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“Okay, but can you hurry up, please?” I needed him to get to the point before Drew got back from his run. Ideally, I wanted to be gone before he got back.
“There were a bunch of suits in the office the other day, talking to Eirin.”
“Right. You said in your text you think she’s selling the site?” A pit grew in my stomach. I needed time to line up something new. But what if Eirin sold HypeKey and the new owners cleaned house?
“Maybe. But I don’t think that’s what this was about. They were cheap suits. Brenda said one of them flashed an FBI badge at her when they checked in to see Eirin. This is why I didn’t throw Brenda under the bus. She’s a good one to keep on your side. Receptionists have all the best info.”
“Ward, focus. Why was the FBI there?”
“Right. Lauren has been conspicuously absent all week. Called in sick. Rumor is, those prepaid gas cards she makes us use are part of some kind of money laundering scheme tied to the Russian mob and now she’s dodging the feds.”
I barked out a laugh, the anxiety in my gut dissipating. “Are you kidding me? That has got to be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s Lauren. Nothing is too stupid for her to have tried. And if Eirin knows about it too, HypeKey might be in trouble. You said you’re thinking about looking for a new job. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to start looking sooner rather than later.”
That sobered me. Not because I was worried about the FBI shutting down a lifestyle and gossip blog, but because I knew I wasn’t cut out for the job anymore. I’d been content coasting along and writing pointless articles for years, but the short time I spent in Kelly Bay had opened my eyes to the fact that I wanted—needed—something more in my life.
Even if I wasn’t going to get it with Drew, that didn’t mean I couldn’t try for it elsewhere.
It’s never going to be as good anywhere else as it could have been here, the nagging voice in the back of my head said.
The call waiting beeped, and I glanced at my screen.
Incoming call: Dr. York
I told Ward he was being paranoid, and I’d catch up with him later, then took the call from my doctor’s office. The nurse informed me they needed to change my appointment scheduled for next month. Apparently, the doctor was going to be closing his office that entire week. He added late hours all next week to help reschedule his more urgent patients, but if I couldn’t take one of those appointments, they would be rescheduling me three months out.
I muttered a curse into the phone.
“Dr. York reviewed your chart and said it would be fine if you wanted to schedule farther out but he wanted to give you the option of one of the earlier appointments.”
“It’s not that, it’s just…” This woman didn’t need a whole story about my tenuous job and crumbling personal life.
This had to be the universe giving me a sign: leave and save yourself the heartache before he tells you he doesn’t want you.
“What do you have available next week?”
“Monday at seven p.m.?”
My whole body grew heavy, like someone dipped me in wet cement. The opening ceremony for the festival was Friday late afternoon. I could watch Drew do his thing, get my pictures, and be on my way. By Monday I’d be back in New York with Kelly Bay long faded from my rearview mirror. But if I was going to find a new job, I needed this appointment out of the way first.
“I’ll take it.”
