Chapter 26
CHAPTER 26
C orinne. Wednesday afternoon
Sometime after lunch, I got a visitor at my cubicle. My visitor waited for me to finish the online chat I was having, which was actually almost finished. I thanked the customer for getting in touch and, following my training, asked him if there might be anything else I could help him with. He said no, he was good, and he thanked me and closed the chat. Wrapping that up, I put my desk computer into Sleep mode and swiveled my chair around to face Barbara.
“Why don’t you take a few minutes?” she suggested. “No one will mind if you talk to the boss’s secretary for a moment.” She pointed to the common area and I followed her there.
As soon as we were seated, she quietly got right to the point. “You and Elijah,” she said flatly.
My breath and my limbs both froze, and I could pretty well guess what color or colors my face was turning. I said in a hush, “You know? ”
“Basically, yes,” she said.
“Oh my God,” I reacted nervously. “I heard about the police and the arrest at his building being in the news, but I was upstairs during all that. And, it was over the weekend, so it wasn’t like anyone from the office could have seen us…” In spite of my babbling, I couldn’t shake the sudden dread I was feeling. “No one actually knows that we met over the weekend, do they?”
“I’m sure people saw the two of you together other times,” she replied, “but I don’t think anyone at work but me knows how far it went. I sure haven’t brought it up, except with Elijah.”
Exhaling heavily, I said, “Thank goodness for that at least.” In spite of Barbara’s assurances, I couldn’t help stealing a glance around the call center to make sure everyone else’s attention was only on work and not on us.
And then, Barbara asked, “Can I help you at all?”
Her kindness touched me. It reminded me of the kindness that I would have gotten from Daddy if I’d confided in him, which was still making me feel guilty. For heaven’s sake, I should trust my own father as much as I trusted the lady upstairs at work.
I said, “He hasn’t reached out to me at all since…then. No texts, no phone calls, no emails, nothing. It’s like he’s broken it off clean. I guess I shouldn’t expect anything but silence from him after that, but…it feels strange.”
“Has he told you anything about his relationship with his family, especially his father?”
“No,” I said.
“Well,” she went on, “not to be disrespectful of the boss’s father or the boss’s family, but old man Bennett… Let me just say he’s kind of a piece of work. You’d think he’d express some pride in what his own son has accomplished, but that man is the sternest, most unforgiving, most judging…” She stopped herself and took a breath.
“Elijah’s father never misses an opportunity to rub his face in the way he used to be. He never gives Elijah a break. I’m sorry to speak that way of him, but that’s just the way he is. And, I think it eats Elijah up inside.”
“I had no idea,” I said. But, hearing how awful Elijah’s relationship with his father was only reminded me of how good a relationship I had with my own father. I confessed, “I think I’m going to give notice here and move back home to Youngstown.”
Barbara looked sad at that, and again I was touched by her honest concern for me. “If you do, I’ll be very, very sorry to see you go, because people here like you — especially me — and I think you could have a real future here, even without…” She tilted her head at the ceiling, indicating the office upstairs. “But, will you do just one thing for me?”
“Yes, of course,” I replied. “What?”
“Please, wait long enough to talk to Elijah again, okay? If this is your final decision, all right. But, don’t do anything until the two of you have at least tried to clear the air. Is that fair?”
I nodded and smiled a little bit. “That’s fair.”
“Okay,” said Barbara. We both got back up and I felt at least a little bit better. “I’ll let you get back to work now.”
She went back upstairs and I went back to my cubicle, taking her advice back with me.
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That evening, I lay propped up on one arm of the couch where Elijah had introduced me to the greatest ecstasy I’d ever had in my life. In my lap was my computer, and on my browser were the job listings for Youngstown. I would keep my word to Barbara, but I needed to plan ahead.
While combing through the listings, I was sending the more interesting ones to Leanna on my Facebook Messenger, apprising her about my idea of moving back home. A message came through from her: Are you really, really sure you want to move back? Or, would you rather I moved there? If you feel you need your sister nearer for moral support, just say so.
I laughed and messaged back, You moving here isn’t actually a bad idea. There’s this neighborhood gym, the guy who runs it is super nice. His name is Ben; he’s also a neighbor of mine. You’d like him.
Leanna responded, You had me at gym.
He and Elijah are BFFs, I typed back. Elijah works out there all the time. I’ll never be that kind of gym rat. I can’t believe it never occurred to me to introduce you to Ben until now. The thing with Elijah has been occupying most of my thoughts.
Send me a picture before you log off, Leanna typed back.
I went to another tab on my browser and called up the Website for Diamond’s Gym. On the gym’s social media page was a nice shot of Ben in workout gear — his own body, in his line of work, being his best advertisement, after all — and copied it and attached it to another message.
Her reaction wasn’t long in coming.
I am officially hurt. You’re neighbors with this smoking hot gym instructor and never even brought him up until now? You are slipping!
With a groan and a crooked smile, I typed, I’ve had other things on my mind, like I said.
My sister would get over her minor disappointment easily enough. She had quite a bit less to be disappointed about than I had.