CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Nora
The routine I’d fallen into as I stepped out of the lift at Zealy on Thursday morning was uncomfortably easy.
After rolling out of bed, I’d met Corey in the kitchen where he’d handed me a coffee, then I made us scrambled eggs while he had a shower.
We were like ying and yang working together to find the balance.
I’d dropped him at work and watched his confident stride disappear through the Dreyton lobby doors, then zoomed to Zealy.
I responded to emails and chased up overdue reports with a twang in my chest. I adored this position.
It was a reminder of what I was working towards with my qualification.
Of why I’d stuck it out earning peanuts as a receptionist, knowing one day I’d recruit and build an office based on hard work and respect.
Not bulldozing through with hatred and dominance.
I’d almost slashed through my to-do list when Craig dropped a stack of papers on my desk, jolting my focus from my laptop.
My forehead creased as I looked from the papers to his expressionless face.
The silence that followed squeezed my heart with a grip of death, waiting to see how long it would take me to concede and figure out what I’d done wrong.
‘What’s that?’ I asked after an eternity.
‘Everything you completed this week.’
‘Everything?’
‘Everything,’ he repeated.
Sweat built in my underarms as I awaited my fate.
I was either good enough to impersonate a finance manager, or I was the underachiever Corey had originally accused me of being.
My stomach churned in anticipation, the traitorous bubbles building in my intestine and knocking on the door of my clenched asshole.
Somehow, the gas shot back to my stomach and gurgled like an inside fart.
My hand flew to my stomach, my unwavering gaze stuck on Craig.
His top lip lifted in disgust, yet a laugh burst from his mouth.
‘You’re doing well, Son. It’s nice to see you using that brain of yours again.’ He patted his hand against my desk twice before turning to leave.
Warmth flooded my body, equally proud and embarrassed as I tried to forget the bubbling cauldron in my stomach and focus on the compliment. ‘Thank you.’
He faced me before he walked out. ‘I knew you had it in you.’
The bubbling cauldron turned to wild butterflies, and while I’d normally call Hayley after a moment like this, I grabbed my phone and my fingers hit Corey’s number.
‘Hey.’ Corey appeared on the screen with my freckled nose.
‘Guess what?’ I couldn’t contain the smile on my face.
‘You found the umbrella?’ Corey widened my brown eyes in excitement.
‘No. But your father complimented me. Well, you. But me. Me in your body. The brain which I’m not sure belongs to—’
‘You’re not making any sense,’ Corey interrupted.
I took a dramatic breath in and out to convey my commitment to starting again. ‘Your father said, and I quote, “You’re doing well, Son”.’
‘Okay…’ Corey didn’t sound as excited as I’d expected.
‘Okay? Corey, he’s proud of you.’
‘No, he isn’t. He’s proud of you.’
‘What?’ My mind raced at the realisation.
Corey’s right. His father was proud of me, not him.
As much as I wanted to revel in the delight of excelling at his job, I couldn’t stop worrying about how this made Corey feel.
He’d spent years being made to feel worthless while working a job he didn’t even enjoy, all because he thinks his brothers’ lives are worth more than his own.
The last thing he wanted to hear was that I’d been doing a job his father was proud of instead of him.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t really think about it.’
The email Craig had sent Corey after the meeting last week became even more appealing. Perhaps I should consider an opportunity from him once I got my body back. He’s obviously impressed with my work as me.
‘It’s great, Nora. Really. Now you’ve got the confirmation you were searching for. You’re destined for more than your regular job.’
‘Yeah, I guess so.’ My excitement crawled underground to fester with earthworms. Not to mention it also meant I’d been right about being as deserving as him like I’d always suspected.
‘Well, I’d better get back. Izzy challenged me to see who could make Freddie cry first.’
‘What?’ My voice came out louder than expected.
‘I hid the new coffee mug he brought in this morning. His mum had one made with “World’s Best Senior Financial Analyst”.’
I snorted.
‘And Izzy’s been moving this creepy looking doll around his office all day. She even brought in a few extras in case he threw it outside in the trash.’
‘That’s terrible.’ I laughed.
‘He’s terrible,’ Corey countered.
I wasn’t going to argue with him. Freddie deserved everything he got. ‘All right, well, I’ll see you this afternoon, then.’