“Okay, I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.” Disconnecting the call, he picked up his coffee cup and exited his cubicle, in dire need of a refill.
“Aiden…” He paused when he heard his boss’ voice. “Do you have a moment? Come into my office for a second.”
“Yes, of course.” Aiden looked longingly over his shoulder at the breakroom where the coffee maker percolated, then made his way inside Mr. William Jones’ office.
“Please close my door behind you.” Aiden did the honors then faced William with his award-winning professional smile.
William had a simple look with his blue shirt and black suit. Dark brown short hair that curled at the nape framed a face with a natural rosiness to his cheeks. His blue eyes were rather small, but his gaze exuded friendliness, paired with lips that always appeared to be smiling, even when giving unfortunate announcements. This characteristic had a rather odd creep factor that made some after-hour joke rounds between fellow co-workers. Aiden noted for the umpteenth time how the space between his short-bridged nose and upper lip seemed pretty wide, causing his Cupid’s bow to look exceptionally long.
The man always smelled of Listerine—not a bad scent at all. Aiden flopped down in the chair in front of the man, sliding his ass around in the seat as he tried to get comfortable. William clasped his hands and leaned forward.
“I wanted you to know that I am aware that you applied for the new manager position, just as we discussed regarding your career goals in your last evaluation. I’m sure it is no surprise to you, but several of your co-workers have applied for it, too. HR and the district manager will be conducting interviews soon and I’ve put in a good word for you.”
“Thanks a lot, William. I really appreciate that.” The man nodded and smiled hesitantly, as if there were words left unsaid, but he wasn’t certain if he should blurt them out or not.
“You deserve it. You’ve worked very hard here and your clients speak of you quite highly. Uh, Aiden, I want to give you a heads up that we have a heavier caseload coming up over the next couple of months. Amazon and Paccar sent over some new job postings to us. Of course, we’d like to get them filled as soon as possible, but with the best qualified people. It looked like your last recruitment campaign went pretty well.”
Aiden sat a bit straighter and nodded. “It did. I set up at Bellevue College this time around and it worked out well. I let them know about upcoming spring break positions, too.”
“Yeah, I saw that. Anyway, keep up the good work. Just wanted to touch base with you and let you know about the extra hours coming up and update you on the other things, too.”
Aiden stood from the seat. “Thanks for letting me know … and thanks again for the good word about the position.”
William gave him a salute, then Aiden vacated the office, excitement filling him like a goblet. Slowly closing the door behind him, he made his way to the breakroom to get that much-needed coffee and recall all his classic gaming moves. $700, his cut of the deal, could come in handy…
Addison held the crinkled fitness instructor certificate with a shaky hand. Tossing it aside, she stood in the one-bedroom apartment in Building A of the 77 Central Apartments at Mercer Island. Multiple labeled cardboard boxes of varying sizes were stacked all around her like a fortress from which she could never escape. She took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed, as if the walls, boxes, and the entire world were closing in on her. She picked up her now warm bottle of water from the floor and took a long gulp while MS MR serenaded “Hurricane” on her charging cellphone. She exhaled and inhaled again, her energy practically zapped as she swiped at her forehead, gathering a layer of sweat on the back of her hand. Catching a whiff of herself, she winced in disgust.
Good God, I need a shower…
It had been a long, grueling move, claiming strength she didn’t have to put some items in storage, pack up the U-Haul to the max, and bring her belongings over to the apartment she’d found just in time.
This is a far cry from home…
Addison was more accustomed to bedrooms the size of this entire dwelling, marble bathrooms with large gold fixtures, his and hers sinks, Jacuzzi tubs that were programmable from a panel on a wall, and a cleaning service that made her home look like a hotel on a daily basis.
But all of that was gone. She had no choice, for Daniel had left her no other options. The constant arguments, cheating and verbal abuse had become way too much, and she’d put up with it for far longer than she should’ve. The last proverbial slap in the face had happened two years earlier, when her surgeon husband slept with their also married neighbor, a woman she’d befriended and trusted. That had been the final straw. This year she’d be turning thirty-one, and she refused to give this drama another second of her life.
She hugged herself, the memories seeming too fresh, though they’d happened eons ago. Last year she hadn’t been so strong. She’d fallen apart, flailing about in the wind like a half dead autumn leaf right before the first frost.
She’d lived off the few savings she had, holding on to that big house for as long as she could, but it became too much. The financial strain had strangled her, choking her to economic death, and she’d refused to ask her parents to shovel her out of the bind. That would have been far too risky, likely coming with a price that could jeopardize her freedom.
At the time of the divorce, she’d been out of the fulltime working world for so long, she’d had no idea where to turn and what to do. And then came the gray, cloudy bout of depression. She’d gone into denial to boot—keeping on spending, smiling, and swearing that everything would work out in the end. In her hope of hopes, Daniel had offered a billion apologies, begged to go to counselling and come groveling at her feet. It had seemed tempting. On top of that, she’d be hired at one of the top hospitals or physical rehabilitation centers in the city and her life would be well and pretty once again.
All dreams…
None of that happened. The money dried up like grapes on a vine in the sun, and then, her anger was unleashed. A rage that scared her to the core, growing strong and steady, no off button in sight. Not because she was now officially broke and the alimony of only one year had expired—he’d managed that with top-notch, vicious dog attorneys, and she’d been reckless enough to sign a prenup agreement when foolishly in the throes of love. The anger festered because she had to face the situation and see herself for what she was. Na?ve, dare she admit it, and stupid. Boy, did that sting…