growls. “He still works here, but that’s not the problem. No, he hasn’t been here at all.”
This all sounds… odd. But I keep listening.
“My threats are only going to hold up if you do what you need to do. Telling him I could ruin his image because he’s gay isn’t very fucking solid, David,” the man grounds out.
I gasp, my hand coming up to cover my mouth. This is… this can’t be…
The stairwell goes quiet until he whispers, “I have to call you back.”
Fuck! I shove the door open and slip through, letting it fall behind me. I race down the hall and slam right into a brick wall… named Frankie.
“Shit, sorry!”
“Hey, it’s okay. Are you—”
I pull open the nearest door and go inside.
“Don’t let anyone in here,” I say quickly, then shut the door.
My heart is pounding. I’m going to pass out. I hold my hand over my mouth and breathe out of my nose, pushing away the nausea. Frankie won’t do as I ask. He doesn’t even know me—why would he? But I hope he does, because if not… if this is all related? I don’t know what to think.
What I do know is that the man in the stairwell talking on the phone was Oliver. I’m sure of it. I’d heard him talk enough. Plus, the mention of blackmail and outing someone for being gay? Murder?! Harmon wouldn’t have someone killed, but he could. He certainly has the means.
Maybe I’m looking too much into this, but better safe than sorry.
The problem is, if that was Oliver… he’s got to be a top guy around here. Personal assistant to Harmon Stone? Frankie won’t lie to him for me. Shit. What was I thinking?
“Did someone just come in here?” I hear from the other side.
I hold my breath, afraid he’ll hear me.
Please don’t give me away. Please don’t give me away.
“Yeah, some guy I’ve never seen before ran through, actually. I was about to call security.”
Fuck, Frankie, I love you.
“Which way?”
“Round the corner. Probably looking for the elevator.”
A pause and then, “You’re sure you’ve never seen them before.”
“That’s what I said.”
It goes quiet again, and then the door is pulled open. The lights flick on and Frankie steps inside, closing the door behind him.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?” he asks, giving me a stern look.
“Not really, no.”
He raises a brow.
“Look,” I say, licking my lips. “No offense, but I don’t know you all that well. Meaning, I can’t trust you with this.”
“Is he harassing you or something?”
“What? No. Nothing like that.”
“Are you sure? Because he’s weird.”
“No, shit,” I mutter, then pinch the bridge of my nose. “It’s fine. Really. Nothing like that, I swear. Thanks for covering for me.”
He grunts. I open the door and slip out, going down the hall and back into the cafeteria to grab a cold bottle of water, and then I make my way to the elevator to get to my floor.
Oliver is waiting in the elevator bay when I get there.
“Oh, hi. Oliver, right?” I say with a smile.
It’s difficult to put on a fake smile when I know what I know. At least, what I think I know. I should pry the doors open and shove him down the shaft. Harmon would cover it up for me, I’m certain of it.
I’m also certain that Harmon didn’t break up with me because of me, even though that’s what I’ve been thinking for the last three weeks. He broke up with me because this little prick had something to do with it.
“Cassius,” he sneers.
That’s all I get. Nothing more. Whatever.
We get into the cart together, and I get off on my floor while he keeps going down.
I hurry into my office, shutting the door behind me, and ring my sister’s desk. I’ve never used her office phone before. I text her constantly, and if she doesn’t answer, I let it be. She doesn’t want to talk to me. But this is important.
“Camarra Carr, how can I help you?”
“Cammy, it’s me. Don’t hang up.”
“What?” she hisses into the phone.
“This is important. It’s not a joke and it can’t wait. Please tell me you have five minutes to spare.”
She groans. “What is this about, Cassius?”
“I’m coming to your office,” I say, then end the call.
I take my bottle of water with me and leave my office, trying to act casual, but I think I’m going to throw up my thundering heart.
Cammy’s office is on the floor below, so I go down to her office. I’ve only been here once before, when I demanded to walk with her when she wouldn’t talk to me.
Her door is closed, so I knock, shifting on my feet because I can’t stay still. This information is eating me alive. I don’t know if I’m right or wrong, which is why I need to get it out. I need to talk to Cammy about it and see if I’m crazy.
She pulls the door open, looking less than pleased. I step inside.
“Close it,” I say, ringing my hands together.
“Thank you, Cassius, for telling me what to do in my office.”
Her office is classy with watch samples laid here and there, along with different busts and cloth materials in different colors and textures.
She plays around with them to decide the best way for the watches to be shown in stores.
And she’s damn good at it, too. They’ve already started using her ideas.
“What’s going on, Cass?” she says, crossing her arms.
“Look, I know you’re upset with me—”
“I’m not upset with you.”
“Well, I know you’re upset,” I say quickly. “But you need to put all that aside and listen to me, okay? Something is wrong.”
“With?” she asks, losing her patience.
“Okay,” I say, pacing back and forth to think over how to go about this.
“Okay, yeah. This is what I’m going to do.
” I stop to look at her. She looks so pretty today—though, she is beautiful every day.
But I really love it when her hair is pulled back in a sleek ponytail like it is today.
She looks sophisticated. I continue before she gets angry with me again.
“I’m going to tell you exactly what I heard, and I want you to tell me what you think, this way I’m not putting any ideas in your head. ”
“Your five minutes are dwindling, Cassius.”
“Cammy, please,” I say firmly.
She groans, throwing her arms up. “Fine.” She goes to sit behind her desk. “What office gossip did you hear?”
“After lunch, I was going to take the stairs back to my office, like I always do. I opened the door and heard someone who sounded mad. So, of course, I listened, because office gossip—obviously. But what I heard…” I shake my head.
“Fuck, okay. They said something about doing their part. Now you have to do yours. What I did was riskier. He could have me killed.” I emphasize that part.
“Then he said, and really listen to what I’m about to say, Cammy.
He said ‘He still works here, but that’s not the problem.
He hasn’t been around.’ And then something about ruining an image because they’re gay.
I started to get fuzzy at that point because of the adrenaline, but I got the idea. ”
I stare at Cammy waiting for her reaction.
I don’t get one.
“Okay, and?”
“And? And? Doesn’t this sound familiar to you?”
She blinks, sighing. “Cassius, maybe you should go home.”
“How do you not see it?”
“Cassius, all I see is this work I have to do in front of me and you bothering me with crazy shit.”
“Cammy, he was talking about Harmon,” I growl, placing my hands on her desk and leaning in.
“Cass—”
“No,” I grit out. “Something isn’t right here. I knew it the whole time. Harmon wouldn’t do—he just wouldn’t do what he did for no reason. He wouldn’t.”
The anger falls off her face and in comes the sympathy.
“Maybe working here isn’t good for you.”
“Don’t say that,” I snap. “I am fine. And I’m going to prove it.”
I storm out of her office and go back to mine, where I sit for the rest of the day and can’t focus on a single thing. I know what I need to do, and I am going to do it.
I’m going to pay Harmon another visit.