AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Epilogue – Rose Marie - A year and a half later
I stared out the window to the mountains I could see from my cubicle, lost in thought. Whoever said adulting was easy was a damn liar.
“Rose, Mr. Stiner would like to see you in his office,” Mellissa, Mr. Stiner’s assistant, said as I turned to face her.
“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
She smiled and headed back toward the elevator. Mr. Stiner’s office was on the fifth floor, which was the very top floor of the building, so I wasn’t sure why she had come all the way to the third floor when she could have called me. When she walked by and glanced into the office of Duke Walter, an architect, I had my answer. Duke looked like it took everything he had not to jump up and follow her.
After grabbing my reMarkable notebook, I stood and followed in the direction she walked. Once I got to the elevator, Mellissa was still there. The doors opened, and we both walked in.
“How have you been?” I asked. She smiled but stared ahead. I wasn’t sure if she was going to answer me or not. We had gone to high school together. When I had left for college, she had gone straight to work from high school. She had started in the mail room of Stiner Architectural Firm and made her way up to administrative assistant to the owner.
Her reply finally came, and it felt cold.
“Fine. You?”
“Never been better. Say, are you still dating Nolan Smith?”
Her head snapped to look at me or, rather, glare at me. “No.”
With a nod, I said, “I never did like him.”
She sighed heavily, and I bet she regretted her decision to come to the third floor.
When the doors opened, she stepped out, and I followed. I stopped in front of Mr. Stiner’s door and waited for Mellissa to announce I was there.
“Go on in,” she said as she narrowed her eyes at me.
“Always good chatting with you, Mellissa.”
Mr. Stiner looked up and smiled at me as he motioned for me to sit down. “Rose, thank you so much for coming on up.”
I slid into the chair and smiled as I pulled out my electronic notebook. “Of course, Mr. Stiner.”
I’d been working for Stiner Architectural for over a year. It had been the first job I applied for after college and was stunned when I was hired. Not to mention it was here in Hamilton, which made my parents both happy, as well as me.
“Now, Rose…you know I think you’re one of the most promising employees we have here at the firm.”
“I truly appreciate that, Mr. Stiner.”
He nodded. “And your ability to help with the designs, as well as interiors, has been beneficial.”
I smiled. “Glad to hear that.”
“And because of that, and the fact that you have earned respect from all of the architects here at the firm, I’m assigning you to a team that’ll be building a home right outside of Hamilton for a very important client.”
I sat up a bit straighter. “I’d be honored, and thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.”
His smile faded, and he cleared his throat. “Well, truth be told, the client asked for you personally.”
“Really?” I asked, instantly intrigued to know who it was.
“Yes. You’ll be attending the first initial meeting today with the client, but I wanted to meet with you privately first. Our client also requested to speak with you before the meeting. He has some specific concerns about the interior. He wants the entire home to be environmentally friendly, of course.”
Nodding as I took notes, I said, “Of course.”
Mr. Stiner stood. “Wonderful. I’m going to step out and let him step in, so the two of you can chat. Since you’ll be handling the more intimate area of the home, it’s vital you understand the client’s needs.”
