Like the fingers of death were running down my spine, goose bumps popped up on my arms. Was she warning me about something? It felt like it. Felt like there was a lot more she would have said had she been allowed. But she wasn’t. I wasn’t. None of us were allowed to say the things we were thinking.
Somehow, I didn’t even understand how, I managed to get out, “I will.”
Stormy gave my hand another squeeze before releasing it. “I’ll check on your salad.”
She had tears in her eyes when she walked away.
Someone from the kitchen delivered my food, and even though I didn’t know Stormy all that well, I got the sense she wastoo emotional to see me again. Feeling nostalgic and grateful for her understanding, I grabbed a napkin and fished a pen from my purse, then wrote a quick note to her.
Stormy –
Thanks for understanding and for all the times I’ve been in when you’ve listened to me bitch and laughed at my stupid stories and just been great. I don’t know if you like plants but thought you might be able to take care of this peace lily for me. Thanks for everything.
Ara
PS…If not, Trevor can take it.
I scribbled the last line as an afterthought.
Leaving the note and the plant on the table, I grabbed my salad and suitcase and headed for the door. A few people watched me go, a couple muttering things that made me think they knew what was happening, their tones sympathetic but their mumbled words unintelligible behind their masks. If they did understand what was going on and thought it was wrong, if they were angry about it, why didn’t they speak up? Why did they look the other way while women were being hijacked by the government? They shouldn’t, which made it easy to convince myself they were ignorant. Ignorance wasn’t great, but it was better than apathy or, worse, hypocrisy. Those were things I couldn’t forgive.
I refused to think about all the years I’d done nothing when I could have been out protesting and possibly making a difference. My mood was bad enough without concentrating on that.
Twenty-Five
Iwas sweating by the time I made it to Trevor’s office, but I didn’t care. Didn’t care that my shirt was clinging to my torso and my hair was stuck to the back of my neck, or that my pits were wet. I had no idea if I smelled but hoped I did so I could sit next to Hilary on the bus or van or whatever vehicle we were about to get on. I hoped it was a long ride and there was no air conditioning, because with each passing minute, I would scoot closer to her, would lift my arms, and make sure she could smell every drop of sweat that seeped from my pores. That would be her Earthly penance for what she was doing. God could deal with her punishment after that.
Sophia’s eyes were bright when I stumbled through the front door, telling me she was smiling behind her mask, but her expression quickly morphed into one of alarm when she took me in.
“Trevor!” she shouted as she got to her feet much faster than a woman her age should have been able to and rushed around her desk. “Sit down, dear. Oh, my, what’s going on? Is something wrong?”
She fired off the questions as she eased me into a chair in the waiting room, ignoring the wide eyes of the masked woman sitting in the nearby seat. She scooted over when I slumped into the chair only two away from hers, dropping my salad between us and letting my suitcase fall over.
Before I’d even had a chance to respond to Sophia’s inquiries, Trevor hurried from his office, securing his mask over his nose and mouth in the process. I’d taken my own mask off once I was outside and hadn’t put it back on. Something the other woman clearly didn’t appreciate since she was glaring at me. Oh, well. I had bigger things to worry about.
“What’s going – ” The words died on Trevor’s lips when he spotted my suitcase.
“It happened,” I said, wanting to get it out, wanting to fall into his arms, wanting to cry. Wanting him to find a way to get me out of this mess.
His mouth was covered, but I didn’t need to see his whole face to understand the emotions sweeping through him. The confusion, the shock, the anger. It was all clearly displayed in his gray eyes as he knelt in front of me, grasping my hands while Sophia massaged my shoulder and the stranger to my right stared on, her initial irritation now turning to confusion.
“Ara, no,” Trevor said. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe this.”
I swallowed, so I could talk. “I know.”
“Did you say what I told you to? Did you ask for a new contract? A lawyer?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t need to say more. Trevor was smart, the smartest person I knew, and he could read between the lines. More than that, though, he understood how hopeless the situation was. There was literally nothing I could do to change my circumstances. I was trapped. A prisoner.
“What did – ” Trevor glanced toward the woman three seats away from me. “Mrs. Howard, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to reschedule. Family emergency.”
Before I even had a chance to wonder if the woman would object, she got to her feet. “I can see. That’s fine. I can reschedule.”
“Tomorrow,” Trevor promised. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said in a timid voice.
