He pats my arm. “I got your back. You got mine.”
With his comforting words and support, I hurry out of the office, eager to just find out what the heck is going on. Once I’m on the escalator, I’m lost in my own head, unaware of all the happenings in the library that once brought me joy. I certainly don’t even look for the man on floor two. I’m replaying the call with Kara, then the exchanges with Adam, even the gift boxes at my door. I’m in the zoo of floor one as the front doors open and a horde of people piles in through the entrances. I’m at Kara’s door before they even have time to consume the librarians and inundate them with questions.
Her door is open and I poke my head inside. Kara is on her phone but motions me forward. She ends her call rather abruptly and rounds the desk, meeting me in the middle of the room and giving me a once-over. “Look at you,” she approves. “You look ready to take on the world.”
There’s an uneasy vibe to her that, in turn, makes me uneasy. “Why do I feel that’s a necessary place to be right now?”
“There is nothing here we can’t handle.”
I’m queasy. “What does that mean?”
“It means that Neil wants to place Akia in the role of auditorium coordinator. I told him absolutely not. You’re my girl.”
I swear the floor sways. “Because of the presentation?”
“He overreacts to the smallest of things.”
“That’s a yes. And he’s the boss. And Akia—I mean he—and I—and—”
Her hands come down on my shoulders. “You fought me when I wanted you to take this job, but it’s yours, and you don’t want to let it go. I know that. You need the money. I know that, too, and you deserve the raise the job offered you. I’m having a meeting with Neil today. I’m going to put my foot down. If you’d like to attend, I invite you to do so.”
“He’s known Akia for years. And he likes Akia. Do you know Akia had the nerve to comfort me after seeing Neil talk down to me?”
“Akia is, well, Akia. He’s not a guy I’d recommend you trust. Do you want to attend the meeting?”
“I can do that?”
“Of course you can. This is about you as much as it is me.”
“What time is it?”
“Four.”
My heart sinks. “My father has a major patent going out to auction. I was going to ask to go to the attorney’s office with him today at, of course, four. Can we do the meeting sooner? Or tomorrow?”
“First, and most importantly, congrats to your father, Mia. I know that Lion’s Den situation was a real mess. I cried for you, and your family, when I saw it happen on live TV. As for moving the meeting, I doubt it. But I will try. And I’m your biggest advocate. I’ll handle this if I need to handle it on my own. I’ll let you know in the next hour. No matter what, go support your father.”
“I’m worried, Kara. I do need this money. And I’ve worked hard. The presentation was a mess, but the work behind it was solid.”
“I know that.”
“Then why is he doing this? Because I made him look bad?”
“Perception is not always reality.”
“He thinks I made him look bad,” I repeat, pressing for confirmation.
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks. As you said, your work, and mine, is solid. We got this. Neil is a moron, and I may or may not deny saying that depending on how much he pisses me off. Heck, I may say it to his face. More soon.”
I nod slowly and back away.
I’m shell-shocked when I exit her office. Akia stabbed me in the back. That’s exactly what happened, and I’m surprised at how easily anger materializes and burns like hot coals in my belly. Take control, Adam has commanded me, and right now I hope I don’t see Akia, because I might do just that, and I’m not sure how that might look. Or maybe I do hope I see Akia. Maybe confronting him is exactly what I must do. Marching down the hallway, feeling intent simmering in my limbs, I round the corner to the main zoo, and there’s a line of patrons formed in front of the information desk. Akia is unattainable behind said desk, the main contact for all those who wait for assistance. The wind in my sails dies, the thunder stolen from my brave moment where I might just have confronted him.
Or so I tell myself.
I never confront anyone.
I step onto the escalator and rotate, watching Akia attend to his patrons. When I leave floor one and bring floor two into view, the strange man is still not present. In fact, there is a mom reading her daughter a story at the very table he favors. This interaction, this normal, wonderful interaction, steadies me and draws down my hyperactive anger and energy. This person, me—I am this person—who loves books, and enjoys the moments others enjoy books, is who I am. I am not angry. I am not confrontational. I never wished to be those things. Nor do I now.
I rotate and step off the escalator, and while caffeine may well be the wrong thing for me right now, I walk past the help desk and straight to the back room, to the break area. I’ve just poured a cup of coffee when I hear, “What happened?”
I pant out a breath and turn to face Jack. “After my disaster of a presentation, Akia made a play for my job coordinating the auditorium.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I mean, I don’t know for sure, but that’s how it seems to me. He seems to be Neil’s pet.”
“Yeah, well, that’s Akia. What did Kara say?”
“There’s a meeting with Neil at four today to talk to decide whether or not me or Akia will be holding the job. And I have to be at the attorney’s with my father at four. She’s trying to move the meeting.”
“And if she can’t?”
“She swears she’s got this under control. I don’t think she does, but then again, I’ve proven I don’t, either, so maybe her going alone is best.”
“You doing nothing is not the answer.” He studies me a moment. “Fight for yourself, Mia. What are you going to do to fix this?”
“I don’t know,” I admit.
“Wrong answer. You earned this job. What are you going to do to fix this?” he pushes.
“I’ll go see Neil,” I state bravely.
“Good answer. Take control, Mia.”
“And if he still gives the job and my pay to Akia?”
“Go over his head.”
My brows furrow. “To who?”
“I’ll see if I can figure out who that would be.”
“You will?”
“Yes,” he says firmly. “I will. What are friends for?” he asks. “We help each other.” He winks. “Drink coffee. It makes you a better person. Bring me a cup. The desk is busy.”
I nod and he disappears into the hallway.
Indeed, I think, what are friends for?
The answer is, helping you, and not with a knife in your hand and at someone else’s throat.
I have to solve this problem before Adam does it for me.
Before “The End” is another life, not another chapter in a book.
Chapter Sixty-Three
It’s midmorning, actually nearly lunchtime, when Kara calls my desk phone. “No go on the meeting change,” she announces.
This is not unexpected, and I’m ready for what comes next. Motivated to save my job, I follow up on the plan Jack and I discussed earlier. “Should I stop by Neil’s office before the meeting?”
“He’s off-site at meetings,” she replies. “He won’t be back until right before our meeting time, but I’ll ask him for a formal interview for you tomorrow morning.”
“An interview for a job I presently do and do well,” I say flatly, but that flatness morphs into anxiety, and more so, unexpectedly, more of that anger I felt earlier this morning. “Really, Kara?”
“If it’s even necessary,” she consoles. “I got this,” she promises. “I got you. Okay?”
“I need to tell my father I can’t—”
“Do not even think about missing that meeting with your father for this one. Do not. This will work out. Understand?”
Adam’s words come back to me in an icy blast: You take control. Then I won’t have to for you. Understand?
I do understand, I think. What I understand is that I’m juggling two critical situations at one time.
“Can you call me the minute you get out of the meeting?” I ask.
“I’ll text in case you’re still in with the attorney. Fair enough?”