“I’m going to grab a snack. Can I get you anything?” Fernando asked.
“No, but thanks. I’m just going to stretch and take my time changing.”
“Great. Meet back here in an hour for the finale?”
“Yes, sir.” She mock saluted him. He laughed and disappeared down the hall.
Pulling open the door to her dressing room, Gemma removed the blond wig and patted her hair. The wig cap was still firmly in place. She zipped open her skate backpack to feel around for her tablet.
Knock. Knock.
“It’s open,” Gemma shouted.
The door handle turned, and a woman dressed in a white dress shirt and gray pencil skirt strode in. Her heels click-clacked against the ground. From how she carried herself, there was no doubt that this woman exuded confidence.
Gemma angled her body toward the door. “Hello, can I help you?”
The woman tucked a clipboard under her arm. “Ms. MacLeod, I’m Annette Wilcox from HR. I’m the caseworker who’s been assigned to you.”
“Oh.” Gemma tapped her hair and pulled off the wig cap. Her curls cascaded toward her shoulders. Jumping to her feet, she extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
The woman’s hands remained in place. Her gaze, however, appraised Gemma from head to toe, as if she were being X-rayed. “Yes?.?.?. well, let’s cut right to the chase, shall we?”
Gemma placed a hand on her hip. “Are you here to schedule the assessment?”
“No, I’ve just completed it. I just have a few nitty-gritty details to confirm with you.” The woman brought the clipboard up to her eye level. “It says here that you’ve been diagnosed with a partially-torn labrum in your right hip; is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“And your preferred course of treatment for the present is a combination of physical therapy and rest.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ms. Wilcox nodded sharply and scribbled down a few notes.
“I don’t know if it’s been added, but I’ve been transferred to the care of Dr. Zhang. He’s an ortho—”
“Yes, I have it here.”
“Oh.”
The woman tucked the clipboard back under her elbow. “May I ask, who was it who directed you to go and see Dr. Zhang? Was it the physical therapist Melanie Rosewood?”
Gemma fidgeted. She didn’t like the sharp tone of the HR worker. Something about the way she was asking her questions raised a red flag.
Technically, it was Mel who recommended I seek a second opinion. She didn’t seem to trust the company doctor. I don’t trust Ms. Wilcox. She’s acting like a robot.
“I did it all on my own. Dr. Zhang is a friend of sorts.”
Ms. Wilcox pinched her lips together. “Were you aware that when you did so, you breached the terms of your contract?”
Gemma took a step back. “No, I wasn’t.”
“Section five, subsection four, paragraph one, line three, notes that all employees of Dreams on Ice and its subsidiary companies may only seek treatment from the preapproved list of medical practitioners.”
“I?.?.?. I’m sorry, I didn’t know. It was an honest mistake.”
Ms. Wilcox cleared her throat. “When you signed your present contract, you stated that you understood that any breach of its terms would subject you to potential disciplinary action. Based on this, and the lackluster skating skills I witnessed today, it’s been decided that you’ll be released from the company effective immediately.”
