Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 76541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76541 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 383(@200wpm)___ 306(@250wpm)___ 255(@300wpm)
She does, perching on the edge and folding her hands in her lap. She started out as a secretary here under my dad’s watch and worked her way up the ladder until he put her in charge of our entire resource pool. She’s smart, efficient, and most of all loyal to the company. That loyalty transferred from my dad to me when I became CEO.
“You asked me to keep a close eye on Hannah Madigan,” she says, and I nod. I have and so far, her reports every few days by email have been benign. Hannah was doing well at work, exceeding expectations.
“Is everything okay?” There’s no hiding the alarm in my voice.
Kyla shakes her head. “I don’t think so. I didn’t tell you last week because it seemed like a personal matter, and I wasn’t sure it was relevant—”
“Is she sick?” I demand as I rise out of my chair.
Eyes rounding wide with unease, Kyla leans back in her chair. “Um… no. Not that I know of.”
“Christ,” I mutter as I scrub my fingers through my hair and plop back down in my chair. I give her a sheepish look. “I’m sorry.”
Kyla purses her lips. “I really wasn’t sure why you wanted me to keep an eye on her and it’s none of my business, but now it’s clear to me that you have feelings for her.”
For a flash of a moment, I think to deny it, by why bother? Kyla has me pegged. Besides, there’s no shame in caring for someone.
“Now I’m glad I decided to share this with you,” she says with a tinge of censure in her tone. “Last week as I was coming out of work—actually a week ago today—I found Hannah crouched beside her car just sobbing her heart out.”
“Fuck,” I mutter. Last Wednesday after work. When I sent my last text to Hannah that I wasn’t taking her to the gala. “Did she tell you what was wrong?”
“No,” she replies briskly. “Dried her tears and put on a stiff upper lip.”
“Okay?” I drawl expectantly, because there’s clearly more to the story since that happened last week.
“She left a little bit ago after you sent the email about closing early,” she continues. “I was walking around, encouraging some stragglers to leave, turning off lights, making sure computers were turned off, and I saw something on her desk.”
“What?”
“It was on her printer, actually. A pamphlet to a college in South Carolina she must have printed out. It had an application with it to their business program. If I had to guess, Miss Madigan isn’t going to be with us much longer. It appears she might be applying to college soon.”
I stare at Kyla in shock, dread sinking in at what she’s saying. Hannah is going to move halfway across the country?
“I’m not sure if you’re understanding things,” Kyla says, and I focus back in on her. Her words are pointed and challenging. “But I’m going to guess that Hannah was incredibly hurt last week by someone, and her only answer to it is to leave the area. It seems to me that if someone was having second thoughts about the rashness of their actions, they might want to take advantage of the early day off and purchase a plane ticket to South Carolina.”
“South Carolina?” I ask, dumbfounded.
“Yes. Hannah’s going there for the holidays with her daughter.”
She’s going to South Carolina for Thanksgiving.
Looks like she’s thinking about school there.
Hannah has moved on. Yet, I’m still left behind in this weird limbo, fighting my own feelings and fears.
“Jackie’s already left,” Kyla says. She’s talking about my personal assistant. “Shall I make plane reservations for you?”
“Um… no,” I tell her as I grab my phone off the desk. “I’ll handle it myself. I have to call my sister first, though.”
Kyla nods with a smile and stands from her seat. “Well, have a good holiday. Best of luck to you and Hannah.”
“You too,” I say without real thought, my mind already spinning out of control over how my life is getting ready to be decided very soon. But then I shake out of it and take a moment’s pause. Looking at Kyla, I give her my heartfelt gratitude. “Thank you. For giving me a push. I needed the shake up.”
“Anytime,” she says with a grin.
Kyla leaves, shutting the door behind her. I dial my sister.
“Hey,” she answers in a rushed sort of way that says she’s busy and doesn’t have a lot of time to talk. “I’m at the grocery store right now trying to buy last-minute shit I forgot for dinner tomorrow.”
We’re all planning to have dinner at her house tomorrow, Dad and Mandy included. It would have been interesting.
“I’m not going to make it tomorrow,” I tell her, and I can almost hear her come to a dead stop in the grocery store.