Chapter Fifteen
FIFTEEN
Micah
I blink at my laptop screen, struggling to focus through a splitting headache.
I close my eyes and press my fingertips to my temples and gently massage, but it doesn’t do much to ease the dull pain in my skull.
It’s been three days of battling this on-and-off headache, and I have no idea what brought it on.
I press the back of my hand to my forehead, wondering if I’m running a temperature, but my skin doesn’t feel hot.
Leaning back in the chair in my workspace, I let out a sigh.
I think back to my routine over the past few days. Nothing’s changed. I wake up and start my day with a cup of coffee and water, then I hop onto the exercise bike in Jordan’s workout room, eat breakfast, get dressed, and head to work. And that’s usually when my headache kicks in. It doesn’t matter how much coffee I drink or how many breaks I take, it doesn’t go away until I come back home and have an evening cup of black tea. Then it’s gone. And then it starts all over again in the morning.
I glance around the tiny, dingy space that I’ve been working in over the past two weeks, ever since I started working at East Nashville College. I let out a heavy sigh. Maybe that’s the culprit. Maybe I’m so stressed from this job—from all the arguing with Aidan—that it’s finally taking a toll on my body.
Not a whole lot I can do to fix that though. I’m stuck here, dealing with Aidan, for the next month.
My shoulders slump as I let out a heavy sigh. I just need to power through this…even though the timing couldn’t be worse.
This afternoon I’m giving my presentation to the English department about my findings so far. My back tenses as I picture all the glares that await me.
I take another swig of coffee and force away my nerves. I just need to get through this presentation—then I can go home and decompress.
Head throbbing, I skim through the rest of my slides. But after a minute of staring at my laptop screen, my eyes start to cross. I press my eyes shut. This isn’t helping. I’ve been over this enough times; I’m sure it’s all good to go.
I set a timer on my phone for fifteen minutes so I can take a quick nap, then rest my head on my desk.
* * *
My phone blares, jolting me awake. My eyelids are so heavy that it takes a few seconds for me to fully open my eyes. I turn off the alarm and check the time on my phone screen, surprised at how quickly fifteen minutes passed. It felt like seconds.
I grab my things and head for the conference room. It’s empty when I get there, which I’m grateful for. I wanted to be early so I could set up and take a few minutes for myself.
I hook up my laptop to the projector, then set out the packets I put together on the tables for everyone to read through and follow along during my presentation.
Once I finish, my head is throbbing. I take a drink of water before downing the rest of my coffee. Maybe I need to stop drinking so much coffee. Maybe my body is finally putting up a fight against all that caffeine I’ve been shoving into it all these years.
People start filtering into the room. I stand awkwardly at the front, trying to keep my expression neutral. I’m sure they don’t want a fake smile from the auditor who could possibly put them out of a job.
I’m not even sure I have the energy to move my face muscles, honestly. This headache is zapping up the last of my stamina.
Minutes later, Dr. Wauncho comes in and walks up to me.
“I’m very much looking forward to your presentation,” he says.
“Thank you. I’m eager to share my findings with everyone.”
His eyebrows wrinkle slightly, his expression concerned. “Are you all right? You look a bit tired.”
This headache is really doing me in. I glance off to the side and catch my reflection in the nearby window. My skin looks ruddy and some pretty sizable bags have set up camp under my eyes. I take in the million flyaways that have escaped from my ponytail.
Wow. I look wrecked.
I smooth a chunk of loose hair behind my ear. “I’m fine.”
“I’d hate to think we’re running you ragged.” Dr. Wauncho chuckles, right as Aidan walks in. “I know this department can be a handful at times.”
Aidan looks over at me. The corner of his mouth hooks up in an amused smile before he turns away and sits down at one of the tables.
Why does he so look so happy?
Maybe he’s thrilled to see me look so run-down and haggard.
I straighten up, despite how I feel. Maybe I look like crap, but I’m not going to let that affect the way I do my job.
I force a smile. “Everything is great. I appreciate you checking in.”
Once he takes his seat, I get started. “Thank you all for coming this afternoon. I know my presence has been quite an adjustment, but I’m hoping that after I share my progress report with you all today, you’ll find it helpful.”
I tap the keyboard of my laptop and pull up the first slide. “As you can see on this first chart, I compiled all the data regarding enrollment in the department, attendance, and retention rate at the start of last semester, and then…”
I trail off when Kendall raises her hand. “Yes?”
“The numbers on the screen don’t match with the numbers on the packet I have,” she says.
I frown. “What?”
She walks up to me and shows me her paper. She’s right.
“Oh…” My head throbs. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how I missed that.”
Kendall stands there and looks at me, the expression on her face expectant.
“Um, just disregard that page in the handout,” I say after a second. “I’ll email an updated copy to you all later.”
She sits back down and I continue, until Dr. Wauncho speaks up.
“I apologize for interrupting you, Ms. Mila, but this looks like an entirely different infographic,” he says.
I walk over to where he’s sitting at the front row. I have to stare at his handout for what feels like a full minute before I make sense of the text and numbers on the page.
He’s right. That’s the wrong graphic. How did I mess that up too?
“Crap…” I press a fist to the side of my head in attempt to relive the pressure building in my skull. I look up. “Do all of you have the wrong graphic?”
Half of the room nods. A handful say they have the correct one in their packet.
My brain feels like it’s trapped in a fog. Why can’t I seem to think straight?
A sea of unhappy and confused frowns looks back at me.
It’s bad enough that everyone in this room hates me. But now I also look like an incompetent jackass in front of them.
My pulse rockets. Sweat breaks out the back of my neck.
With a packet in hand, I hurry back to the front and hunch down at my laptop, my heart racing and my anxiety amping up.
“I’m so sorry, everyone,” I say quickly as I look between the printout and my laptop. “I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather and I thought I double-checked everything, but I guess I must have missed a few things…”
Murmurs echo throughout the room. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I’d bet anything they’re talking about what a disaster I am.
The door to the conference room opens. Jason walks in with a Starbucks cup in hand. He mumbles an apology for being late as he walks by me to go sit in the free chair next to Aidan.
“What did I miss?” Jason whispers.
“Just the beginnings of an utter shit show,” Aidan says softly. The people around him chuckle.
A wave of shames bubbles up inside of me. I know I’m a mess right now, but does he really have to rub it in like that? Such a jerk.
“I had to sneak out and get my caffeine fix,” I hear Jason say to Aidan. “Hopefully Food and Beverage Service will restock the caffeinated coffee soon.”
My head pops up. “Restock the caffeinated coffee?” I say to Jason.
He aims a wide-eyed gaze at me. “Yeah. It’s been rough going without proper coffee in the break room for the past few days.”
I look at him as my brain struggles to put the pieces together. “Wait, the coffee in the break room is decaf?”
“Yeah…” The drawn-out way he says it implies that I should know this. “Didn’t you see the email?”
“No, I didn’t see the email,” I snap. “I’m not a staff member, so I’m not on the email list. I never got it.”
“Oh.” Jason blinks. “I guess I figured someone would have told you.”
“Professor Scott told me that he’d tell you,” Dr. Wauncho says as he looks between us, clearly confused.
Aidan aims a pointed stare at me. The corner of his mouth quirks up before he pulls his lips into his mouth, clearly trying to stop himself from laughing. “I must have forgotten. Oops.”
Muffled laughter echoes in the room. Dr. Wauncho aims a disapproving stare at Aidan, but it doesn’t faze him. He just sits there, smug satisfaction written all over his face.
That’s why I’ve felt off this week. That’s why I’ve had a splitting headache every day I’ve been here—my caffeine-addicted body has been running on decaf this whole time.
Aidan planned for this to happen.
That bastard.
I take a breath before addressing the room. “I’m so sorry, but I’m going to have to reschedule.”
Everyone gets up to leave, not one bit disappointed about ending this meeting early.
As Aidan walks by, I stop him.
“I’d like to speak to you.” I try to keep my voice low since there are people all around us, but the bite in my tone is crystal clear. I mean fucking business.
And everyone seems to know that, judging by how quickly they scurry out of the room.
When Aidan turns to shut the door after the last person leaves, I catch the tail end of an eye roll.
I walk up to Aidan right as he spins around. He falls back into the door, his brow hitting his hairline.
Clearly he wasn’t expecting me to corner him, but I don’t care.
This guy has blasted through my last nerve. I’m fucking done.