Passion for Perfection | Open Novella Contest 2019

11. The Final Nail

"When is she supposed to arrive?" I asked Anne, our receptionist. She was a small woman, with soft features and big eyes which were emphasised by her black cat-eye glasses.

"Any minute now. Give her five minutes." She replied curtly as her fingers flew across the keyboard in front of her. I leaned on the desk and picked at my nails. I had more important things to be doing than escorting an interviewee. "Ah, I think that's her now."

The glass doors opened and a tall woman walked into the lobby. Her dark hair and dark eyes contrasted with the red lipstick she wore. She was dressed in a waistcoat and tartan trousers which complimented her figure and helped her project a confident demeanour. She immediately walked over to us.

"Mairéad McGuinness?" Anne asked, grabbing a page from the other end of the desk.

"Aye, that's me." She replied, her tone not giving away her current emotions. Her accent was not local and I wondered where she was from.

"Please sign in and you'll be escorted to the assigned room." Anne handed her the page.

Mairéad took a pen from one of the numerous pots and quickly scribbled down her signature at the bottom of the form. She handed it back and I stopped leaning on the desk.

"Let's go then," I announced and walked towards the elevator.

Once we were inside, I took a good look at her sharp features and realised that she looked quite young; fresh out of university probably.

"It's quite an achievement to even get an interview at this place, especially for someone your age," I told her because the silence was making me uncomfortable.

"Thank you." She replied but didn't uphold the conversion so the elevator fell into silence again. I was thankful when we finally reached our floor.

After a short walk down one of the western corridors, we reached a small office designated for interviews.

"Here we are." I smiled as I gestured towards the door. "Good luck."

She smiled in reply and I walked off to climb the stairs to the next floor as I could not be bothered to wait for the elevator yet again. I walked down another corridor into a more secluded part of the building and paused outside one of the offices.

I took a deep breath and composed myself. This wasn't a big deal. I'll get that promotion after the pregnancy, right?

I knocked on the office door.

"Come in." A female voice called and I walked in. Donna smiled at me as I walked over to her desk.

Donna was our human resources manager and was in charge of looking after all the employees at Mercury IT. Any bonuses, presents, flowers or cards were always from her on behalf of the company.

Of course, this also included maternity leave.

"Hello, Donna." I greeted her politely.

"How are you, Jane? You look well." She stifled a yawn and quickly apologised. "I didn't get much sleep last night. All these new applicant forms are driving me insane." She sighed as she pushed away a stack of papers and grabbed her mug to take a sip of coffee. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm actually here to ask about maternity leave. I might need it soon." I said awkwardly, not liking how the words sounded in my mouth.

"Oh, congratulations!" Donna beamed and pulled out a notebook from one of her drawers. "We'll miss you while you're away, you know. You play such a big part in the company."

"I'm glad to hear it." I smiled as I watched her take down my details. When she finished, she put the book away and sighed.

"Dear God, I'm going to have to find a replacement for you now." She rolled her eyes. "There are so many people taking leaves recently, keeping up to date is a nightmare." She laughed and sighed again.

"Wait, replacement?" I asked, shocked.

"Well, we can't be missing a secretary for half a year! We're going to need someone to fill the spot while you're away." Donna shrugged and started filling out some other papers she had lying on her desk.

"Oh... okay," I said quietly. I could hear Jesse's voice yelling at me already so I made a quick getaway. "Thank you," I said and disappeared out of the room.

I speed walked into a bathroom and locked myself in a cubicle, trying to ignore the screams in my head.

You're not gonna get that promotion! Jesse yelled at me. This's gonna throw your year's worth of work out of a window! This is devastating for our career!

She will be fine, Mel's voice came through. She can walk right back into the job after the leave.

Will she though? What if this new secretary is some suck-up and Jenkins will like her better?

"Both of you, shut the hell up!" I hissed at them, trying to contain my urge to scream. I knew Jesse was right. The promotion would have to be put off and I could deal with that, but what if I get downgraded in the process? Mercury IT is a very strict company and taking a leave has a huge impact on how you are perceived by the higher-ups.

My phone buzzed and I almost jumped out of my skin. I fumbled with the device and finally answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jane." Ethan's voice filled me with joy and I was able to forget my worries for a brief moment.

"Ethan! I miss you so much!" It was true. I had gotten used to sleeping with him by my side, to coming home with him already there, to sharing meals while talking about our day. My apartment was deathly quiet recently.

"I don't have much time— I'm on my way to a conference— but I need to tell you something." His voice carried a strange tone and my heart sank.

"What is it?"

"I... may need to stay a bit longer here." He said quickly and paused to hear my reaction. When I didn't respond he carried on. "I got offered a temporary job and I just thought I might earn us some extra money. It pays really well."

"That's... great!" I attempted to sound enthusiastic but I just sounded annoyed. How long would I be able to last without him? How much longer could I handle being alone with only my thoughts and my head-mates to keep me company? "So, uh... how long will you be away?"

His hesitation made my stomach churn and my head grow dizzy. "Well, I... I think it might be a year."

A year?!

"A... year?" I was suddenly lost for breath and I had to sit down on the toilet seat.

"Yeah..." Ethan sighed. "Jane, I'm so sorry! But I need this. I can't afford to decline the offer." I didn't reply. "Jane? I've got to go now, I'm almost at the meeting room. I love you. I'll see you soon, I promise. You just hang in there, okay? I love you."

There was a click and he was gone. He didn't even ask about the baby. Maybe he didn't want to know.

That night I curled up in my cold empty bed and couldn't get to sleep. I blocked out Mel and Jesse and the others, creating a mental curtain to hide from their attempts to talk me.

A year. Could I even last a year?