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Taryn said she was showing up today, but as of 9:32 a.m., the clock reads, she still hasn’t shown.
Where is she?
Her ass better just be running late, or I’ll be hacking into her cell phone provider to track her movements and then I’ll be dragging her in by her hair...
I sit at my desk, and try to work. Briana knows she’s to alert me the minute Taryn walks off that elevator. My secretary had looked at me a little strange at my request—probably because I’m acting like an angry lion today—but just said she would.
I pull up Taryn’s text on my phone. I can’t concentrate until I clear the air. Until I know things are okay between us. I hit the call button and it goes straight to voicemail. Not good.
I shoot off a text:It’s almost 10, where are you? Get your ass to work now.
I hitsendand realize that was harsh, so I send another:If you’re not coming in today, you have to let us know. If you’re going to continue to call off sick, HR needs a doctor’s note.
I send that one and also realize I’m being a dick but I don’t care. I’m going out of my mind.
Glancing at the stack of things I need to sign, I begin signing them without reading them. It manages to distract me remarkably until about 11 a.m. I hit the call button on my phone. “Briana, no word from Ms. Andrews?”
“No, sir. You’ll be the first to know when she arrives.”
“Thanks.”
I hit the button again and lean back in my chair as it squeaks under my weight. We had such a perfect and dare I say magical weekend then July Fourth. If she’s sick that’s one thing, but her text was so rude and cold that I have a sick feeling in my stomach. I can’t take this anymore. Something’s wrong.
I pull up her cell phone provider’s website and hack in through the back door. It takes me an infuriating twenty minutes to locate her account and I search the phone’s location. It’s indicating the phone is off and can’t be traced.
“Fuck!”
I log out of that and call up Declan.
“What’s up, man?” he asks in his usual jovial voice.
“I need a favor,” I say.
“You sound frantic,” he replies.
“Can you check hospital admissions for me? Taryn’s missing... her phone is off... I’m worried—”
“I got you, I got you. Take a breath and hang on. I’ll check CU Health’s hospitals. It’ll take a little longer to check the others...”
I hear him typing and the computer dings. “That was easy. Yes, she’s here, being held in the emergency room.”
“What!” I roar, getting up from my desk and snatching my keys up. “What floor is the ER? I ask as I tell Briana I’m leaving and will have my cell.
“First,” he replies.
“Go check on her please if you can. I’ll be there ASAP.”
“I will. Don’t kill yourself on the way here, we don’t need another patient.”
I end the call, not bothering to wait for the elevator as I fly down ten flights of stairs and run to my car in the garage. I’m so glad I drove myself today, having given Dave the rest of the week off to start his 35thwedding anniversary weekend early.
I fly through downtown, my thoughts going insane with so many horrible scenarios, and I try to push them away. I feel moisture build in my eyes and scream as I pound the steering wheel. “Fuck!”
I can see the large, looming hospital and make an illegal U-turn, squealing into the valet parking and opening the door before the valet attendant can get to me.
“Keys are in it!” I shout to the young man approaching and fly into the lobby, quickly locating the signs to the ER. I head inside and see a full waiting room. I walk up to the receptionist station where two ladies are laughing about something.
“Taryn Andrews, where is she?”
