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“With your talent, it’ll be a breeze. Tomorrow, okay?” she says, urging my promise.
“Tomorrow,” I reply.
Irene walks back into her office, and I walk to the back to find Charlie prepping for lunch.
“Oh, I have this if you want to—”
I hold up my hand in protest. “Enough of that, thank you very much. I still work here, so I still need to work.”
She relents and steps to the side to make room for me. After washing my hands, I slice tomatoes and other vegetables for sandwiches. Silence falls between us. The only sound is the knife tapping the cutting board with each slice.
We work robotically. Neither of us speak unless we need something. We move around one another automatically. It’s almost like a dance.
My stomach flips every time the door swings open through the lunch rush. Each time I convince myself it’ll be Christopher. It’s not. It never is. But the worry is still there. Much to my relief we make it through unscathed.
Which means the time to wind down for the day has begun, inching us closer to the showdown.
You can do this.
Irene calls Charlie and me into her office. “Charlie, you did great today. Thank you for your hard work. You can go. I’ll help Andrea clean up.” Her tone leaves no room for discussion in her tone.
Charlie turns to me, forcing a smile to her face. I can tell she wants to fight this, but she won’t cross Irene. Not when the tension is so high.
“I’m not telling you bye,” she starts. “If you need me, I’ll be right here in a jiffy.”
She pulls me into a Charlie bear hug, and I nod against her shoulder.
“Thank you, Charlie. You have been—”
Charlie pushes me back, stopping me. “No, no. None of that.”
Pushing my emotions down, I square my shoulders. “You’re right. None of that. See you tomorrow, bestie.”
“Or sooner,” she responds, grabbing her jacket before heading out.
Jack, Irene, and I glance at one another, but none of us comment.
Jack pulls me over to him. “Are you alright?”
“I’m okay. It’ll be over soon,” I say.
After a hug and a quick peck on the lips from Jack, Irene and I head into the kitchen area.
We take our time cleaning up. Both of us know we won’t be leaving for some time, anyway. Neither of us say much. There isn’t much to say really. The plan is in motion, and there’s no stopping it now.
When we’ve finished, Irene checks her watch. “Time to turn off the open sign,” she says casually.
I nod, feeling like I’ve just been gut punched.
My hands rest on the counter when Irene comes over to place her hand over one of mine.
She takes a deep breath, and I can see warning in her eyes. “Keep your eyes on me. Don’t look. He’s waiting across the street. This will be over before you know it. Jack and I will be here in seconds if you need us.”
I stare deep in her eyes as my entire body trembles.
She holds my gaze. “Andrea, breathe. In and out. You have to breathe. You have this.”
Taking a few deep breaths, I begin to settle. “I’ve got this.”
