“Well, those things will have to wait.”
“It’s not that easy. Am I even invited? I don’t think Shannon wants me there.”
“Of course she wants you there,” my mom says, never one to give up on trying to broker peace between my sister and me. Even if it means lying through her teeth.
“OK,” I reason. “Then she can call me and tell me that herself.”
“She’s very tied up right now,” Mom says, evasive. “There’s lots to get done between now and Saturday and she has a big house sale going through this week.”
“Again, why not just do this another weekend, then?”
“Because it’s decided. We’ve already invited the neighbors.”
“Heaven forfend,” I mutter.
“None of your attitude, young lady. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Mom—”
“Text your father your flight number,” she says, cutting me off to issue her final command. Then she is gone.
I stare dumbly down at my phone, at a total loss for what to do next. I could either: call her back and refuse to attend the party; refuse to attend the party without calling her back; go back upstairs and ask my new boss for a few daysoff.
I can’t, in this moment, think of anything less appealing than going home to gag over the pending nuptials of my beloved sister to the Worst Man in the World. And what’s the big rush? Is this a shotgun wedding or something?
Oh god. Is that it? Is this a shotgun wedding? Please, please no. I can’t imagine anything worse than a miniatureDan.
—
It takes me a while to work up the courage to talk to Connor. Even I know this is pushing my luck. I consider sending him an email but think better of it. This conversation is best had face-to-face. At least then I can see his reaction.
There’s just one problem. I can’t find him. Anywhere.
The first place Connor is not is at his desk. Then he’s not upstairs in the canteen. I check downstairs again: still not at his desk. There are infinite places he could be: call booths, meeting rooms, miscellaneous sofas, mysteriously placed little nap pods.
I’m standing outside a row of call booths with my hands on my hips, trying to decide my next move when the one closest to me pops open. Jackpot.
Connor stops short when he sees me hovering, bringing his laptop to his chest. Like a shield.
I give him a slow wave. “Hello.”
“Just checking—is running into you for the third time today a coincidence, or have you been standing out here waiting forme?”
“Well, it is sort of a coincidence,” I say. Which is not a lie. “But since we’ve bumped into each other, thereissomething I wanted to ask you about.”
“What could you possibly need now. A kidney?”
“I’m touched you’d offer,” I say. “Actually, I need to take a couple of days off.”
He opens his mouth. Nothing comesout.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“So to be clear,” he says, scratching at his eyebrow. “After bullying your way in, your first act in this new role will be to…take a couple of days off.”
“When you say it like that it sounds bad.”
