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He had never mentioned it before and while it was difficult to convey nuance through text, he seemed to think this was a good thing. He essentially gave me permission to sleep in. It was more care than I ever dared hope he might have for me.
It could have been concerned for me as a co-worker, sure. I wouldn’t be very effective or useful if I was fatigued, but I wanted to believe it was because he actually liked me. Possibly as much as I liked him.
It was like a cloud had been lifted. The sun seemed brighter, the traffic seemed lighter, even the coffee in the machine at the office tasted better. A transformation on par with water into wine.
“Big day, huh?” Lauren asked rhetorically.
“Indeed, it is,” my mood was still bright.
“I’ll be sure to send you a postcard,” Lauren said, attempting an impression of a decent person.
“Oh, you can give it to me at the hotel. Save the stamp.”
“What?” Lauren asked, both confused as well as pissed off.
“Oh, didn’t Max tell you? I never had to join in the competition. I’m his assistant as well as an agent, so I was always going to be going to the Bahamas with him no matter how the competition went. I was never eligible. The competition looked really stiff though.”
With a most unladylike sound of frustration, Lauren stomped off to her desk. No doubt steaming over the fact that she had done work that I hadn’t had to achieve the same goal. I had gotten one over on her and she knew it even if she wasn’t about to say it out loud.
At the appointed time, we all met in the conference room, Mitch Peters conspicuous by his absence.
“You want to do the honors?” Max asked as we went in.
“Um, sure,” I said, surprised but pleased that he trusted me with such a responsibility.
“Guard them with your life,” he joked, handing me two index cards.
With Max taking his usual seat at the head of the table, I stood beside him, getting ready for the big moment. I was no mind reader but was pretty sure that I was as curious about the winners as the other agents.
“It has been a very difficult decision. You have all done really well and MP Solutions has gained more new clients in the last month than I ever thought possible. But in the end, the figures spoke for themselves and two winners have been chosen. Carrie?”
“The first winner is – Thomas.”
There was a smattering of applause and a few pats on the back. Everyone at least respected Thomas, if not actually liked him, me included. I tried to keep it subtle to avoid any accusations of vote fixing or whatever, but I was very happy for him.
When things calmed down a bit, it was time to read the name of the second winner. The other person that we would be spending two weeks within the Bahamas.
“And the second winner is,” my heart sank as I turned over the card, “Lauren.”
Lauren smirked in that stuck up way that would make most people want to smack her, just to change the expression.
“Congratulations to the winners,” I said, handed the card back to Max, doing my best to keep my hand from shaking.
By the end of the day, my fate was sealed, for good or ill. Max announced a firm start date for the trip. Which was to commence in two weeks.
Chapter Seven – Max
The time was nigh. I already had my bag packed. The same one from the dream and the only one that I owned in that or any other reality. I laid out my clothes and got into them as quickly as possible. The car was already on its way.
I had more time than I thought when I put my breakfast dishes away. I put them back in the cupboard, as opposed to the sink as I normally would. I wouldn’t be back for a while. I smiled again, once again reminded of what was happening. I was going to be with Carrie for two weeks. Sure, others were going to be there too, but being with Carrie in relatively close quarters in a generally casual setting was paramount in my mind.
Easing into the lovely back seat, I felt the smooth, soft leather under me, and the intoxicating smell filled my senses. I couldn’t help but smile. I wasn’t sure if I had locked my townhouse door after leaving in such a hurry when I got the text from the driver, but I was also too lost in euphoria to care.
Thomas and Lauren were already in the main terminal when I got there. Their drivers were clearly craftier than mine. Thomas and I were dressed in pretty much the same way. The only major difference was the addition of a broad-brimmed straw hat that gave him the vague appearance of a pro golfer.
