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I scanned the floor around my feet and saw a black rectangular object lying at the foot of the bookshelf. I must have knocked it off while I was vacuuming. I picked it up.
A photo frame?
Why hadn’t I noticed it before? I had looked all around for a clue that might point to the identity of Cat Dad, but I hadn’t seen this. I turned the heavy frame in my hands, heart thumping. A small crack cut through the thick layer of glass. Underneath, a woman and a boy smiled out at me from a park bench. Mother and son? The grainy quality of the photograph suggested it had been taken with a film camera, so it was unlikely to be a recent picture. Could the boy in the photograph be Cat Dad? He had wavy chestnut-brown hair, dark eyes, and pudgy cheeks. Even if it were him, he’d look a lot different now.
I put the photo frame back on the shelf and returned to cleaning. Hopefully, the frame wasn’t valuable.
Cat Dad had left me an envelope on the kitchen counter again. When I finished up, I checked inside. Another forty-dollar tip. My heart sank, knowing I couldn’t rightfully accept the money. I left it to cover the cost of the broken photo frame.
At least there was one good thing to come out of my clumsiness: an opportunity to chat with Cat Dad again. I sent him a message through the app.
I broke a photo frame. Sorry!
On my way down to the lobby, my phone buzzed. I grinned in anticipation, certain he’d be nice about the broken frame. I swiped the screen, revealing one new message. But it wasn’t from Cat Dad.
It was from Leon.
I stared at my phone in disbelief. I thought I had blocked him, but evidently not.
Hey. Want to meet up again soon?
Was he delusional? Why on earth would I agree to see him again? Did he think I hadn’t seen his last message—or had he forgotten he even sent it to me? This time, I made sure I blocked him for real, then I went one step further and deleted the dating app off my phone. I hadn’t used it since that disastrous date, and I didn’t intend to again. In fact, I hadn’t thought about the prospect of romance at all since then. Everything else going on in my life had occupied my mind. Besides, there was little point in starting a relationship when I planned to move away in the near future. Romance would have to wait.
Outside, the air was brisk and biting. I buttoned my coat all the way down and pulled my scarf tighter around my neck. Bright stars twinkled above the placid harbour, where the colourful city lights reflected in the water. Acoustic guitar music drifted from a restaurant. The outdoor seating was deserted, but the interior looked inviting, teeming with groups of diners, their plates laden with hearty meals.
As I walked to the train station, I passed multiple office buildings, noticing the lights still on in some windows and the occasional silhouette of a worker. It made me think about Neil. Was he still at the office taking care of that paperwork? It wasn’t unusual for him to work this late, but I couldn’t help feeling guilty—especially after disappointing him this morning.
An idea struck me. What if I went back and checked up on him? Maybe he would still need my help, maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he had already left. But if he was there, it could help me score some points with him and make up for some of my mistakes. We had to work together, and I didn’t want to remain in his bad books forever.
Mind made up, I headed back to Hobson Street. I looked up at the Luxmore building from the footpath and took in the patchwork of lit and unlit windows, but I couldn’t see up to Neil’s office from this angle. My all-hours access card granted me entry through a side door. The lobby was vacant except for a security guard and a cleaner making the rounds.
When I got to the twentieth floor, I had to use my card again to access the corridor. The light spilling from Neil’s office proved his presence. My nerves ratcheted up. Had I made the right decision to come here? I could be at home reading a book and drinking hot tea…
No. I was here now.
Let’s do this.
I walked up to Neil’s half-open door. Through the gap, I could see him hunched over his paperwork with a pen in hand. He had ditched his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, exposing the expanse of his throat, the swell of his Adam’s apple, and a dash of collarbone. I knocked on the door to get his attention as I entered. He looked up at me with a surprised expression. “What are you doing here?”
His voice was huskier than usual. The texture of it made me shiver.
“I’m not busy anymore, so I thought I’d come back and see if there’s anything I can still help you with.”
“You needn’t have.”
“Are you almost finished?”
“No.”
“Then what can I do? I’m here now, so I might as well help.”
Neil sighed. “All right. You can sort these documents. Approved, declined, and pending.”
“Got it.”
I sat in the chair opposite his desk and pulled it up close. Working in such close proximity to him felt strangely intimate. I could smell the spicy undertone of his fragrance, see how his forehead wrinkled as he concentrated…
I shook myself out of it. Why was I getting so distracted by him? I turned my attention to the task at hand.
