We stepped out at our stop and Dean led me around a corner to another elevator. This one was golden instead of green.
“If you come in through the front door, this is the path you should take. The main elevators don’t go up to the higher floors for security reasons.” He hit the button for the gold doors and we stepped inside. “Scan your card against the button there and then press the 45 button. If you don’t scan your card, the elevator won’t move and security will be called.”
I held the card up to the reader and a green light blinked. I hit 45 and the elevator whizzed upward. It took only a couple of seconds for the doors to open into the lobby I recognized from my first night. It was more brightly lit than in the evening, and there was a hum of energy. A man and a woman in expensive suits hurried past toward the offices, deep in discussion. An older woman sat at the big desk, speaking confidently into her headset.
Dean caught my arm. “This elevator goes down to the garage. If you come in through the garage, you can take this without having to get off as you would if you use the main elevators. I will be over there when you’re ready to leave.” He pointed to some comfortable looking leather chairs in the lobby by the secretary’s desk. I swallowed hard, my mouth dry. Now that I was actually up here, my courage had disappeared.
I took a steadying breath and headed towards the big desk guarding Jack’s office. The woman looked up at me as I approached and smiled kindly.
“You must be Emma. I’m Jeanette. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” she greeted me warmly. I smiled at her. She was probably in her early sixties, but despite the gray of her hair, she showed no signs of slowing down.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you too. I would like to see Jack please,” I said politely.
“I’m afraid he’s in a meeting right now. I would be happy to let him know you stopped by though.”
“I can wait. I’d really like to see him.” I didn’t come all the way to his office to be stopped at the threshold by a secretary. Besides, how long could a meeting take?
Jeanette sighed. “The meeting is scheduled for another three hours. He’s meeting with investors. If you would like, I can schedule you in to see him tomorrow.”
“What if I just peeked my head in the door?” Frustration was starting to build. I gave serious thought to barging past the secretary and opening his office door, but knew I was too chicken to actually do it.
“I’m afraid he’s not in the building for this meeting. He is meeting them downtown. I’m very sorry Ms. LaRue. If I had known you were coming, I would have scheduled something.” Jeanette looked apologetic, but I felt ridiculous. I should have known better. Jack was a busy man, he wouldn’t be sitting in his office waiting for me to show up.
“Thank you for your time, Jeanette. Will you let him know I stopped by?” Jeanette nodded and smiled understandingly at me. “I guess I’ll go say hi to Rachel.”
“Ms. LaRue, I’m afraid Rachel isn’t here either. She went with Mr. Saunders to the meeting.”
“Oh, I see. Thank you for telling me.” I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. I thanked Jeanette again and headed slowly back towards the golden elevators.
“I’m sorry that didn’t work out like you expected, Emma,” Dean said softly behind me as the golden doors opened. Dean hit the button marked garage.
“Did you know? Did you know they wouldn’t be here?”
“No. I don’t know their schedules. I suspected they wouldn’t be available, but I didn’t know.” Dean sounded earnest, but I still felt like he had let me fail on purpose. Resentment was bubbling up inside of me. I was in New York, away from the people and things I knew, because Jack wanted me here, but he was too busy to see me. Rachel was too busy to see me. Everyone I knew in this new place was too busy with their lives to care that I didn’t have one.
The doors opened to the waiting car with tinted windows. Dean opened the door for me again.
“Where to, Miss?” asked the driver.
I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t want to go back to Jack’s empty apartment. I didn’t want to sit up there watching TV and eating food by myself. I had eaten dinner by myself every night after Rachel and I had finished shopping and I was tired of it.
“The Statue of Liberty,” I blurted out. I could see it out the window from Jack’s apartment and it was something to see. If I was going to have to entertain myself, I was at least going to get some sightseeing done.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Dean countered before the driver moved the car.
“Why not? What do you suggest then?” I tried my best not to sound defensive, but I was pretty sure I failed.