I kept circling the breakroom. “Where are you staying when you get back? Do they know about me?”
I swiftly looked around and caught Lucy's eye. She was still watching me. I winced. She was the last person I wanted to see right now. She threw me a wave with her fingers. I rolled my eyes to myself and kept pacing.
“Stop stressing. Colt called me directly. We are handling it. We don’t want you involved. I will be back, and no, I’m not staying with you if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m going to roll with Colt till the deal is done.”
I huffed and puffed a little. “I’m worried about you, that’s all. If Colt has it under control, then I trust him.”
“Ah. It sounds like you and Colt have something going. You getting it on with the cowboy, sister?” Hector’s tone changed.
The rush of red was making my cheeks flushed. I stopped in place. Lucy’s eyes were observing my every movement. She was becoming annoying these days. I could only handle her in small doses. I turned my back to her.
I ground my teeth a little. “I’m not talking to you about this right now.”
“Okay. Just know everything is okay. I will see you soon.”
“All right, bye.” I tried my hardest to ignore Lucy and talk to some of my other colleagues. She tugged at my shirt as I tried to walk past.
“Hey, how are you doing? Did I hear you mention that cute cowboy’s name right then?”
I gave her a cold stare in an attempt to move her on. “No, you’re hearing things, honey. I was talking to my brother. I have a pretty heavy workload, so I will have to catch up with you a little later.”
Lucy narrowed her beady eyes at me as she sipped her drink. “Right,” she concluded.
I made my way back to my desk. I texted Colt because I was so nervous about everything.
Please take care of my brother.
He texted back seconds later.
Nothing will happen to him.
Tameka, a long-standing staff member in the department and one of the most dedicated social workers on my district team, came to my desk. “Hi, Amber.”
I broke into a smile. It was hard not to smile at Tameka. She was standing at the edge of my cubicle with a frown.
“How are you?”
“I’m doing great. I just wanted to say congratulations to you.”
Puzzled, I looked back at her weirdly. “Congratulations? What do you mean?”
“What, you don’t know?” She pointed to the door of my boss’s office.
“What am I supposed to know?” I asked slowly. Now I felt anxiety knocking at my door, setting to make my day just a little more on edge.
She gave the face of a naughty kid who did something they shouldn’t have. “Oh. I made a boo-boo. I don’t want to ruin it. Me and my big mouth.”
“Now you and your big mouth need to tell me what’s going on.”
She paused and read my face. “I think you might have a promotion. Bossman is singing your praises right now.”
My boss rounded the corner just as Tameka finished speaking. He gave a solitary wave, beckoning me in his direction. I quickly stepped into his office, sensing Lucy’s antenna go up as I did, and shut the door behind me.
“Hi. How are you doing?”
“I’m doing really well,” I lied. I wanted Hector home, and I had been stressed out ever since Colt told me what was about to go down.
“Please, take a seat.”
