Chapter 32
Brynne
They say time heals, but the two days I’ve been out of the office do nothing to diminish my anger. I refused to work from home for the last two days. I didn’t even bother to request time off. I just stayed home, stewed, and worked on my business plan because there is no way I will work here for the rest of my life like I intended. For the rest of the time I’m here, I won’t give them one hundred percent. I will coast; if they want to fire me, let them.
Perhaps that was Milton’s plan all along. Maybe he wants me gone and wants to pass this business on to his nephew. It’s his right, but I refuse to be stepped on in the meantime.
The only thing that kept me sane this week was talking to Raven and Amira, especially Raven, who I have plans with tonight. Unfortunately, Amira is stuck with her mother and sister, but I’m spending the weekend with Raven.
As soon as I leave this shitty office on this Friday night, I’m out of here, and we’re going to weather the incoming snowstorm at Raven’s place. We’re going to watch movies and binge a series on Netflix. There will be no discussion of work or men, even though she ran into her ex-husband and boyfriend again this week.
It’s barely noon now, and my stomach growls. The only time I saw Colin was this morning when I stepped off the elevator. I don’t know if he’s called my phone because I blocked him again. I haven’t read or responded to any of his emails. He was talking to someone in the hallway, and I walked in the opposite direction, even though that was the roundabout way of getting to my office.
I didn’t see his little twerp of an assistant, but I did hear his annoying voice. There was an email in my inbox about a staff meeting this morning, and I skipped it. I will no longer be attending meetings. The worst-case scenario is I get fired. I can always sell my condo and move into one of the units in my new house. Fuck this shit, and fuck anyone named Kincaid.
There’s a timid knock on my door, and Ernestine walks in, holding a brown paper bag. “I got your salad,” she says. “With a side of fries.” She puts it on my desk. “Things have been calm,” she whispers. “That little pencil neck was sent home on Tuesday and didn’t come back until yesterday. Before he went home, he gave me some lame ass apology, but he hasn’t stirred any shit today. He didn’t even say a word at the meeting earlier.”
I roll my eyes. Big whoop. He got a slap on the wrist and almost two days off with pay. It sounds like he got rewarded.
“I’m only concerned about you, Ernie. Don’t do anything that will make you lose this promotion. Let that little jerk stir all the shit he wants. You don’t have the same protection as him.” And I still don’t understand why. Yes, this has always been a nice place to work. Few people have been terminated here, but it does happen. The Milton I’ve known all these years would not think twice about letting go of an assistant who has done nothing but cause drama.
Maybe he’s sicker than I thought. I figured he must be ill when he called Colin, but maybe it’s worse. Who knows? He didn’t share it with me, so I’m not going to speculate. I will treat this job like what it is. It’s a job. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“I’ve been good,” she says. “I wanted to break that broomstick over his head, but I’m over it.”
“Good, now get out of here,” I say. I turn around and look at the gray skies. They are predicting a snowstorm will start late tonight, but Ernestine gets nervous at the thought of driving in the snow. “Have a good weekend.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. I’ll see you Monday.” She waves and leaves my office. Once she’s gone, I close my blinds and sit back down.
As much as I needed the two days off to calm down, I’m now behind on a project, and I still need to finish the door schedule for the subdivision.
After eating my salad and fries, I sigh and get to work.
I rub my eyes with the balls of my hands and blink the stars away. My stomach growls, which takes me by surprise. I didn’t realize I was hungry until now. I sip my water, which is now lukewarm.
“Gross,” I say as I throw it in the trash.
I stand and stretch. I don’t remember the last time I stood up. I was so engrossed in work that I didn’t realize it is after six o’clock.
“Oh, damn.” I grab my phone, which was on silent, to find several text messages from Raven.
Raven: The news was wrong. We’ve already gotten three inches of snow.
Raven sent that text three hours ago. I open my blinds, and despite the darkness of night, I see a blanket of white. I glance at the streetlight, and I see that the snow is coming down fast. It looks like more than three inches.
Raven: There’s no way you can drive. Girls' weekend is delayed. Go home now!
That was an hour ago.
Raven: Answer me! Are you okay?
The last text was sent ten minutes ago. I dial her number.
“Please tell me your workaholic ass is home right now,” she says.
“Um, I’m in the office. I was working on some things and lost track of time. The weatherman said it wasn’t supposed to start until eleven p.m.”
“The weatherman must be a meteorology school dropout. It’s a mess out there. Seven inches already. It’s going to take you hours to get home.”
She’s right. The city streets are narrow, and with the snow, it will be impossible to get through.
“I’m fucked,” I say as I eye the small loveseat in the corner of my office. My stomach growls again, and I curse the stupid salad I had for lunch. “Let me call you back,” I say. “Maybe there’s a hotel around here I can stay in.”
“Okay, but don’t try and drive home. Worst-case scenario, sleep in your office.” She ends the call after I promise to call her back.
I leave my office's confines and realize there is no one here.
Of course not, you dummy. They all went home.
The kitchen is not only void of people but also does not have a scrap of food. There’s only water and a few cans of diet soda.
The only thing I have to munch on is some candy left behind on various desks and a pack of TicTacs in my purse. After downing a cold glass of water, my dire position has not changed.
I grab my phone to look up nearby hotels, but the closest one is three blocks away. I’d have to walk, which would prove difficult in these stiletto boots. The sneakers I have packed in my car won’t be much help either.
“Motherfucker,” I sigh as I stomp back to my office.
My heart jumps when I hear the ding of the elevator. I see no one when I stick my head out of my office. I hear footsteps and cover my mouth with my hands as I look around. There’s nothing here I can use as a weapon other than my stapler. I grab it and tiptoe out, only to feel someone tap my shoulder.
“Aah,” I scream as I turn to hit them with the stapler, but it falls to the ground.
“What were you going to do with that? Staple me to death?” My erratic heart rate slows down when I realize the voice belongs to Colin.
“Mr. Kincaid?” I ask. “What are you doing here? There’s a storm outside.”
“I think you can call me Colin,” he says. I eye him up and down. He’s in a long coat and snow boots as well as a knit hat and leather gloves. “And since you know there’s a storm, why are you still here? I thought you left hours ago,” he says.
“I was in my office working and lost track of time. The weatherman said the storm wasn’t supposed to start until tonight. Why did you come back to the office? How did you get here?” Then, a thought hits. “Maybe it’s not so bad, and I can go home?”
I don’t give him time to answer as I return to my office to gather my things.
He follows me. “It’s a disaster. The streets are blocked, and they are asking everyone to stay off the roads.” Any hope of getting to the safety of my warm condo fades before my eyes.
“Then how did you get here?”
“I live across the street,” he says. “Come on. You can stay with me.”
I’d rather sleep in my car and potentially freeze to death.
“How did you know I was here?” I ask.
“I didn’t. I told you I thought you left hours ago.”
Something about his tone makes me not believe him, but I can’t think of any reason why he would know I was still here. Even if he did, I’m sure he wouldn’t come back for me. Especially not after the last fight we had. “Why did you come back?”
“I had to grab a file,” he says, but I don’t buy it. There’s nothing he can’t access from his laptop. “Let’s go.”
“I’ll stay here until the storm passes.” I take my coat back off and gesture for him to leave.
“There’s no food here,” he says.
“I can live off candy and water for a day or two,” I counter. The very thought makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don’t even like candy, and after just getting over a stomach bug, the last thing I need to do is eat poorly. “I saw some fancy chocolates somewhere.” Chocolate is probably my least favorite thing to eat on this earth.
“That’s ridiculous when I live across the street. I have three guest bedrooms. Pick one, but I can’t let you stay here.” He picks up my coat from my desk and hands it to me. The idea of sleeping in a warm bed sounds nice. I don’t think I’d get any sleep in this office by myself. Every little noise would wake me, and it’s cold, and there are no blankets. “Come on.” He helps me with my coat.
“Okay. Just one night,” I say. “And I have a packed bag in my car. I was supposed to spend the weekend with Raven.”
“Fine. I’ll go with you to the garage to get it.” He looks down at my feet and shakes his head in disbelief. “Are those the only type of shoes you own? There’s seven inches of snow out there.”
“They will be fine enough to get me across the street,” I say in my defense. I didn’t think this through, but I’ll never admit that to him.
He gestures for me to go and follows me out. Neither of us says a word while we take the elevator to the garage. When we get to my car, and I open the trunk, he takes my small suitcase out and tells me to follow him back to the elevator. The office lobby is empty and when we step outside, I’m assaulted by the wind and snow. I pull my hat out of my pocket and put it on. There’s so much snow coming down that I can barely see in front of me. The sidewalk is not plowed, and I slip. Strong arms catch me before I can fall on my ass.
“Are you okay?” he yells over the wind and I nod. He helps me stand, and I slip again. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He squats down and yells, “Get on my back.” When I make no moves to do it, he repeats himself.
“That’s ridiculous. I can walk,” I yell into the wind.
He straightens before turning to glare at me. “Okay then. Take a step.” He takes two steps away from me. “Walk,” he yells.
I take a deep breath, jut out my chin, and take a step. Then I take another one and fall forward. I land on his chest, and I push him down. He falls into a pile of snow, and I fall on top of him.
“Dammit,” he says.
I try to stand but slip and fall on him again. He wraps his arm around me and helps me to my feet, then turns and squats down. Realizing there’s no way I’ll be able to walk through this storm in these ridiculous boots, I do as he says and climb onto his back.