Chapter 12
DORI
I plop down on Melanie’s couch. “Where’s your roommate?”
“Work, like usual.” Mel places a glass of wine down on the coffee table for me while keeping hers in her hand. “I never see her.”
“Does she know you’re moving?”
Mel sips her wine and sits beside me. “Yeah. I don’t think she cares. She made a comment about turning my room into a home office so she doesn’t have to stay late at work anymore.”
“It sounds like she’s not going to have any issue with you moving out on her.”
“Nope. Not in the slightest.” Mel places her glass down. “Enough about that. How are you holding up?”
“As good as I can be. I’m worried sick about Jami, and feel terrible about hurting Hunter.”
“Both men will be okay in the end. It’s you I’m concerned about.”
“Why me? I’m the one who’s the cause of all this mess.”
She tucks her legs underneath her. “I’m talking about losing your job.”
“You warned me and I wouldn’t listen.” My core tightens, and I pick up my wine. I take a long drink as I try to keep my tears at bay.
She cuts in and steals my attention. “To be clear, I hope you know I never wanted that to happen.”
I put my wine down. “I know you didn’t. It’s nobody’s fault but my own, so I don’t hold anyone responsible.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about it when it happened? It wasn’t cool hearing it from the rumor mill.”
“Mel, I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it. I’m embarrassed beyond measure.” I fake a laugh. “It’s less concerning to me that those I don’t really care about are privy to this information than the fact that you, someone I hold dear, know about it.”
“Uh, that’s crazy talk right there. I’m your best friend, and you can always talk to me about your issues. Hiding shit from me is as bad as you going MIA.” She pretends to glare at me. “That’s not an idea I’m putting in your head, so don’t even think about it.”
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Jami needs me, and I can’t stand the thought of not being there for him.”
“What does he think about you getting fired?”
I push off the couch and walk over to her sliding glass door, hiding my face from her. “He doesn’t know.”
“Oh, Dori. Why haven’t you told him? It’s like you never learn.”
I wrap my arms around my waist. “He doesn’t need the added stress of my current situation to think about. All he should be focused on is getting better.”
She does something behind my back, causing me to turn. Her head is back against the top of her couch. She’s shaking it with her arm over her eyes while groaning as if I’ve physically hurt her.
“Why are you doing that, Mel?”
She lifts her head and finds my gaze. “I’m just amazed at how you get yourself into these binds. ”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means it’s going to be a thousand times harder to tell Jami once you finally feel ready to explain. You know how he’s going to react.”
“He’ll understand why I didn’t tell him.”
“If you say so.” She grabs her drink. “Have you talked to Hunter since that day?”
I mosey back to the couch and sit. “I saw him briefly. He said he was going to get the board to overturn their decision.”
“Do you think that could happen?”
I pick up my glass and take a sip. After a moment, I place it back on the table.
My stomach twists. “Possibly, but I’m not holding my breath.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The board thinks I’m in a relationship with Hunter and Jami. That’s two strikes against my contract.”
“You’re allowed to date a contractor, so how that’s a strike against you?”
“It just looks bad. Instead of behaving like a professional, it looks like I’ve been fucking two different guys involved with the company. I’m a stain, tarnishing the brand.”
Mel stares off into space for a moment, then laughs. “Can you imagine what they would think of me if I were on the executive level? I’d be a lot worse than some stain.”
I consider it for a second and burst out laughing. “We make quite a pair, don’t we?”
“We do, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Me either. I wouldn’t want to do life without you as my best friend.” I sink into that thought.
How am I going to get by without her?
As much trouble as I cause her, I’m sure she’s ready to get far away from me.
She slaps my leg. “Dori, I have a great idea.”
“Oh no. I’m not sure that’s a good thing. ”
“Hear me out. I think you might get on board.”
I turn her way, resting sideways on the couch. “Let me have it.”
“You’re not working at Efron Worldwide anymore, so what’s stopping you from moving? You can go anywhere, and Jami isn’t staying here, so...”
My mouth gapes open. “You can’t seriously be suggesting I move to Miami.”
“Why not? There’s nothing here for you. It’s a clean break from Hunter, and Jami would support it. I think you should consider it.”
I look around her apartment, trying to come up with a reason why it would never work, but nothing comes to mind.
The only thing preventing me from making a change is my deep-seated attachment to this place and the idea of spending my entire career with this one company, which I’ve always envisioned as my permanent workplace. Now that dream is over, I can do anything I want.
She lifts her shoulder to her ear. “Well?”
“It’s not a bad idea,” I admit.
“See! I knew it would be something to consider. Just think. We wouldn’t have to be away from each other after all.”
I give her a wary look. “Are you sure you would want that? I have caused you a lot of grief over the years.”
“No, you haven’t. The last year, yes. But before that, the worst thing you ever did was lecture me on my dating escapades.”
“Wow, how the tables turned on that one.”
“Yeah, but we’re young, and this is when we’re supposed to mess up.”
I grab our wine and hand her drink to her. “Well, here’s to being young and dumb.”
She takes her glass and taps mine. “To being young. We’re not dumb.”
“I’ll give you that, but sometimes I wonder about me. ”
“Ditto for me, but let’s not be self-deprecating. It isn’t sexy.”
We take a drink and settle back on the couch. An idea comes to mind.
I run my finger around the top of my wineglass. “Since you came up with a plan for me, it’s my turn to recommend something to you.”
“Yeah? What?”
“You’ve been a great friend to me through the years, so let me throw you a going away party. We can invite all your hot boyfriends, and you can have a night where you’re the star of the show.”
“Now, this is one plan of yours I can get behind.”
“Good. It will give me something positive to focus on.”
A seriousness washes over her expression. “Dori, Jami is going to be alright. Hunter will find a way to go on without you. And you will get a new job you love as much as your last one. Try to stay positive about all of those things, not just a party you’re going to be throwing for me.”
“I’ll try.” I show her a warm smile. “You really are the best friend anyone could ever ask for. I’d be lost without you.”
“And vice versa. We need each other and always will.” She smacks her thigh with her palm. “Now, let’s get moving on the party plans. I have a lot of demands I’m going to make.”
I laugh and welcome the lighter topic. There’s nothing I need more than a night making jokes with my best friend.
If it weren’t for her, I’d be a crying mess. And God knows, my problems will still be here in the morning.
I wake in a cold sweat. My nightmare sits at the forefront of my mind .
Jami and I are hiking, and all seems well until he’s shot. He falls to the ground, bleeding out, and I’m by myself trying to save him.
I take my jacket and press it to his wound. The only problem is he’s been hit in multiple places. My heart pounds wildly. There’s nothing I can do to help him.
He reaches out to me. “Please, Dori. Help me. Don’t let me die.”
“I don’t know what to do, Jami.” Panic fills me.
“Stop the bleeding. Get someone.” His eyes fill with blood, and it pours out from the corners.
As I look around for something to assist me, I notice a blackbird perched on a tree. It watches as I try in vain to save Jami’s life. Its eyes are red and ominous, causing terror to seep through my insides.
My heart beats in triple time as I run away to escape the bird and leave Jami to fend for himself. Somehow, I end up in my office as if nothing has happened.
I know Jami is out in the woods dying, but I’m at work rushing around and trying to get my tasks done. No one will help me.
I’m running around and asking people questions that I can’t make sense of. Nobody will speak to me, and they all turn their backs on me when I address them.
Helplessness races through my veins. I’m all alone trying to fix a variety of projects. There’s a sense of terror. If I don’t succeed in my tasks, Jami will die.
In the next scene, I’m being held in a dark basement, forced to have sex with a man I don’t recognize. There’s a crowd of men gathered around, watching us.
It’s erotic, and I’m enjoying the physical sensation, but I know the only reason I’m doing it is to save Jami. I work to get myself to orgasm, but I can’t get there.
The man I’m having sex with transforms into Jami. He’s on top of me, laughing at me. The group of men close in on us, tearing Jami off me.
He’s thrown to the floor and dies as the men take me into their clutches. I jerk awake before they break me apart, limb by limb.
This is the same kind of dream I’ve had every night since our walk in the park when Jami was almost killed. I can’t stop them from invading my sleep.
I roll over and look at the clock. It reads 3:33 am. I throw back my covers and get out of bed. It’s too early to go to the hospital and check on Jami, but I won’t be able to go back to sleep.
I take my time showering and making something to eat while trying to calm my restless mind. My dream won’t let go of me, so I’m an anxious mess when I step out of my loft an hour later.
My security guard jumps when I open the door, causing me to jerk and whisper scream.
“Shit!”
Trey turns my way. “I’m sorry, Ms. Fisher. I didn’t expect you to leave at this hour.”