Page 58 of Game Change

I didn’t hear from him the rest of the weekend. When I realized I had him blocked on my phone, I unblocked him and still heard nothing. According to Ernestine, Colin wasn’t in the office on Monday. I was sick with a stomach bug, so I worked from home. I’ve yet to see him today. I could have called him, but I decided not to. Milton interrupting us on Saturday was a sign. It means we are not meant to be, so I’ve decided to leave things alone.

My mom always told me that when two people are meant to be together, it’s easy. It’s when they’re not meant to be that it becomes hard. She tried for years to make things work with my father, but no matter what they did, they could not function together as a couple. When they decided to part ways, her life got better. She met my stepdad a few years later, and she said they never had a bad day.

My dad moved to the West Coast and remarried, too, but that marriage ended after a few years, so maybe my dad’s the reason all his relationships failed. Dad has a daughter with his second wife, a sister I’ve only met once. Last I heard, he and her mother got back together and remarried.

A wave of nausea hits, and I stand until it goes away. I always get sick like this when I’m stressed or overwhelmed. I take a deep breath and leave my office to make tea in the kitchen. I sigh in exasperation when I see Heath standing in front of the elaborate espresso machine delivered yesterday. According to him, Colin bought it for the office. He looks ridiculous today in a yellow cardigan and brown pants. As if he can sense someone is behind him, he turns and eyes me up and down. Not in the mood to deal with him, I go to the other side of the room for a lemon zinger teabag.

“You sick or something?” he asks. I turn and almost bump into him. The kid is as quiet as a jungle cat. “You look terrible.”

“I’m fine,” is all I say.

“Your coloring is off. You look sallow.”

“Excuse me?”

“Like you’re dehydrated. If so, you don’t want to drink that tea.” He walks to the fridge and returns with a bottle of water. He puts it down, looks me up and down again, and leaves.

“Impudent little troll,” I whisper. Maybe I can ask Milton for one more favor and have him fired.

“How about I break it upside your head!” I hear Ernestine say once I step out of the bathroom. There’s no reason she would be on this side of the floor unless she was in the bathroom. She wasn’t. Luckily, I was the only one in there while I threw up for the second time today. “Or better yet, I’ll shove it up your narrow little ass until it snaps.”

“What the hell is your problem, lady?” I hear Heath ask, but underneath that question, there’s a hint of amusement.

“Bend over, and I’ll show you, Scarecrow.” I sigh and walk towards Heath’s desk, thankful for once not to be the boss. If I were the boss, Heath wouldn’t be here to torture Ernestine.

“Why are you both yelling?” I whisper-shout. It takes all I have in me to say that. Before this commotion, I was going to work from home.

I hear heavy footsteps behind me. “What the hell is going on?” I hear Colin say. The feeling of joy and relief at hearing his voice can only be because he will have to deal with this nonsense instead of me.

I glance at him, and he looks tired. He looks good, though. It’s obvious he hasn’t shaved since I saw him last, and it reminds me of when we first met, which now feels like three lifetimes ago. Unlike when we first met, he looks exhausted.

“This rude little troll—” Ernestine begins.

“Troll?” Heath says. “At least I’m not wearing a shade of green that makes me look like Shrek.”

“Ernestine, what happened?” I ask after digging deep for patience.

“Look,” she says and holds up a broom. It’s an old-fashioned broom. The type you see in stories that involve witches. “He left it here with a note that says ‘ride this, witch.’”

“I did no such thing,” Heath says. He crosses his arms and looks away, but from that smug look on his face, I know he did it. No one else in the office would do such a thing.

“How do you know it was him?” Colin asks.

“Only he would do something like this. All he does is spread lies about me in the office,” Ernestine says. “But this isn’t funny, Scarecrow.”

“At least I don’t wear a color that looks like something that girl from The Exorcist threw up.”

“It’s better than those ugly ass cardigans you wear.”

Heath gasps and steps back like she struck him. “This is cashmere,” he says and he touches the edge of his sleeve.

“It’s hideous,” Ernestine says. Heath opens his mouth and looks at Colin as if he’s expecting him to say or do something. “I wouldn’t wipe my ass with that cardigan.”

“There isn’t enough material to wipe your ass.”

“Okay, enough,” Colin says.

“Excuse me?” Ernestine takes a threatening step toward Heath, but Colin intercepts. “What the hell did you just say, you rude little troll?”

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