Page 69 of Want You

I love you too!

“Octavia?” She looked up to see Daniel standing at the door. “Are you available now? I’ve had to reschedule a work lunch and need to be gone by ten.” Of course he did. The lunch was probably three buildings down.

“Yes.” She stood and rounded her desk. “I don’t think it will take long.”

She was met by a look that told her he knew exactly where things were about to go, and any remaining confidence she’d felt while writing her resignation evaporated.

They stood facing each other, him standing with his arms crossed, straight faced and oozing ego. Octavia, on the other hand, was using far too much energy trying to keep herself from shifting from foot to foot like a kid standing in front of the principal.

“Well?” he drawled, his demeanour cooling by the second.

Octavia thought back to all the times this man made her feel like shit. Of all the moments where her male coworkers got away with problematic behaviour because they belonged to the penis havers club, and she was hit with the shot of courage she needed.

She took a deep breath, held her chin up, and maintained eye contact. “I am offering you my two week notice. As of March fifteenth I will no longer be employed by this firm.”

“Do I have Turner and Bennet to thank for this?” he asked, his mouth set in an angry line.

“What? No,” she stammered. “No one is to thank for this. I’m just looking at going in a different direction.”

He stared back at her, eyes trailing down her body and back up as if he’d find the lie she wasn’t hiding.

“I suppose it’s time to hand off any remaining cases then and get people up to date. I’ll be in touch about further action after I discuss with the partners.” He didn’t allow her to respond, just turned and walked out of her office.

Apparently he took the boost of courage she had felt along with him because the minute he was gone Octavia stumbled back to her desk and slumped into her chair.

“Holy shit,” she whispered, tipping forward and resting her hand on her forearms.

She gave herself ten deep breaths to deal with her feelings and then pushed herself up.

“You’re a badass and you’re moving on to way better things,” she told herself as a knock had her head snapping up to the door Daniel had left open.

Daniel’s secretary stood there looking far more smug than usual.

“Octavia, I have been asked to inform you that you are to vacate the premises immediately. Your possessions will be sent via”—he pronounced it with a long i sound that made Octavia cringe—“courier in the next day or two.”

Two security guards stepped up behind him, one looking positively gleeful while the other looked indifferent.

“These two gentlemen will escort you out.”

Octavia wasn’t surprised. She had seen this happen to others but for some reason assumed she would indeed be working for another two weeks.

She opened her door and both guards stepped into the room like she had raised a gun. “Stand down boys, I’m just grabbing my purse. I am allowed to do that yes?”

The indifferent guard mumbled a confirmation and they both relaxed a bit.

Five minutes later, she was standing between the two in the elevator in the slowest descent of her life.

“So which firm are you going to?” Gleeful asked.

“Martin.” Indifferent hissed.

“I’m not,” Octavia said.

“Bullshit.” Gleeful scoffed.

The elevator bounced to a stop and the doors slid open. “Well, boys”—Octavia stepped out and turned to them—“thanks for the worst elevator ride of my life.” She didn’t wait for a reply, turning and striding quickly from the building.

When she stepped outside, she felt like she could breathe for the first time since she stepped out her front door.