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"Good call. Take care of yourself," he smiles, waving me off as I gather my things.
The only thing that manages to overshadow how depressed I am is my total exhaustion. My bones are aching and tired by the time I get off the subway, walk to my apartment, and find that the elevator in my building is out again. I'm forced to walk up five flights of stairs, and the whole way all I can think about is stripping down for a hot bath, then curling up in comfy sweats and a big glass of wine.
So closeI think to myself as I unlock the front door.Almost there.
It's quiet in the apartment, but I can smell food. I follow the scent to the kitchen where Addy is sitting at the table and Sam is hovering over the stove. They both freeze and turn to look at me as I come in. They stare at me with eerie silent smiles.
"What's going on?" I ask, narrowing my eyes over them. "Why do you both look like the cats who ate the canaries?"
Addy glances over to Sam. "You tell her."
I let my heavy bags fall down to the floor and balance myself against the wall to peel off my shoes. "Tell me what?" I huff.
Sam puts down her mixing spoon and crosses the kitchen. Her hands are behind her back and she has the most ridiculous smile on her face as she approaches me.
"You're really freaking me out. Just tell me whatever it is."
She lets the suspense build as she bounces on her heels and flashes several giggling glances over her shoulder to Addy - who's also brimming with excitement, but it's tempered by her ever-present preteen angst and obsession with being too cool for everything. Apparently unbridled emotion is the most uncool thing you can ever do.
"You'll never believe who showed up here earlier," Sam says finally.
"Who?" I shrug.
"A messenger from Bardot. They wanted me to tell you…that you got the job!" she exclaims, throwing her arms up in the air.
I'm in stunned silence as Addy leaps from her chair and runs over to hug me.
"What?" I stammer breathlessly. "What do you mean I…I got it!? I got the job!?"
"Yes! You got it!"
The three of us erupt in squeals as we hug and hop around in a circle. Even Addy loses herself in the excitement of the moment.
"Oh my god. How did this happen?"
"I guess whatever you did worked," Sam shrugs. "He said it was his boss who sent him. To let you know you got the job and that they want you to start as soon as possible. He said you'd know who to call for the details."
My lips part as I feel a strange tug in my heart. "Hewho? Who was the messenger?"
Their smiles fade. They look at eachother, then back to me.
"Uh, that's not really important," Sam insists with a wincing expression.
"If it's not important, why wouldn't you tell me?" I press. "Wait. Was it…No! Washehere!?"
The thought of Joshua Ashford knowing where I live, of him seeing Addy after all these years and maybe not even knowing who she was…god, and the fact that Sam has listened to me cry and complain about this man until there was nothing left to say…it's just all so mortifying. I feel violated in a way, like my home has been tainted by him stalking its doorway.
And then there's the other feeling that creeps in…the flutter in my heart that I don't understand. The one he always inspires in me, even if it is coupled with rage or heartbreak.
I decide to ignore both of those things for now. I'm not going to let him ruin this for me. He tried to do that once already and lost. Now it's my turn to accept the position I earned and enjoy the fact that everything I've worked so hard for is finally paying off.
8
Vanessa
Thanks to some styling advice from Sam and Addy, by the time I'm walking through the front doors of Bardot for my first day on the job - I'm looking and feeling fantastic.
Well, okay…it was a little more thanstyling advice. They decided on everything for my clothes, hair, and makeup while I focused on a full powerpoint to present my research plans to my new team at Bardot.
