Chapter One
LUCY
“Just one more pin,” I mumbled through my teeth, holding the red and green tinsel to the fabric of my cubicle. The holidays were always my favorite, and even more so now that I had been named the unofficial office guru when it came to festivities. For birthdays, weddings, or holidays, I was your girl.
Most of the department had been separated around six months ago to make room for the incoming expansion. If you asked me, it was more like we were being pushed aside, alienated with the promise of ‘you need the quiet to focus.’
Days dragged on, each day the same, and they worked us so hard I felt like a hamster on a wheel. Despite the issues, the job itself was enjoyable. If it weren’t for the constant push through media campaigns and networking with stakeholders, we wouldn’t be the leading distributor in the area.
I had a little secret, though, a side-hustle of sorts. When my work was completed and the emails responded to, I would pull out my sketchbook, getting lost in my creative mind until the tip of the pencil wore down to nothing. It was a great way to decompress so I could get through the day.
On the side, I’d been freelancing to make some extra money,something for a rainy day. My parents always taught me to be practical, that one day could change the trajectory of my entire life.
A few weeks ago, a strange task came through the freelance site I worked on, offering me a substantial amount of money to bring a few ideas to life. They wanted me to create a series of decently sized paintings inspired by my favorite memories. I was given complete creative control and a month to do the project. I sat on the offer because life hasn't really been a positive experience for me lately. I would hate it if I disappointed the client.
It doesn’t hurt to try. Maybe it will bring my spark back.
The mouse hovered over the task, and I sealed my fate, clicking the accept button, wanting to grab it before the next person was offered the opportunity.
I worked tooth and nail to earn my art degree, something I was passionate about, and it wasn't until years later that I even thought about using it. Hell yes, I would take the chance to show life through the eyes of the artist.
I’d been working on the latest project for my full-time position, not exactly in my wheelhouse, but always happy to help when I could. We had recently bought out the rival company, and I had been tasked with the odds and ends admin tasks to prepare for the merger. Small, but important.
One of them happened to be spearheading the numbers in Q4 for the leadership team. It didn't look good, and I was almost afraid to hand it in. Being in the red is not where you want to be in a company with a deal like this on the horizon.
The steam from the coffee mug seemed inviting enough as a chill blew through the office. I took a sip of the warm liquid, and the taste of hazelnut slid down my throat.
Anyone who shot a glance my way could probably read my emotions quite clearly… frustration with a tad bit of curiosity. Something was going on. The numbers weren’t matching up. I’d brought it up a few times to Dante, my boss, but he always waved it off and told me to run the numbers again. I licked the residual coffee from the corner of my mouth before setting the cup back down.
“There is no way a hundred thousand dollars is unaccounted for,” I whispered to myself, resting my hand over the mounds of paperwork on my unorganized desk.
A ping sounded in my ears, signaling an incoming email, but I ignored it for now and focused on the pie chart that took up most of my cubicle space. The meeting was a few short hours away, and thishadto be done.
Work aside, I had the love of my life waiting for me at home. Jack was someone who had attended the local community college with me. He made his move when I was at my lowest, and he had helped me pick up the pieces of my life when it was in shambles. He worked at the dealership in town and became the top salesman three years ago.
Lately, though, it seemed like we were two different people, and my intuition screamed at me that he was hiding something. The hope of marriage hung over my head, teasing me like the empty space under the mistletoe.
It’s been six years…what is he waiting for?
I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of a pair of heels clicking against the wood floor, and plastered the fakest smile I could muster on my face. Soft black waves crossed my field of vision, peering over cubicles and acting like she was interested in what we were doing, but we all knew the real motivation.
Corrine Marcini.
A watchdog.
Corinne was married to Dante’s brother, and thanks to her family connection, had taken a position I’d rightfully earned. We were close once, but I had learned rather fast that she played both sides of the fence. If I wanted to keep my job, I had to play it safe and stay off the radar. So, I celebrated the announcement and stayed in the shadows of my little safe space.
We used to head out for drinks after work or take smallweekend trips together, sipping on wine when the guys golfed. She was one of the only people I trusted, a true friend.
She even knew about my suspicions surrounding Jack, telling me she would help me whenever I needed. However, half the office had seen how willing she was to throw someone under the bus to save her own skin.
I was aware of her presence behind me when a loud noise came from my desk. She had dropped a package. I stared at her, eyes wide, and realization settled in the pit of my stomach. I had accidentally forgotten to change the shipping address to my home after planning another employee's birthday.
“I’m sorry,” I tried to reason.
We squared off for a moment, eyes frozen and staring into each other, before she pulled away quickly. “Just don’t do it again.”
My eyes stayed glued to the box until I knew for sure she was gone, before grabbing and kicking it under my desk hastily.
