I did as she said and sat down opposite her, anxiety raging through my pulse. I’d never been in her office twice in such a short timespan, and I didn’t like it one bit.
Through half-closed eyelids, I studied my manager. Her nails were perfectly manicured, not a hair out of place in her short black cut, her dark eyes enlarged behind thick glasses. I could tell she’d once been a young girl with ambitions, maybe even morals, but corporate greed had slammed them out of her and turned her into the screw in the machine she was now. I squinted my eyes, trying to assess her age. She could be no older than in her late forties. How long could one work at a company like this one before turning into her?
“How are you?” Arya interrupted my train of thoughts with a forced smile.
“I’m fine.” I forged one back. My manager was, in fact, one of those people who wanted no other answer than ‘fine’.
She cleared her throat, a sign we were about to go straight to business. Good – every second stalling only heightened my anxiety.
“Here’s the thing.” She folded her hands. “As you may have noticed, Gavin Jenkins hasn’t been in our office for over a week. His attendance has been suffering for a while, but now, he doesn’t come in at all. He doesn’t respond to messages, calls, or even the formal warning that was sent to him earlier this week.”
She pressed her thin lips together, raising her eyebrows. I nodded slowly, my face twisting into a frown. I actually had not noticed Gavin’s absence. “And you’re worried something’s wrong with him.”
“No, I’m worried about how this will affect quarterly results.” Arya slammed down a file of stapled-together papers with a firmness that made me flinch. She started hastily skipping through them, and I absently wondered why companies like ours still used paper when everything could be done digitally. Clearly, they didn’t care for saving trees, but not even for efficiency? “I asked John Lewis – given his friendship with Gavin – but according to him, Gavin is not answering him, either.” She finally glanced up at me. “He suggested I speak to you. He said you may know more, since apparently…” She narrowed her eyes in undisguised disdain, “…mister Jenkins and you are involved in the same side hustle you neglected to report to me. Is that correct, Morgan?”
I closed my eyes for a moment, fighting the dread that manifested as bile in my throat.
Fucking John. The leech was probably mad at Gavin for ignoring him, and he already couldn’t stand me, so now he decided to out us both in the process.
“Gavin’sside hustle,” I corrected, looking my manager in the eye. Apparently, lying got easier the more you practiced – who would’ve thought? “Not mine. He tried to convince me to sign up, but frankly, this job is taking up all my energy, so I hardly have time for his pyramid schemes.” I raised my eyebrows. “Besides, in case last week’s encounter didn’t make it clear, Gavin and I aren’t friends. Even if we did have the same side hustle – which we don’t – I don’t see how that has anything to do with me knowing his whereabouts.”
My own sharp voice startled me. I hadn’t intended to snap like that, but sometimes when my emotions had been festering too long, they flooded like that.
Arya’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought she was about to lecture me on my tone. Instead, she shook her head, leaning forward to rub her temples. She suddenly seemed exhausted. “Well, according to John, Gavin kept bragging about how profitable his side hustle was and how he soon wouldn’t need this job anymore.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s bullsh—that’s untrue. They don’t pay for over fourteen hours per week. According to Gavin,” I quickly added upon seeing her scowl.
Arya nodded. She put her pen to her chin – pens, another thing we definitely didn’t need in 2055 – and thought about it for a moment.
Then, she made a dismissive gesture. “Alright then. Well, if you do hear from mister Jenkins, let him know that we have no choice but to terminate his employment. The formal letter will be sent out this week. This is not a place where employees can just come and go as they please.”
I nodded slowly. Somehow, her words sounded like a warning.
“You are dismissed,” she added after a pause. I quickly got up, realizing I probably should’ve picked up the cue.
Chapter 17.
Finding the office nearly empty when I returned from Arya’s interrogation was as relieving as it was dreadful. Relieving because I wouldn’t have to answer annoying questions, but dreadful because nothing said ‘corporate slave’ like being the last person to leave the office. I quickly gathered my things and made my way to the elevator like a sleepwalker.
Twilight embraced me when I stepped outside – the sun set early at this time of year. Our office was located in one of Lumis Nexus’ ‘upcoming’ districts – affordable real estate, shitty lighting, and empty streets marking the ten-minute walk to the subway.
“Morgan.” I froze at John’s voice when I crossed the first corner, immediately stirring unease in my stomach. Had he been waiting for me?
“John.” I forced a shaky smile. My hand curled around my neural door pass, still clipped to my pocket – a dull rectangle of brushed titanium with just enough weight to use if needed. “Thanks for telling Arya lies about my supposed side hustle, I really appreciate being called into the office for nothing. Now if you don’t mind…”
I tried to step around him, but he moved at the same moment I did, blocking my view. I clenched my teeth, suppressing a surge of panic.
“I was actually hoping to talk to you in private.” He flashed that slimy smile that made my skin crawl. I turned my head, trying to avoid the smell of cigarettes and sweat.
“You’ve had all day to talk to me in the office.” My eyes scanned the way ahead of him. The alleyway, barely illuminated by artificial lampposts, was too small to squeeze past him without touching him.
“I would, Morgan, if you weren’t avoiding me.”
I tried not to cringe at how he spoke my name – as if I were something to possess. “What is it?”
“Gavin.” John’s smile briefly faltered, and for a moment, the frown that crossed his face looked like genuine concern. “There’s something I didn’t tell Arya, because I didn’t want to make matters worse for him.” He paused, raising his eyebrows as if expecting me to react. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I went to his home last week because he wasn’t answering my calls, hadn’t come to work. We’ve been friends for years, so we’ve added each other’s biometric data to our locks foremergency cases.” His frown deepened. “Well, he didn’t answer, so I went in… and I found him lying on his bed, motionless, eyelids trembling like he was deeply asleep.” He sharply blew out air, zoning out for a moment. “God, it was creepy, man. I said his name, nothing. I called out to him, nothing. Only when I shook him did he wake up…” He shuddered at the memory. “And he got fucking pissed. Said I interrupted his DreamScape or whatever. I swear, he was about to throw a chair at my face, so I ran out.”
He zoned back in. I resisted the urge to avoid his invasive dark gray eyes. They were clouded with heaviness, more than those of most people I knew. Just looking him in the eyes made my bones feel heavy, too, as if his heaviness were mine to carry. “I just have to ask. And I know you’re on the app too, so don’t even bother denying it. What kind of sick shit is this side hustle?”
