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He’s sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the table, and when he looks up at me, I know whatever is about to happen isn’t going to be good.
My stomach falls to my feet. I nearly trip on it walking into the room.
My legs feel like Jell-O as I walk across the small space and take a seat next to Drake. Except I don’t dare look at him. Cindy shuts the door quietly, and she and Sarah sit across from us.
Sarah’s smile is warm as she slides a binder across the table and taps it with a manicured nail.
“Do you know what this is, Ms. Darwin?”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s the company handbook,” I answer.
She flips open the cover and points to the front page. “And is that your signature stating that you received a copy of the handbook and reviewed it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sarah nods and pulls the binder back. “Do you know why I called you in here today?”
It doesn’t even cross my mind to lie. That’s not who I am, and though I’ve been acting out of the norm lately, there are some things that won’t change. “I believe so, yes.”
Her eyes shift to Drake’s, and I feel the slightest weight lift from my shoulders. But the relief is momentary, because when she pulls her gaze back to mine, it’s at full force.
“I’m going to be blunt, Ms. Darwin. Are you and Dr. Merritt in a romantic relationship?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re aware of the company’s non-fraternization policy?”
“I am.”
“And you’re familiar with the policy, Dr. Merritt?” she asks, sliding her eyes one seat over.
Drake’s jaw pops. “Yes, of course I’m familiar.”
“Unfortunately, we only have one way to proceed. We refuse to break policy, which means one of you will be let go.” She angles herself toward me. “It’ll have to be Ms. Darwin.”
“No, absolutely not,” Drake declares. “Abigail is a wonderful nurse. She shouldn’t lose her job because of a mistake we both made.”
The air is sucked from my lungs as I hear Drake describe what we’ve shared as a mistake.
“These rules are in place for a reason, Dr. Merritt, and our non-fraternization policy is not negotiable. It isn’t enforced on a case-by-case basis.” Sarah sighs. “As for Abby, I agree with you. She has been an asset to this hospital. Cindy has had nothing but good things to say about her, and we will be sad to see her leave, but the alternative is letting you go, and that’s not going to happen. But frankly, Dr. Merritt, I’m disappointed in you. You’re in a position of authority. You know better than this,” she scolds.
I half expect Drake to have some sort of comeback, except he doesn’t. His lips snap shut. All of the emotion drains from his face as he stares off into nothing. For a brief second, I wonder what he’s thinking, and then my mind takes over.
What the heck am I going to do now? How will this affect my contract with the agency? Will they let me go? Will this affect any future jobs I try to get?
Oh, God. This is going to follow me around for the rest of my career. I’m forever going to be the girl who slept with a supervisor. I’ll be criticized and judged at every turn.
Bile rushes up my throat, and I try to swallow it down, but it’s useless. My body goes on autopilot. I look up at the ceiling and start counting as the conversation carries on around me. I can feel the weight of someone’s stare. I don’t have to look to know it’s Drake. I can tell by the hairs on the back of my neck that are standing on end. But I refuse to break my concentration.
I count forty-two tiles before his voice penetrates the fog in my head.
“You’re right. I do know better. It was wrong of us to continue a relationship, knowing it was against policy. I assure you we will no longer date while I’m in a position of authority over her.”
My stomach twists, and it’s a good thing I’m sitting down because otherwise I would’ve doubled over at the pain. How could he say that after everything we’ve been through? After all the talks we’ve had, and after I asked my supervisor at the agency about staying longer? Son of a bitch, didn’t we just talk about how we were falling for each other? And now we’re a mistake, and he pretty much just ended our relationship?
Did he get his fill of me? Maybe I was a fun fling, but at the first sign of trouble, he’s bailing. I never would’ve pegged Drake as that kind of guy.
“But,” he says, catching my attention. “I will ask that you consider letting her finish her contract.”
