James shrugs.
“Lucien left a list of things for you to handle while he’s gone. Stuff he usually has you help with.”
I nod slowly.
Then James lowers his voice a little.
“Between us though…” he says.
I glance at him.
“I heard Lucien might be starting a new branch in New Jersey.” He whispers.
“What?”
“Yeah,” he says casually. “I’m not even sure if he’ll be working out of this office anymore.” He leans closer slightly. “And I heard they’re looking into hiring assistant managers in the New Jersey area with really good pay.” He lifts his hands. “I don’t know if it’s true though. Just hearsay.”
“Oh,” I say. “That’s… nice.”
But something inside my chest sinks. For some reason the thought of Lucien leaving this office, this city, makes something ache in a way I didn’t expect. Like a door quietly closing before I even realized it was open.
I return to my desk and focus on the list Lucien left for me. Budget updates, vendor approvals, expense summaries, email replies. The work keeps my mind occupied. The hours slip by faster than I expect and before I know it, the office lights have shifted into late afternoon.
I gather my things and stand, ready to head home.
“See you tomorrow,” I call toward James’s desk.
But before I can leave, James suddenly speaks up.
“Hey Andrew,” he says from across the office.
Andrew pauses near the hallway.
“What’s up?”
“Nadia was wondering if she could post flyers around the office,” James says. “Like in the hallways and stuff. I told her it’s fine by me but I just wanted to run it by you.”
Andrew shrugs.
“Yeah sure. What’s it about?”
My attention drifts toward the breakroom.
The door is open.
And right on the bulletin board near the coffee machine…
There’s a flyer.
White paper.
Black bold letters.
My feet stop moving.
At the top of the page it reads:
MISSING
