He likely won’t even notice I’m gone.
* * *
As soon as the elevator doors close, I change my mind.
I should have said something.What kind of a hard-hitting reporter am I if I can’t even stand up for myself to my own boss?Maybe this is a sign that I’m not suited for this after all.
When I reach the foyer, I’m greeted by a familiar grin.
“Are you stalking me now?”I shift the box in my hands as I pushed past Lucky into the foyer.“Don’t tell me; your brother works here.”
He laughs, causing something traitorous in my chest to chime like a bell.I grind my teeth to ward it off.
I will not like him, no matter how chipper he is.And cute.So, so cute.
“Nah, they’re back home.All five of them.But I’ve got a cousin who runs a bar downtown.”
“Of course you do.”I walk past him.
“Hey,” Lucky says, popping up on my right.He’s holding out a coffee and a takeout bag.“How about we swap?”
I pull the box away.I’m mad.At Monica, at Lucky, at myself.“Thanks, but you’ve done enough helping today.How did you even find me?”
“I felt bad about this morning, so I brought you the coffee you’d missed and a doughnut as a peace offering.”
I do love doughnuts.
“I have a soft spot for the classics,” he adds, following me like a puppy that’s eager to play.Doesn’t anything faze him?“Hopefully, you like sprinkles.”
Dammit.My favorite.
I grip my box tighter.
“Thank you, but no.Today has already gone about as bad as it possibly could.I don’t think a single doughnut is going to fix the fact that I got fired for being late.”
“Do you want to yell at me?It might make you feel better.”
I level my best stare at him.
His smile remains.“Hey, maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.Come on.A bit of caffeine and sugar, and you’ll feel better.”
I snort.“Are you always this disgustingly optimistic?”
He cocks a brow.“Are you always this hopelessly cynical?”
Cynical?How about pushed to my limit?
“That’s pretty rich, coming from a guy who gave away a hundred dollars like it’s nothing.How about you take all that money and persistence and do something good with it?Then we can talk.”
I blow past him.It isn’t easy to get through the revolving doors with my hands full, but I can’t stop.I need to get out of this building, away from the crushing sense of disappointment that’s eating away at my gut.
The wind outside is harsh, the chill snapping my brain into focus.Okay, soThe Observerdidn’t work out, but there’s more than one paper in this city, and I’m as qualified as anyone else.
Getting a reference will be difficult.Monica is out, and who else could I even ask?Andy would lie to spite me, Bianca doesn’t answer calls she doesn’t recognize, and Sterling doesn’t even know my name.
I jump when my phone rings.
It’s a juggle to pull it from my pocket, but at least it’s good news.
