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I finally managed to press Pause. My heart rate was so erratic that I felt lightheaded. I dropped the beignet in my lap. Pounding pain was forming right in the center of my forehead.
Nothing like airing your dirty laundry to your new boss.
"Chad, I'm so sorry you heard that. Umm... I'm just going to go.” I made to rise to my feet, but the whole of Jackson Square seemed to tilt. I dropped my ass right back on the bench.
"Scarlett," Chad said, "you're not feeling well." He grabbed the beignets, putting them away. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath. It'll help you relax. Hold it in after you've inhaled."
To my astonishment, the technique worked.
I opened my eyes and startled. Chad was kneeling in front of me, eyes trained on me. They were full of concern.
"Better?" he asked softly.
"Yes, much better."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
He sat back on the bench.
"Right. So as I was saying, I think it's late." My voice was shaking. "I should go."
He covered my hand with his. "No, you should stay for a few minutes just to make sure you don't feel bad again. Then I’ll order you an Uber."
"But the streetcar is right here."
"I’ll order you an Uber," he repeated in a commanding tone. "It’ll be a company expense, so I won't accept a no."
I wanted to fight him some more, but there was no point. Besides, I wasn't feeling that great.
"Thank you. You're very considerate, and I truly apologize for that message. I tried to stop it, but it’s dark out, and I just didn't manage it."
"That was a previous coworker?" Chad asked.
"My former coworker and my ex," I blurted.
He stared at me. "That was an ex? Why the fuck would he ever talk to you like that?"
I gave him a sad smile. "That's not even him at his worst."
Why am I sharing this with Chad? He’s my boss, damn it.But after hearing Simon’s rant, I felt like the man needed an explanation.
"Earlier, you asked why I moved here. He was part of that decision. We worked together at the restaurant in Seattle. We were both sous-chefs. After the chef left, he was promoted. I was happy for him. A bit sad because I aspired to be a chef as well, but, you know, I was happy that at least one of us made it." My voice broke. "Looking back, we never had a stellar relationship. But after he became a chef, things took a nosedive. He felt the need to show that he was above me in rank in every way possible.That behavior transferred to our personal lives too. Since he had a higher position, he wanted to decide everything that was going on in our lives even though I was paying half for everything. I had a feeling he expected me to suddenly worship him. It got so bad that a colleague told him that his behavior toward me was unacceptable and extremely uncomfortable for the rest of the crew. That's when I realized that I was being a doormat, so... I quit and tried my luck here." I rolled my shoulders back, trying to smile. "And it worked out."
"You've been through a lot," he stated.
"Yes. I'm just happy to have this chance to start over.” I looked at the ground for a moment, then back up. “I'm really sorry about earlier. It was unprofessional to play that in front of you, but—"
"Scarlett, stop torturing yourself, okay? It happened. You don’t have anything to apologize for. Does he often send you rude messages?"
"Actually, no. Not at all. I'm not even sure what happened that he felt the need to berate me, and I don't want to know. I'll block his number or whatever it is I have to do to stop getting any messages." I paused for a bit as I gathered my thoughts, then announced once again, "I'm ready to go home now."
"You're sure? I can stay with you here for a few more minutes."
"Really, Chad," I said, trying to hide how nervous and ashamed I felt, "it’s fine."
"All right, then. Tell me your address," he said as he handed me back my bag with the second beignet.
