“Stop being so stubborn.”
“Stop being such a jerk.”
“Just find the report and make the changes you hopefully recorded during the meeting.”
“I didn’t record anything.”
“Of course you didn’t,” Rhett said, sounding exasperated but not at all surprised.
Needless to say, Rhett figured out about an hour into my first day that I was an absolutely useless programmer and assistant.
We were currently facing off inside his office; me with my hands on my hips, him leaning over his desk in what I was sure would be an imposing gesture to anyone else. But I had no interest in working here and stopped caring about manners around the third time he told me off for not doing something that I could never have worked on in the first place. Like coding a damn add-on. It had been a nightmare driving into the city this morning and from the moment I walked into the office, I felt the air get about fifty degrees cooler. Rhett’s staff wanted me there about as much as I wanted to be there. It was safe to say the day did not improve and it was now two hours past my finish time and I was still here. Everyone else had left. Even super Lexie.
I wanted to go back to whatever apartment Rhett had organized for me and call Freddie and Oma. Josie would already be in bed since it was eight o’clock. I didn’t even get a chance to sneak a quick phone call to tell her good night. I always told her good night. I also had grand plans to fall face first into bed. At the moment, my plans were thwarted by yet another argument.
The empty office was mostly a good thing since nobody was there to witness our fourth stand-off for the day. The first time I yelled back at him everyone stopped what they were doing and stared. It was incredibly awkward. Apparently you didn’t talk back to your boss, even if he was the most frustrating human being you ever encountered. By the third time, nobody cared anymore and Lexie just closed the office door to give us some privacy during our shouting match.
I ignored his quip and stepped forward to get my laptop off his desk. “I’m going home,” I declared. His giant hand came down on top of the device before I had a chance to grab it. I tried yanking it. I tried threatening him with my death glare, perfected through many hours of practicing on Freddie. I gave up after he raised an eyebrow at my efforts and a smirk appeared on his face. He. Made. Me. So. Angry.
“Did I say we were finished?” he asked.
“No, you did not, yourmajesty,” I said, putting emphasis on the majesty part.
“Then why are you trying to leave?”
“Because it’s time to go. I’m tired. I want to call my girls and make sure Josie’s doctor’s appointment went well. I want to talk to Freddie about the math test she had today. She hates math. It’s probably going to be barely a pass. I want to make sure Oma managed to get on the bus with Josie without problems. And I really just want to get out of here. It’s eight o’clock, Rhett. It’s late. None of this stuff needs to be done straight away.”
His face softened at my babbling and he relinquished the laptop. “Oma doesn’t drive anymore? I remember her running over Mr. Hacket’s bin with her old Ford Explorer.”
“She’s almost blind in one eye. It’s not safe for her to drive anymore. And since I’m not there, she had to take Josie to her appointment on the bus.”
“What’s wrong with Josie?”
“Nothing. She was due for her annual check-up.”
He nodded, looking relieved. “That’s good. And you’re right. Let’s go home.”
“I’d love to go home if someone didn’t make me drive into the damn city for work,” I mumbled under my breath.
Rhett was closer than I thought and must have heard me because he replied, “You used to love coming to Denver. That’s all you would ever talk about. Moving to a big city. Breaking the cycle.”
I studied the laptop in my hand as we walked to the elevators. “Things don’t always work out the way we planned. Dreams change. So do plans. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Not as long as you’re happy, Emmi. But you don’t look like you are where you want to be.”
I had nothing to say in return. When life threw you a bowling ball, you had to make sure it didn’t hit you in the head. And I was neither quick nor coordinated. Things just didn’t bode well for me.
The elevator was silent on the way to the parking garage, the awkward silence only broken when we got to my car and Rhett handed out instructions. I was surprised he hadn’t made Lexie type it all up. “The apartment building is on the same street as the office, it’s the building with the little courtyard in front. You can pull into the parking garage around the right side. This will get you through the gate,” Rhett said and handed me an access pass. “You’re on the fortieth floor, number 42. The code for the door is your birth date. If you need anything, just knock on the other door on your floor.”
I nodded at him. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Emmi.” He looked like he wanted to say more but instead he shook his head and headed to his own car. I watched him walk away, thinking of all that could have been. Rhett had always been there for me. Until he wasn’t. Add to that, I had been an emotional sixteen-year-old who thought she knew everything there was to know.
Turned out I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The drive to the apartment took three minutes, a distance I could easily walk. I accessed the building without any issues and made my way to the fortieth floor. The mirrored walls of the elevator, combined with the bright lights, showed just how exhausted I was. The dark rings under my eyes and my wrinkled clothes did not make for a pretty sight.
My steps faltered when I exited the elevator. I had come straight up from where I parked my car and didn’t realize how out of this world the building was. The floors were marble. The walls were painted a spotless white. No fingerprints, no dust bunnies, no mismatched furniture. There were only two doors, both huge oak monstrosities.
