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The cafe in the lobby wasn’t yet open, but the staff was already there, slower than at any other time during the day.
On seeing Haylee, Micky—the barista—raised her hand and gave a sloppy wave back and forth while covering a yawn with the other hand.
“The usual?” Micky asked after she finished yawning, her eyes watering from the sleep she’d dragged her ass out of.
“Yes, please.” Haylee began taking down the chairs in the dining area as Micky started on the coffees and breakfast. They had made the deal one lunchtime when Haylee had managed to leave her desk for more than ten minutes.
The morning coffee and breakfast on Ms. Aarts’s desk as soon as she arrived at work had been one of the first things Haylee had put in place that earned her the ever-coveted nod from Ms. Aarts. And that feeling had lit her up for the rest of the day. Haylee would help set up the cafe, and Micky would make the food and drink before officially opening.
Haylee was exhausted by the end of the workday, but the extra two hours of sleep she missed was worth the morning boost she received. And that boost wasn’t just from the coveted nods, but from Cherish’s big smile and effusive praise of Haylee’s proactive decision. If Haylee thought about it, the energy came from Cherish.
The elevator doors closed behind her, and Haylee took one small slow step. And then another. She stopped, waiting for the motion sensor lights to register.
The bright fluorescents blinked and then blinked again before blazing into a full daylight beam.
Haylee took a reassuring breath, nodded her head and continued forward with her day. She turned and used her back to open the clear glass door so she wouldn’t drop the breakfast she carried.
She clutched Febe’s mail tightly in her fist, setting it on the desk and angling it perfectly. Then she added the coffee and bagel in the center so Ms. Aarts would see it first thing. Haylee left Febe’s office and wandered over to Cherish’s desk where she ran her fingers lightly over the woman’s perfectly reset desk. Always the same with pencils sharpened, pens lined up in a row, keyboard at the edge of the desk and mouse exactly centered in the middle of the pad.
Yeah sure, nothing more than a crush.
“Oh shut up,” Haylee muttered to herself, but the smile remained on her face.
She snagged the coffee she’d bought for Cherish and set it in the center of the desk before returning to her station to start on work.
Haylee was well into checking her emails when Ms. Aarts pushed open the door and stepped inside. She stopped briefly as her gaze fell on Haylee.
Haylee looked up, an easy smile on her face. “Good morning, Ms. Aarts.”
“Good morning, Haylee.” An almost smile touched Ms. Aarts thin lips, her high cheeks rising up slightly. That was a first, and Haylee only just barely resisted the urge to do a fist pump in the air.
“Cherish is running some errands for me this morning. She’ll be here in a few hours.” Ms. Aarts dropped her shoulders as if the attack that had been impending was over.
“Not a problem.” Haylee swallowed, a sinking feeling dropping into her stomach that disaster would strike without Cherish’s supervision to keep her out of trouble.
With a nod, Ms. Aarts disappeared into her office, the door snicking closed with an echo. Haylee blew out a breath and gave herself a light pat on the back, having finally done something right.
She tried to resist, but after a count of three, she threw both fists into the air, her smile spreading so wide she thought the corners of her lips might crack.
She was finally doing it. Showing that she could be a dedicated employee, a self-motivated worker who was here for the long term. She hadn’t yet admitted it to Cherish, but she realized as she reshuffled herself neatly into her chair that she enjoyed the challenge and knew without a doubt she would win this bet. Their boss might even be happy without getting laid.
As though time decided to fuck with her perspective, everything slowed down in a loud clash of shame and fear.
Ms. Aarts opened the door to her office forcefully, the echo of the door hitting the wall loud. Just then, Cherish pushed the front door open, her hands full of bags and her briefcase. Febe’s sharp voice echoed through Haylee’s skull and sent a shiver of pain down her spine.
“What. Is. This?”
Haylee pulled her eyes from watching Cherish come through the door, the greeting that had been on her lips dying in the instant Ms. Aarts’s anger filled the room. The tension was so thick, Haylee swore it could be cut with a knife.
“I’m sorry?” Haylee prickled at the weakness of her voice. What had she done?
“This.” Febe stepped forward and flung an envelope toward Haylee. The sharp edges of a crisp off-white envelope barely missed Haylee’s arm before it landed with a heavier thunk than Haylee had expected on the carpet beside her chair.
Was she supposed to reach down and get it?
What would happen if she did? Burning in a pit of hell?
Judging from Febe’s tone, that was definite.
