patient pick-up area. Nicole is leaning against her car, waiting for me. Mild shock crosses her face when she sees me. I don't think she expected the wheelchair. I get up to show her that I'm fine, but moving that quickly makes me dizzy, and I have to sit back down for a moment.
Please, please, just kill me now.
Nicole and Shirlene help me up again, one on either side of me.
"I'm good. I've got it," I say, pulling my arms from their grip. Nicole opens the passenger door for me. I slide into the seat without any more humiliating snafus. I wave to Shirlene. "Look for my album. Six months."
Nicole gets in the car and pops the emergency brake before putting the car in gear. "I was wondering what happened to you. I could get in the gate, but the front door was locked, and you didn't answer your phone."
"Well, now you know."
For the rest of the short drive home, I watch the city go by and wonder where Sophie went. She never told me where she's going, only that she was running away from me.
At the house, Nicole parks in the circular driveway in front of the door. When I see the eight steps up to the door, I get a sinking feeling in my gut. I completely forgot about these stairs.
"Is something wrong?" Nicole says.
"No," I say. "I'm fine. Let's go in."
She comes around to the passenger side of the car to help me out. I wave her off. She steps back, but she watches every movement like she expects me to go down at any second. This is one of those times I would give anything to be alone. I can't stand the thought of her seeing me this weak. I'm way too fucking young for this shit.
It takes me four times as long as it should to climb the stairs, but I do it without leaning on Nicole. She looks relieved when I reach the top step. At the door, I realize I don't have my keys. I pinch the bridge of my nose between my finger and thumb. I'm so tired. I need to lie down. I look at Nicole.
"Oh, here," she says. "Sophie gave me her key."
She unlocks the door and opens it wide for me. I trudge into the house, wondering how long I'll have to depend on people for the most basic things in my life—when I should own the fucking world.
Scene 24 ~ Hondo
When I wake up, it takes me a minute to remember where I am. I was dreaming about Sophie's dark green pool. I sit up on the air mattress and shake off the nightmare. I look at my phone: five-thirty in the morning. Way too early to go to my friend's apartment for a shower. And there's no way I'm going back to sleep now, not with that nightmare waiting on the other side of my brain.
I clean up a little in the sink, and then do some work at my desk. I have more applicants to screen. I have to schedule the server closet construction before the servers arrive. And I have to schedule the shower and break room construction. When will I have time for my design work again? If I don't hire some employees soon, we're not going to hit our implementation date. For the first time, doubt wedges itself in my mind. What if we can't do this?
I decide to throw on some workout clothes and take a run to clear my head. I used to run every day, but I've slacked off since I graduated from college. It's time to get back into it. New business, new routine. New life. The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.
I decide to run the three and a half miles to my friend's apartment. I can grab a shower, and he'll give me a ride back to the office. I pick up my phone and keys, lock the door, and take off.
My lack of conditioning shows right away. I thought it would be nothing to pick up where I left off, but after the first mile, I have to slow to a jog for a while. How'd I let things slide so much? A nagging voice in the back of my mind whispers, "Sophie." From the time I moved into the Winter mansion, I drank too much. I'm damn fortunate I didn't waste all my time along with my brain cells. If I had, Jen and I wouldn't have a company right now. I would still be a graphic designer working for someone else instead of
Please, please, just kill me now.
Nicole and Shirlene help me up again, one on either side of me.
"I'm good. I've got it," I say, pulling my arms from their grip. Nicole opens the passenger door for me. I slide into the seat without any more humiliating snafus. I wave to Shirlene. "Look for my album. Six months."
Nicole gets in the car and pops the emergency brake before putting the car in gear. "I was wondering what happened to you. I could get in the gate, but the front door was locked, and you didn't answer your phone."
"Well, now you know."
For the rest of the short drive home, I watch the city go by and wonder where Sophie went. She never told me where she's going, only that she was running away from me.
At the house, Nicole parks in the circular driveway in front of the door. When I see the eight steps up to the door, I get a sinking feeling in my gut. I completely forgot about these stairs.
"Is something wrong?" Nicole says.
"No," I say. "I'm fine. Let's go in."
She comes around to the passenger side of the car to help me out. I wave her off. She steps back, but she watches every movement like she expects me to go down at any second. This is one of those times I would give anything to be alone. I can't stand the thought of her seeing me this weak. I'm way too fucking young for this shit.
It takes me four times as long as it should to climb the stairs, but I do it without leaning on Nicole. She looks relieved when I reach the top step. At the door, I realize I don't have my keys. I pinch the bridge of my nose between my finger and thumb. I'm so tired. I need to lie down. I look at Nicole.
"Oh, here," she says. "Sophie gave me her key."
She unlocks the door and opens it wide for me. I trudge into the house, wondering how long I'll have to depend on people for the most basic things in my life—when I should own the fucking world.
Scene 24 ~ Hondo
When I wake up, it takes me a minute to remember where I am. I was dreaming about Sophie's dark green pool. I sit up on the air mattress and shake off the nightmare. I look at my phone: five-thirty in the morning. Way too early to go to my friend's apartment for a shower. And there's no way I'm going back to sleep now, not with that nightmare waiting on the other side of my brain.
I clean up a little in the sink, and then do some work at my desk. I have more applicants to screen. I have to schedule the server closet construction before the servers arrive. And I have to schedule the shower and break room construction. When will I have time for my design work again? If I don't hire some employees soon, we're not going to hit our implementation date. For the first time, doubt wedges itself in my mind. What if we can't do this?
I decide to throw on some workout clothes and take a run to clear my head. I used to run every day, but I've slacked off since I graduated from college. It's time to get back into it. New business, new routine. New life. The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.
I decide to run the three and a half miles to my friend's apartment. I can grab a shower, and he'll give me a ride back to the office. I pick up my phone and keys, lock the door, and take off.
My lack of conditioning shows right away. I thought it would be nothing to pick up where I left off, but after the first mile, I have to slow to a jog for a while. How'd I let things slide so much? A nagging voice in the back of my mind whispers, "Sophie." From the time I moved into the Winter mansion, I drank too much. I'm damn fortunate I didn't waste all my time along with my brain cells. If I had, Jen and I wouldn't have a company right now. I would still be a graphic designer working for someone else instead of
Similar Books
