"Whoa, hath hell frozen over?" Anna says with her usual flair of dramatics.
I roll my eyes, "Shut up." I plop into the lonely chair in the corner. Anna's office is smaller than mine so she added a comfortable wingback chair and I do love to come sit here and mess with her.
"What are you doing here?" she asks chewing on a pencil.
I point at her mouth, "That's gross, do you know how many germs are on that thing?"
"Would you like a smoochie?" she says puckering up causing me to cringe.
"You're evil." I smooth my skirt, "Since it appears everyone enjoys interrupting my day by dropping in or calling, I figured I'd start repaying the favor." I smile sweetly.
"Oh, puh-lease. You love it." She swings back and forth in her chair. Sometimes I wish I could be more like Anna. She has this unapologetic innocences that draws people to her. She's been through her fair share of heartache. Her parents aren't the best, but they tried in their own way. She rose above all of the negativity in her life and lives life to its fullest. She might be crass, unnerving, but she's a wonderful person. The kind that stops in the middle of the road to pick up a turtle and move it to safety. She's amazing like that.
"Are we still leaving tonight?" I ask her running through my mental checklist for packing.
"That's the plan. Unless," she studies for me a minute, "you'd prefer Andre to take you."
Heat rises to my cheeks, "What? No. We're driving together." I state.
"Can we stop playing these games, my dear?" I blanch at her question, "Andre's going so it only makes sense for you to go with him. You guys are a couple now."
I hold up my hand, "Uh, no we're not a couple." Why do we need to put a label on it? "I've seen him around, we went on an outing and he came over for a Sunday dinner. I think that hardly says we're a couple." I stand over her desk looking at the papers.
"Who speaks like that? "We went on an outing?"" she mocks me.
"Plenty of people. Isn't that the proper way to state what we did? We went out as friends. That's an outing, Anna." I pretend to pick lint off my skirt uninterested in this conversation.
"Don't dismiss this. You can say whatever, but I know. Andre knows. And I think you know too, but you're a scaredy cat so you ignore it." She clicks something on her computer.
"Ms. Fox, there's someone needing assistance at the front," someone announces over her phone.
"Ugh, god forbid anyone else work around here," she says getting up and going to help.
My eyes scanned her desk. A name is typed on the side of a file folder. I push the papers covering it aside. The name spurs me to open the file and start rifling through the papers. What the hell? Why is this on her desk? And what do these notes about Anna's boss's, Dayanara Asuncion, reelection have to do with this? My stomach flips. He's in Florence, Colorado. My leg suddenly hurts. I close the file, grab my things and rush to my car. I didn't see Anna, thankfully. It was a clean disappearing act.
Once outside, I reach for my phone and dial the only number I can find out if something happened. The rings go to voicemail and now I'm a mix of nerves and worry.
Anna is like a second daughter to Uncle Theo. He accepts her coming to terms that there is just no telling what the girl will do. His nickname for her is Ana-cray. Because she is that: crazy. She's a great friend to not pressure me even though she knows I'm hiding something. Something big and horrific. And it is. In the past four years, she's seen me on my worst days, the anniversary-and somehow always gets my mind off of it, regardless of her unconventional way. Once we both graduated, the only option we believed to be true was moving forward as roommates. So, after much arguing and persuading, I talked her into the apartment we have where I pay the rent. It's in a safe location and our neighbors kind of keep to themselves. That's something I can't put a price on.
Anna didn't have the best upbringing. She paid, I mean, loaned her way through college obtaining a 3.75 GPA and works hard for what she has. Student loans weighing her down like a ball and chain and that's why I refuse to let her help with rent. Plus, I have more than enough money to cover thanks to incredible advice from Uncle Theo and the growing portfolio he helped me put together with the aid of a stock broker. To say I'm set for life is an understatement. I don't dress like those rich snobs, our apartment isn't even furnished with high end items, but again, it's safe and I was able to pay for college without the need of loans which was a huge help.
I ran back to the Stanley Law and straight to my computer to Google one name. I need the verification. Once I click the website and check the inmate status I sit back feeling like it's the first time I've taken a breath since I left Anna's office. I close my eyes and try to steady my heartbeat. These freak outs are why I don't want to involve anyone further in my life. It's complicated and messy. I've only gotten one more letter since Uncle Theo was over last. I had to discreetly hand it to him in a shopping bag filled with his some candy bars. I wasn't sure if I'd have a way to give it otherwise. Just like the other I didn't open it.
Rolling closer to the desk, I gloss over the papers wondering if everything is done that needs to get done. Mr. Finn catches a reflection in the glass and he's trying to make sure whatever it is that he's the bigger, better fish. I give him a few flakes and set the slow feeder on for the weekend.
YOU ARE READING
Revengeance
Mystery / ThrillerFor the past six years. The images return. They're uninvited. Unwanted. One might think she should expect it by now. But that would mean she's accepted fate. Meredith chooses to live in an illusion. A charade. Deceiving herself from the truth that s...
