The elevator opened on the fifth floor, and Jeremy entered the suite of Shipman and York Certified Public Accountants.
“May I help you?” A receptionist smiled at him, and he cleared his throat, suddenly aware he should have put on a suit and tie instead of dark jeans and a button-down.
“Um, yes. I’d like to see Blake Myers, please.”
Her smile dimmed. “Blake?”
“Yes. I’m his, well, uh, we’re good friends, and I need to speak to him. It won’t take too long.”
“I’m sorry, but—”
“It’s okay, Lorinda. I’ll take care of it.” An elegantly dressed black woman stood behind the reception desk. “You’re Jeremy?”
“Yes.” He searched his memory and recalled Blake mentioning his assistant was from Jamaica, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember her name. “I’m sorry. I’m terrible with names. But Blake did mention you to me.” He put on his most winning smile.
“It’s Cassandra. You can follow me, please.”
Not the reception he’d expected, but perhaps he’d made a mistake and Blake would get in trouble if he took time out to speak to him. They passed through an open bullpen of cubicles, where all he could see were the tops of people’s heads, studying numbers on their computer screens. He began to itch and pulled at the collar of his shirt. It gave him a better insight as to the stress Blake put himself through every day and why he might be suffering from his problem.
Cassandra opened a door, and instead of it being an office with Blake sitting behind the desk, it was empty and dark. She switched on the lights and closed the door behind them.
“May I ask you why you’re here?” Her stiff posture and pursed lips didn’t bode well for Jeremy. But he recalled Blake confiding in him that “Cassie” had been the only person to show him any consideration when his father passed away. She was more than Blake’s coworker and might be the key to his plan.
“I need your help. I don’t know how much Blake’s told you about us, but he broke up with me a month or so ago and won’t talk to me, won’t even answer my texts or voice mails. I want to see him and explain that I don’t care how hard he’s working here. I mean, I care because all the hours he’s putting in are ridiculous, but if that’s what he wants, then I want it too.” He stopped for a second and caught his breath before sitting down. “I just want him to come back.”
“Wait a minute.” Looking a bit flustered and less wary, Cassandra pulled out a chair across the table from him and sat. “You mean Blake never told you…oh my God, this is crazy.”
“What? What’s crazy? Never told me what? Where is he?”
He watched Cassandra’s pale-tipped nails dig into the palms of her hands before she spoke.
“I don’t quite know how to tell you, but Blake hasn’t worked here in close to three months. He was let go.”
His heart began to pound. “You’re shitting me. Oh, I’m sorry. I mean—”
She waved an effortless hand in the air. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I have three older brothers. There’s little I haven’t heard.” Her face creased with sadness. “But back to Blake. Yes, they let him go, and he had it very rough. It was very hard for him to find work for weeks because the firm here wouldn’t give him a good reference.”
This was nuts. For months they’d been together, and Blake not only didn’t tell him he’d been fired, he lied and said he was working like a dog. Here. At his office.
“Why? Why would he lie to me? Did he think I was stupid and wouldn’t find out?” Cradling his head in his hands, Jeremy closed his eyes. Hewasstupid. He hadn’t suspected a thing.
He heard Cassandra leave her chair, and to his surprise, she took a seat right next to his. “No. Don’t think that. I know Blake really cares for you.”
“Yeah?” He tilted his face sideways so as to see her. “Funny way he has of showing it. Lying, breaking up with me…I’d hate to see what he’d do if he didn’t care.”
Her eyes flashed fire. “You have no idea how humiliated he was that day. He’d given everything to this place, and they treated him like dirt. They made him feel like a child—like he was in the wrong when he was the one who was right. They forced him out in one day, in front of everyone.”
Stunned by this news, Jeremy could only stare at her, his heart hurting for Blake. His poor sensitive guy. How devastated he must’ve been. And to hold it all inside all these months. No wonder he snapped.
First dashing the tears from her eyes, Cassandra continued. “But he held it together. I don’t think I could’ve been so strong as Blake was. So before you think you know what he’s been through, you need to check yourself.”
He listened to her heavy breathing and pushed over the box of tissues on top of the table. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” She dabbed at her eyes. “I’m not usually so emotional, but Blake is special to me. Almost like a brother.”
“But why didn’t he tell me? He lied to me. All along. He should have known I’d be there to help him, but he didn’t have faith in me. In us.” Their last talk played in his head, and he clenched a fist atop the ugly Formica table. “You don’t lie to someone you love.”
“I can’t speak for him. But I’ve been with Blake from his first day here. And I know he loved you. From your first date, that man changed. In the beginning he couldn’t believe someone like you wanted him. All he’d say was ‘Cassie, he’s perfect. Why would he want me?’”
