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I stand in front of the room and get their attention by clapping my hands.
“Something happened last Friday, and I need to see every single one of you. I’m arranging a staff meeting for five o’clock. If you don’t like it, you know where the door is. It’s urgent, and I expect everyone there.”
They’re obviously staying quiet because they don’t want to bet on their jobs.
I go back to my office and shove the door shut behind me.
Taking my cell from my purse, I remember I had a text this morning. Instead of replying, I head back out.
I lock the office door. Margie jumps up out of her seat and stands. “Hold my calls, Margie, I’m going out. It’ll probably be two hours or more depending on traffic. If Mr. Hicks calls, I’ve got my cell, ask him to call me on that.”
I don’t wait for an answer. Instead I storm out and jump in my car to see my best friend.
Forty-Six
Reagan
Pushing through the door of the salon, the miserable bitch receptionist goes to stop me but I’m seriously not in the mood for her today. Lifting my hand in a ‘don’t fucking go there’ gesture, I walk right past her and into the back of the shop.
“Wooo, look at you, sexy bitch,” Ruby calls out, a smile plastered on her lips. I slam my purse down on the counter and fold my arms across my chest. “Whoa. Whose ass do I need to kick?”
“I have no idea.” I sulk. “Something happened last week when I was off sick. I lost an account. A big account. And I have no idea how.”
“How much are we talking?”
“Quarter of a million…” I say like it’s ten dollars. My voice is way calmer than how I actually feel.
“What? How?” Ruby’s voice rises to a screech.
“Like I said, I have no idea. Something’s going on at work and I don’t know what, but I need to figure it out.”
Ruby studies me closely and rubs my arm, soothing me. “Sit down.”
“I can’t, I’m too angry.” My hands fall to my hips and I pace the small room. “Then when I get back from meeting with the CEO of the company, I have Margie asking if I’m okay. Okay? What the fuck? She could see how angry I was.”
“Reag, you’re gonna have to start from the beginning, because I’m lost, hon.”
With a heavy sigh, I tell her about having to go home sick. I tell her about what Everett said to me and about Terry. I tell her about the park on Saturday and about what I said to her yesterday morning. My head is spinning. I feel like if I don’t get a hold on my temper, I’m going to end up with another migraine. It’s like everything has the name Margie added to the end of it. Everything points to her.
Ruby sets her hands on my shoulders, holding me firm. “Reagan, I love you, you know that, right?” I nod, because obviously I know that. “So, you know I’d never lie to you?” Again, I nod. “I don’t trust her…Margie. There’s something about her that keeps nagging at me and I have no idea what it is.” She sighs. “I didn’t know how to tell you because you seemed to like her. I was hoping it was just first impressions, but I don’t think it is. When we went to see Halestorm, she was constantly watching you. I didn’t like it. I’m not a jealous person—you’ve known me for years, and you know I’m happy when you get other friends, the more the merrier—but it was a little creepy.” She schools her expression before continuing. “You know what I’m like, Reag, I can’t just sit by and watch. You know when you get a feeling that you’ve met someone before? That’s what I have and right now I can’t shake it. I keep wracking my brain, trying to remember, but it’s not working.”
“Fuck!” I try to keep my voice down because the salon is quiet; I don’t want Ruby to look bad.
“Think about it, Reagan, things have started going wrong since you hired her. You were so happy in your job and your boss never had a bad word to say about you.”
Covering my face with my hands, I tightly close my eyes with the slightest bit of hope that I can wish all this away, but I know I can’t.
“She must have really pulled a number on you, my friend, for you to trust her the way you have. I’ve never seen anyone get that close to you, other than me.” She’s right, I usually don’t let people in this fast
“This is all my fault, Ruby.” I sigh again. I take my cell out and see a missed call from Margie and Everett, but nothing from Terry. I’d forgotten that it was still silent from the meeting. Turning my cell around, I show her my screen.
“Is she checking up on you?”
“Who knows.” I shrug, frowning, and stand up, dragging my purse up onto my shoulder. “I better get going. Back to the grind, I go.”
I almost get to the door when the tone of her voice changes. “Changing the subject completely…” I turn around to see a smirk pull at her mouth as she sets a hand on her cocked hip. “How’s it going with you and Everett?”
I can’t help the knowing grin that plasters itself across my lips. “Very well, thank you.” I don’t give her anything else. My eyebrows bounce up and down and I leave.
