Chapter 35
Mariah
“You’re finally looking like you feel better.
” Maren greets me as I slip through the doors of the room housing the bulk of Titus’s team.
“Thank God, because I’m not built for running through this place to try to find your fiancé.
” She waggles her brows, holding out one of the cookies I always steal from the break room. “You wanna keep me company?”
“Always.” I take the snack and bite off a chunk.
“How’s your week been?” I’ve started spending most of my time at McKinley with Maren, helping her deliver supplies and gossiping about people I don’t actually know.
I genuinely love being at home with Titus, but I have to admit it’s pretty nice to get out once a week to socialize.
“Not terrible.” Maren shoots me a grim look.
“But not amazing either.” Her nose wrinkles.
“I do my best to stay away from Trevor because there’s just something about that guy that makes me want to punch him in the face.
But it seems like he’s everywhere I go, and I’m pretty sure if I punch him in the face he’s going to fire me. ”
“Probably. But he also probably needs to be punched in the face every now and then.” Saying Trevor has a one-track mind would be the understatement of the century.
This company is quite literally the only thing he thinks about from the minute he opens his eyes until they accidentally close at his desk at night.
It’s kind of sad when I really think about it. Until Maren tells me about some asshole thing he’s done here at work and I’m less sad.
“If he needs to be punched in the face, you’re the one who’s going to have to do it.
It’s not worth losing this job over his dumb ass.
” Maren pushes her cart of goodies down the hall.
“And he’d probably stand there and let you punch him in the face because he knows he has to or Titus will kill him. ”
I don’t know why I’m smiling over assault, but I am. “Trevor isn’t a bad guy, he just takes his job very seriously and expects everyone else to do the same.”
“I didn’t say he was a bad guy. I said he was an asshole.
Those are two totally different things.” Maren pauses outside Walker’s office, carrying in a few different items to stock his team's supply closet before rejoining me in the hall. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and Walker will hire me to work in the warehouse or something. Then I won’t have to see Trevor at all. ”
“Would you want to work in the warehouse?” I look Maren over, taking in her stylish outfit. Every time I’ve seen her, she’s been dressed in the cutest clothes. I just can’t imagine her pleated skirt and chunky loafers would be acceptable warehouse wear. “It doesn’t really seem like your speed.”
“Well I can’t code or hack, I don’t know shit about cars or construction, so packing boxes for shipment is probably my best shot at permanent employment here.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be terrible.” I give her a grin. “And if anyone could make steel-toed boots and high-vis shirts look glamorous, it’s you.”
I was really hoping Maren could just stay working at the position she has now, but apparently that’s the spot they use as sort of a test run to try out new people and see if they’d be a good fit. If they show up every day and manage to keep everyone supplied, they’re offered a permanent position.
And Maren deserves a permanent position. She takes this job very seriously, and is ridiculously organized. Add in how much everyone around here loves her, and she is for sure a great fit for the company.
And for me.
I’ve missed Janie so much. We still talk on a regular basis and will be good friends forever, but having someone I can hang out with face-to-face has helped so much more than I expected. Talking to Titus is amazing, and I tell him anything and everything, but nothing can replace a girlfriend.
Maren and I make our way through the buildings, dropping off paper and pens and Post-its.
I can’t believe how much paper a place like this goes through in the digital age, but at the end of the day, people still like data they can hold in their hand.
Look at. Highlight five hundred different colors—hence all the highlighters we distribute.
We refill the cart at least three times, going to the large storage room tucked behind the area where Titus’s team works. On our last trip before I need to head out, I pause, looking at the door to the next room over. “What in the heck do they keep behind that thing?”
All the doors in the building require badges to enter them—not surprising since this is a security company—but this particular door looks like it would withstand a nuclear bomb. Its steel frame is wide and thick, and the pad next to it is way more complex than any others I’ve seen.
“Dunno.” Maren grins. “Probably where Trevor has to barricade his assistants so they can’t leave.”
I snort. “I haven’t heard about one leaving recently. He must have managed to find one who tolerates him.”
“Yeah, no.” Maren stacks a pile of boxes onto the lower rack of her cart. “I think the guy he’s got now will be gone by the end of next week. He can’t handle the job and came back here looking for a place to cry about it the other day.”
I take in the storage room. It’s quiet and isolated and probably a great place to hide out. “Poor guy.”
“Also no. He’s a bigger asshole than Trevor.” Maren’s lip curls. “He tried to grab my ass last week and acted all affronted when I wasn’t flattered.”
“Gross.” I wrinkle my nose. “Why are men?”
That’s it. That’s the whole question. Why are men?
“I don’t know, but I wish they would stop.” Maren loads on the last box. “Nobody has time for that shit. We just want to work and go home and eat on our couch while we binge Buffy.”
“You know, I’ve never watched that.” I step out of the way as Maren pushes the cart toward the door. “I’ll have to add it to my list.”
“If you start it, let me know and we can buddy binge. I’m always up for rewatch.” Maren and I make it halfway down the hall before she groans. “Shit. I forgot Walker asked me to bring him more binder clips.”
I help her make a U-turn with the overloaded cart and we venture back into the room.
I sit on a stack of boxes lined against one wall to wait while she collects what she needs.
I’m just about to ask if she needs help, when some dude comes striding in looking self-important and like he’s on a mission.
Since I’m tucked between two towers of stuff, he doesn’t seem to notice my presence as he swings the door closed and rounds the rack running down the center of the room.
Maren must sense his arrival because she spins his direction before he even reaches her side of the shelf.
I get a glimpse of her face through the items stacked between us as she gives him a glare that might turn him to stone. “Dan? How did you get in here?”
The guy hits the brakes hard when he sees Maren. Almost like he didn’t know she was in here either.
“Trevor gave me access.” He says the words too quickly. Spits them out so fast he almost stumbles over them.
“Trevor doesn’t give anybody access to this room. I’m the only one whose badge opens that door.” Maren sounds more pissed off than anything, but this guy is making me a little nervous. He’s shifting from foot to foot, looking amped up and jittery, and I don’t like it.
After the day I passed out and Tobias took me to the hospital, Titus has been adamant we both keep our phones on us at all times. And right now, I’m really freaking grateful. Because whatever this dude talking to Maren is up to, it’s not good.
Moving slowly so I don’t get his attention, I carefully pull my phone from my pocket, intending to send Titus a text asking him to come back here immediately.
But when I wake up my phone, my stomach drops.
Where there should be a set of bars, the letters SOS stare back at me.
I lift my eyes to the ceiling, looking around the room as I try to figure out what’s interrupting my service.
“I don’t know what to tell you.” Dan transfers something from one hand to the other, but I can’t see what it is. “Shouldn’t you be working?”
“Shouldn’t you?” Maren has balls, I’ll give her that. She’s smart and snappy and works her ass off, but she’s not great at taking shit.
And this guy is dishing out a lot of it.
“I am working. Trevor sent me to get him some…” The guy grabs a small box from the shelf between us—thankfully without looking—holding it up right in front of Maren’s face. “Pens.”
“I just brought Trevor three new boxes of pens. No way did he go through them that quickly.” Maren doesn’t back down. For some reason she is super pissed this guy’s back here, and even more determined to make him go. “You need to leave.”
The man scoffs. “You’re awful fucking bossy for a temp with a flat ass.”
Oh shit. Dan must be Trevor’s current assistant, the ass grabber.
“And you’re awfully full of yourself for a guy who can’t even fill out a spreadsheet properly.” Maren’s eyes narrow. “From what I’ve heard, you aren’t even remotely qualified for your position. I’m sure Trevor would love to find out everything you put on your resume was bullshit.”
The man steps closer to Maren and my guts churn.
She’s feisty, but she’s not a big girl. Definitely not big enough to hold her own against the bulky shithead crowding her space.
I need to do something, but I need to do it in a way that will keep Maren and I as safe as possible.
Since I can’t use my phone to call for help, I’ve got to stop this dude some other way.
“Careful, little girl, or I’ll leave you in here when I go.” The threat sends a chill snaking down my spine.
Leave her in here? What the fuck is he planning to do to her in this room?
The guy grabs the badge clipped to Maren’s waistband, snapping it free.
“Hey.” She scrambles, trying to get it back.