Page 30 of Through the Snow Globe
“Anytime.”
“I’ll call you afterward?” she asked.
“Counting on it.”
And then she’d convince Linus to let her drive him home.
* * *
Diana pulled into the parking lot of Powell Rehabilitation Center and parked in the spot closest to the building. That was perhaps the luckiest thing that had happened to her today, aside from seeing Linus this morning.
She grabbed her purse, took a breath, and stepped out of her car. Mr. Powell liked punctuality. He liked order and hard workers. Diana was all those things on her best day, which the first December 4th was not. This one would be different, though. It could only go up from here.
Ducking into the building, she headed toward Leann Dixon, the company’s receptionist, who sat behind a large counter in the center of the room.
“Hi. I have an appointment with Mr. Powell at two o’clock.”
Leann’s small spectacle-style glasses slid down her nose a notch. “It’s two o’clock now,” she said pointedly, eyebrows lifting high on her forehead. Despite the exaggerated brow lift, Leann’s forehead didn’t wrinkle. She was a walking advertisement for Botox. Even so, her frown lines seemed to persist.
“Sorry. The weather is bad,” Diana explained. “But I’m right on time.” Just as she said it, the digital clock on the wall behind Leann turned to one minute after the hour.
“Hmm. I’ll let Mr. Powell know you’re here.” Leann forced what was obviously an insincere smile. Then she picked up the phone’s receiver on her desk and held it to her ear.
Diana walked toward the waiting room and took a seat in one of the cushy chairs provided. She pulled out her cell phone, willing Linus to say something more. She couldn’t get enough of him now that he was awake. She wanted to spend every waking moment together, but this meeting was important too. It would give them better footing for when they finally did get married. Marriage was hard even without financial struggles. Diana’s parents hadn’t made it. Neither had her grandparents. Didn’t it make sense to have a firm financial foundation before tying the knot?
“Ms. Merriman?” Leann called from the counter.
Diana looked up from her phone. “Yes?”
“Mr. Powell is ready to see you now.”
Diana’s chest tightened as she stood. “Thank you.” Following Leann, Diana remembered when she’d made this walk three weeks earlier. She’d taken the time beforehand to brush her hair, put on lipstick, and powder her face before the meeting. She was going in for a promotion after all. She wanted to put her best foot forward.
This time, however, she must look a mess from the sleet and all that the day had already brought. She’d gone to see Linus instead of primping, and she wasn’t sorry. William didn’t have to fix his hair or put on makeup to win Mr. Powell’s approval, so why should she?
Mr. Powell looked up from his laptop as she walked into his office. “Hi, Diana,” he said in a deep voice that seemed to fill the room.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Powell.” Diana stepped over to his desk to shake his hand. His grip was firm and his eye gaze was direct. She’d always liked the owner of the company. Mr. Powell’s father had owned it before him. It was a business that catered to all avenues of patient rehabilitation, including physical, occupational, and speech therapies.
“Please, call me Todd. I believe I’ve been telling you that for years now, haven’t I?”
“Right. Todd.” Even though Todd was only a couple years older than Diana, it was hard to address her boss so casually. William Davis probably didn’t have that hang-up. She removed her hand from his and stood there nervously, her head bobbling up and down in a nod. Rochelle had given Diana a few pointers on how to calm her nerves during situations like this, but she always shut her friend down when she stepped into her counselor role. Rochelle was her friend when they were together, not a counselor. Even so, Diana wished she had listened to Rochelle’s tips on navigating important interviews. Diana wanted this promotion so badly she could taste it.
“The weather is a mess out there, isn’t it?” Mr. Powell’s gaze lifted to her hair.
“It is. Yes. That’s why I am also a mess right now. Bad-hair days are a hazard of working in home health.” She giggled out loud and then felt the burn of her cheeks because giggling wasn’t professional. She was trying to be more personable, like Mr. Powell apparently wanted, but she just felt foolish.Confidence, Diana. You deserve this promotion. It’s rightfully yours.
“Well, please have a seat. Would you like a cup of coffee?” Mr. Powell gestured to a Keurig machine that sat on a tiny table against the wall of his office.
Diana shook her head as she sat down, not wanting to inconvenience him.
Mr. Powell began to sit as well. “Okay, then let’s—”
“Actually, yes!” Diana blurted, interrupting her boss. Because maybe sharing a cup of coffee would contribute to a more casual meeting. Friends shared coffee, right? And Mr. Powell valued a friends and family environment. “A cup of coffee sounds wonderful.”
Mr. Powell blinked politely. “Of course.” He stood and walked to the machine on the counter.
“Sorry, I barely got to taste my first cup of coffee this morning. It’s just been one of those days,” she explained, feeling less and less at ease. The first time she’d had this meeting, she’d felt so confident. At least until things had begun to go wrong.
