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“Whoa, that's going to take some effort!" Chuckling, I shake my head, reaching for the hairdryer. “Time to tame this wild mane," I declare to the mirror. With a playful grin, I lavish my hair with everything but the kitchen sink, then bend over to run my fingers through the tangled adventure.
Once my hair finishes drying, I’m pleased with the result and move on to my makeup. Embracing the au natural aesthetic today, I keep it light letting my freckles shine through.
The familiar hum from the kitchen as the coffee pot comes alive is a testament to the reliable alarm I've set. Its awakening stirs a sense of comfort and routine in my morning. Giving myself a last once-over in the mirror, I make my way to the kitchen, drawn by the irresistible call of my much-anticipated caffeine fix.
Preparing a take-away mug of coffee, I gather my essentials - purse and phone, before stepping out of my apartment. The crisp fall air sends a shiver down my spine, a stark reminder that I should have brought a jacket. My lack of foresight in checking the morning weather forecast has left me in a chilly predicament. Contemplating a dash back home, I suddenly recall - there's a cozy sweater stashed away in my car.
The drive to my office is uneventful, which makes my mind wander back to the upcoming party I will be attending. A smile crosses my face thinking of the celebration for Matthew. This party will be good for me, I think. I need to get out from under the dark cloud that persists over my head and step into the sun again.
Taylor Swift comes on the radio so I turn it up and sing along like I am in a concert the rest of the way to work. Once I pull into the parking garage, I’m pumped and ready for a day of kicking ass, after making sure my mask is in place.
Walking through the main lobby, I smile and acknowledge a few employees as I make my way to the bank of elevators. Sarah walks up beside me after I press the button to go up.
“Hey, girl. How are you this morning?” I ask looking over..
“Today has already been eventful and,” she checks her watch and looks back at me, “it’s only 9am,” she replies with a pinched expression.
As the doors open, we step through and press the number to our floor. Sarah, in a display of her having upped her corporate game, clinched a promotion and is now my partner-in-crime at the firm. Her office was moved to my floor at the top of the building, making it easy to slip into each other's offices during the day. She recently returned to work from her honeymoon. She had a whirlwind romance with a local military man that works in security. They got caught in a snowstorm, and well, the rest is a frosty fairy tale.
“What happened this morning?” I question as we ride the elevator.
“Travis was up all night working on a surveillance camera for a client and forgot to make sure I was awake before he headed into the office. From there I ran over a nail on the way to work and pulled over with a huge gash in my tire. Obviously, not the best start to a day.” She palms her forehead and grimaces.
“Wow, sorry for all that. At least it’s Friday. Do you have any special plans this weekend?” I question as we exit the elevator.
“I’m not sure. Travis mentioned going out this weekend to dinner and a show. Although he hates going out, he does it for me. You know he’s content with being a homebody.” Sarah shrugs her shoulders as she walks toward her office.
“Oh, well, the Knight brothers have planned a little get together this weekend to celebrate my brother’s and my birthday if you and Travis would like to come,” I mention before she steps into her office.
“That sounds great, I’ll ask Trav, although I'm sure he won't want to come. I can persuade him though.” She chuckles with a wink.
“Nice. I’ll text you the details,” I reply, leaving her office and heading toward mine. Once I round the corner, Nora is there waiting for me with a stack of paperwork. My heart sinks at the sight – I had hoped for a peaceful Friday, but who was I kidding? Fridays are typically hectic, rivaling the pace of Mondays. To be honest, all my days seem to be packed with activity lately.
“Hello, Miss Hillary, I have several updates for you and some contracts that need your review." As she makes her way in, she settles down on the opposite side of my desk, carefully positioning the documents before her.
Nora is my right-hand woman. I hired her soon after I started this company and she has been with me ever since. I don’t know what I would do without her. She is a wearer of many hats and I’m thankful for her to be by my side.
“Thanks, Nora. You know I’ve asked you a million times to call me Marcy," I declare, casually removing my sweater and placing it on the back of my chair. “How was your night out?"
“I know, I know. Marcy. There, I said it!” she giggles. “It was great, actually. Ally and I went to Club Vibe. Thanks for the tickets by the way. We danced and drank entirely way too much but it was a magical anniversary night. Somehow I drug my ass in here this morning,” Nora laughs, comfortably receding into her chair. I sink into my seat, booting up my computer and drawing the paperwork closer.
“Aw, I’m so happy for you. Do you think she will pop the question soon?” I ask. A few years back, I had the privilege of meeting Nora's partner during the hush-hush phase of their relationship. Both Nora and Ally, trapped in abusive marriages, found solace in each other's company. Their bond became their sanctuary, their beacon of hope. Eventually I encouraged her to file for divorce and secure a much-needed restraining order against her husband.
When the dust settled, Ally followed suit, and their love story became a cherished tale. It's rare to witness a love as profound as that between Nora and Ally. It's heartening to realize that genuine love persists in this world, fostering hope that I may discover mine someday.
“I’m not sure. I drop hints all the time like what kind of ring I would want and perfect places for destination weddings. I think she really wants to surprise me.” Nora shrugs but her cute cheeks flame red. I decide on a subject change to get the work day going or else we could sit here all day and talk about her perfect love life.
I smile at her quirkiness. “You know, I haven’t been out in forever but I’m glad you all had a good time. I had a quiet night at home but I still feel like I’m dragging this morning.” After taking a large gulp of coffee, I log into my computer and pull up the emails that I need to go through. Nora filters my emails so I only get the ones that truly need my attention. She’s always a life saver.
Nora stretches her hands over her head and rises from her seat. “I’m going to go make a cup of coffee. Do you need anything?” she asks.
“No, I brought coffee with me today. Thank you though.” I gesture to my mug. “Oh, I almost forgot. Miles and Sebastian Knight are putting together this little birthday thing for me this weekend and I would love it if you and Ally could be there. I need more people there that I’m comfortable with. I don’t want to get overwhelmed.”
“Absolutely. We don’t have plans and I know Ally would love that. Message me the info and I’ll send it on to her to make sure. Yay! I can’t wait! We are going to get you so drunk. Drunk Marcy is the best!” Nora lets out a giggle as she opens my door.
“I don’t know about all that but it should be fun. Sarah and Travis will be there as well if she can convince him.” Shrugging my shoulders I glance down to my computer and pull up an important email.
“Right. Well, I’ll leave you to work. Let me know if you want me to order lunch for you today or if you are going out.” Nora leaves my office as I pull out my phone to put on some music. It helps to keep me on task.
