AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I thank him and hang up, my mind in utter turmoil. It takes months to broker new deals, sometimes years. I’ve been in preliminary talks with those guys since early spring. I’m frustrated they won’t even entertain the thought of discussing their concerns over video call, but I know if it were me, I wouldn’t either.
I hate this. It sucks. Without this deal, our numbers will fall short.
And our father will still think he’s better than us all.
Chapter 32
Elianna
My eyes sting. I read once that the muscles surrounding the eyes are the fastest muscles in the body because they can move in mere milliseconds. I don’t know. My eyes are just tired. Fastest muscles or not, I’m weary to the bone.
I just want to go home. Except I don’t really have one yet. This job was supposed to be the plan to help me afford an apartment, near the playhouse that’s a part of my heart and soul.
Except I had to go fall in love with Sebastian. And then mess things up. I peel myself off of the sofa to go into work. The thought of seeing Sebastian fills me with dread. I don’t want to see his face, the look of disappointment.
I used to love Mondays, truly love Mondays. It’s a fresh, new start. Not anymore. Mondays can just bite me.
He was supposed to fly in on Saturday, so why haven’t I heard from him at all? Except, maybe I messed up when I called the travel agency and accidentally sent him to Antarctica. I wouldn’t put it past me.
I’ve nearly texted or called him half a dozen times since then, but every time, the words feel so inadequate. And what’s worse, I’ve missed him. Ached to see him and give him a hug and tell him I’m so sorry he lost that big deal.
Except it was my fault.
I arrive at the resort under a colorless sky. The guest parking lot feels a little empty, too. Mondays are usually lower capacity anyway, but now it’s the off-season and our numbers are starting to go down, which will only hurt the company’s bottom line even more.
I walk in through the employee entrance only to see Gordon, the new assistant that was brought on, up ahead of me. Great. He’s even beat me to work. Add that to the list of things he’s done better than me so far.
He’s palling around with Rowena, and with her graying hair and his almost white, blonde locks, they really do look like a matching salt and pepper shaker set. I giggle, despite my foul mood, and that lets a dam of emotions break free.
Now I’m really laughing, and it sounds like a hyena giving birth. And when I get really laughing like this, I get all teary eyed, too. Nooo. My eyes can’t take more crying. Those in the elevator are staring at me, and Gordon is holding the door for me.
I’m laughing so hard, I have to wave them on.
Here we go again. There’s crazy Elianna, just losing it on the first floor.
I wait for the next elevator and thankfully, I’m alone. I take a moment to compose myself and it almost works, except when the doors open on the second floor.
Sebastian.
He seems surprised to see me. Yeah. I would be surprised to see me, too. You blow up your boss’s biggest goals and then have the audacity to show up the next shift?
“Elianna, hey.” Sebastian looks almost as bad as I do, like he hasn’t slept since he got back. “Are you . . . are you doing okay?” His expression is tortured.
Someday I’ll tell my grandchildren—if I ever have any, which at this point is seeming less and less likely by the second. But if they exist someday, I’ll tell them that one day, their granny got in an elevator and at the moment that called for the most seriousness of her life, the moment she wanted to be the most serious, the moment she felt the most contrite and apologetic, she laughed.
Yes, grandchildren, I laughed.
It burbles up so quickly it probably sounds like a hiccup. I try to flash Sebastian a look of apology, but he has no way of knowing the serious tragedy that’s about to take place.
I laugh again and slap a hand over my mouth. I adjust my oversized, gray sweater and black, swingy skirt, trying with everything in me to focus on something else besides the laughter. Because I know from experience that if I’m thinking too hard about it, I’ll never be able to rein it in.
Sebastian’s staring at me, like I’m dressed in one of those big banana costumes people outside of smoothie shops wear. I try to whisper “I’m sorry,” but the laughter comes again. When we finally reach the fifth floor, I stumble out into the hallway and take a light jog, right past Rowena and Gordon. I avoid all eye contact.
Please let The Summit doors be open. Please. Then I can just slip in there, find the bathroom, and wait this out.
But before I reach the doors, I can already tell they’re locked. It’s dark inside, as it should be. It’s eight in the morning, and they only serve lunch and dinner.
I try the doors anyway and they don’t budge. I whirl around to see Sebastian stalking down the hallway to me. I take a step back, hiccup once—loudly, it’s a real one this time—and just like that, the attack passes.
