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“Yeah. I, uh, I mean it's probably just a slight concussion,” I said.
He took his hand from my face and eyed me. He appeared confident, like he wanted me to run into his sculpted chest. He hadn't moved an inch since we ran into each other. We were so close that I could smell him. Involuntarily, I noted that he smelled like the earth at night.
“You should watch where you're going,” he said, his voice now harsh and firm. He pushed past me and made his way to the elevator.
I opened my mouth to make some quick, stupid comeback like “No, you watch where you're going!” But, he was already out of earshot.
I frowned, feeling sad and invigorated at the same time, like back in grade school when my crushes acknowledged me by pulling my hair or calling me stupid. Shaking off the encounter, I decided it was probably best to unpack my new life. As I made my way back to my apartment, I met two more people, but I managed to avoid physically running into them: Claire and Tom. They lived on the same floor as me.
“We saw what happened. Watch out for Vic,” Claire said.
“Vic?” I replied, curious.
“The handsome man you just ran into,” Claire said.
Tom made a comment about him not being that handsome, and Claire just laughed. Their stable and cutesy relationship made me want to vomit and cry at the same time.
“He lives in the penthouse, but you'll often see him making rounds of the building,” Claire continued. “He isn't the friendliest, but he's good to have around.”
I shrugged at her words, whatever they meant, and continued on my way.
My apartment was mostly empty. I hadn't had time to pack in Seattle, considering I'd just upped and left. I had four boxes, and they contained mostly keepsakes. I wanted to cry. I'd spent years accumulating furniture, linens, and all the assorted knickknacks; I had had to leave it all behind. That shit ain’t cheap.
Sighing, I sat on the edge of my new Ikea bed. This was just the beginning.
I sat across from a very intimidating woman. She was thin and muscular, probably middle forties but the way she kept herself she didn't look older than thirty. Her sandy blonde hair was pulled back into a neat chignon, she had light bronzer on her high cheekbones, and wore a beige pantsuit. She was eyeing me like I were a broken piece of china she had just purchased.
“I won't lie to you, Lennox, your history worries me.” Great. The way this woman is eyeing me makes me want to get up and leave now. But I won't. Because of Zoe. She was the reason I even had this interview, and I wasn't going to disrespect her by leaving in the middle of it.
I was meeting with the CEO and owner of Simply Santa Barbara, a premiere event planning company in Santa Barbara. The CEO, however, didn't look too pleased to be meeting with me. “I know Zelda personally, and she doesn't have many kind things to say about you right now.” Bullshit! I had worked my ass off for Zelda, the head of Felicity Seattle, for years. Just because I didn't give her two weeks’ notice, suddenly I'm the crackhead who stole her diamonds. She hated me because I slept with her son once—just the once.
Yeah . . . not smart, I know. Remember how I said sometimes I can be impulsive? Remember how I said some people think I'm crazy? Well, all valid points. When I first started working for Zelda, her son Owen was doing some kind of architecture or plumbing work. I don't know, we didn't exchange pleasantries.
I fucked him in the bathroom. Maybe that's why I think he's a plumber. Anyway, we went our separate ways after that, but somehow Zelda found out a year or two later and has hated my guts ever since. I was already established at the company when she found out so, insert legal garbage here, she couldn't fire me. Besides, I was dating my boyfriend by then (unaware he would become a psychopath); I wasn’t still having sex with her son. I assumed Zelda would get over it. Seriously, it was just a onetime case of bathroom sex.
I wanted to say as much, but instead I held my tongue. That is, until this CEO woman said this:
“I think I might need someone with a little more experience.” She readjusted some papers.
“I have experience!” I blurted out.
Her eyes widened, startled.
“I've been in the industry for years! Celebrities request me by name. I've put on weddings that would make Narcissus stop and look.” I shook my head, not even sure if she was still listening. “I didn't have a choice, Bethany.” Now I was in deep, I just called her by her first name. I must be losing my mind. I looked her in her eyes and, to my surprise, she was listening. “I had no choice but to leave and now Zelda is spreading rumors. She's petty. She's always been petty.”
I sighed and stood up. It was useless. I may as well start looking for a new career.
“Tell me more.” Bethany's voice interrupted my departing pity party bus.
“What?”
“Tell me more.” Bethany's tone was clipped, she obviously wasn't used to being asked questions. “Why did you have to leave? Whatever the reason, it can't be an issue here.”
I sat down and stared at the marble of her desk. Should I tell her? Could I tell her? I hadn't told anyone, not even my father. How do you divulge your most intimate secrets with someone you didn't even know? With someone who didn't even like you?
“It was my boyfriend,” I started. “My ex-boyfriend. He hurt me and he . . . threatened me. I couldn't tell anyone where I was going because I didn't want him to know. I guess now you know so here's hopin' you don't tell.” That was the gist of it. There was so much more meat and so much more terror, but I hoped that what I shared satiated her curiosity. I didn't think I could talk anymore about it.
She stared at me, her light brown eyes calculating. “You'll start on Monday,” she said. “Nine in the morning and no later.”
