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Ihaven’t seen Josephine for a few days due to overtime at work. There was a lot I now had to catch up on, after taking all the time off to plan and execute the wedding, plus extending our trip for a couple extra days.
It all seemed to work out, though, because Josephine had her mother to keep her busy. Now that her mother has been released from the hospital, Josephine wants to focus on getting her settled in at home. I can understand that, and our busy days seem to line up well so neither of us feels ignored.
I spend days, even nights at the office. It feels somewhat nice to be back in a routine at work; it keeps me sharp. Still, though, this ring wrapped around my right finger is taking some getting used to.
On this night in particular, the sun has already set behind me. I watched it setting a few hours ago, fading from blazing tangerine orange to a deep, glossy black. Coffee and almonds for snacks are keeping me awake. I am typing, thinking, planning, in the zone.
Multiple janitors have gone by, cleaning the office carpets and floors. Their machines are soothing, rocking me back and forth with their consistent hum.
It is nearly 8 P.M. when I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. When I look up, my stomach drops, realizing that what I am seeing isn’t one of the custodians saying goodnight; it is Ada.
She holds two boxes of what smells like Chinese takeout. Handing her a key to the building has been one of the worst decisions my father has ever made.
“Are you hungry, handsome?”
I glower at her. “I don’t know how many times I am going to have to reject you,” I say, still typing away at an email. “But I don’t care. I’ll keep doing it until you get the message.”
She gives me a wink, which only encourages my frustration.
“That doesn’t sound like a no…” she whispers.
Ada comes toward the desk, and I wonder if I should start locking my door. I hold my hand up to her like I have many times and unlock one of my draws. I pull out a protein bar and a bottle of Gatorade, waving it in her face.
“I’m good to go, as you can see.”
She scoffs and places down one of the takeout boxes. I’m not going to lie, it does smell tempting. But I can’t give in, even an inch. Not with this woman.
She must notice my mouth salivating because she sits on the desk, folding one bare leg over the other.
“You love Chinese,” she says, popping open the container.
The smell wafts upward, ticking my nose hairs. I begin to bolt out of my own office to escape her.
“You really are something, Ada. Don’t leave your garbage in here.”
I walk to the canteen to have my late night snack and decide to have just one more coffee for the night. Before Ada had arrived, I was on a roll. I plan to continue for about an hour, an hour and a half, and then leave on a high note.
Because Ada and I are the only ones left in the building, it is easy to hear when she leaves. I wait in the canteen drinking coffee when I finally hear the glass doors of the office slam shut.
It’s not a sound one would likely notice during the usual chatter of office work. But in the silence of the evening, one can hear the minute movement of a mouse.
I sigh and move back into my office. This time, I close the door and lock it behind me, finding relief in the sound of the click.
I then peer over at my desk and stop suddenly, frozen mid-walk.
I had left the drawer of my desk open when I retrieved my snacks. It strikes my eye right away because doing that isn’t like me at all. Plus, the opening of that drawer unlocks other drawers, ones with much more vital information within them.
I return to the desk and begin to cycle through them. Everything seems to be in place, but it throws me off, making me call it a night much earlier than I had intended.
Ada had taken the takeout boxes with her, leaving not a single trace of her existence. In retrospect, it seems kind of strange that she didn’t follow me into the canteen. There was no one else there, so she would have had the perfect opportunity to corner me. So why not?
I climb into my car, my mind swirling like a carnival ride. I start the engine and soar through the night, keeping my mind on the road as I recall the earlier accident with Josephine. I paid to have both of our cars fixed soon after it happened, but the last thing I need is another incident from careless driving.
I get home rather quickly and do my usual night-time routine. It usually calms me down after a long, productive day. Today, I am going through it on autopilot.
I can’t help but wonder what Ada had done, despite the fact that everything seemed like it was still in the same spot. Suspicion nags at me, though I can’t quite put my finger on just what is bothering me.
After showering, brushing my teeth and applying some skin cream, I climb into my bed. The sheets are fresh from the laundry, and I breathe in a comforting sigh. I close my eyes and rest on my back, exhausted from a long day of work.
