Page 56 of Grease Monkey
I raise my gaze to meet her sympathetic one. “Is there one?”
“At least it’s not permanent.”
“How do you know for sure it’s me?” The shake in my voice is damn near embarrassing. Anyone else would be honored to be considered for going to Phoenix. Anyone else, that is, who didn’t have my history with a certain resident in that town.
Oh God, I’m going to be sick.
You don’t know for sure he is there, Morgana. You’re getting ahead of yourself.
Lainey scrunches her nose. “I heard it from Howard, who heard it from Lynsey, who heard it from Steph. It’s you, hon.”
I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair. Steph is our CEO’s PA, and the others; assistants to those just under Victoria Wright. And with all the assistants in the audit department being thick as thieves, if Lainey heard it from them… it looks like I’m going to Phoenix.
“For how long?”
“Three months, I think.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. Okay, three months isn’t bad. Three months is doable.
A light knock sounds from my door, and then Victoria appears on the threshold, all tall andboss-ass-bitchlooking in a black pantsuit that I know costs nearly as much as one month’s paycheck. Her smile is bright—probably because she’s not the one who’s being uprooted—as she walks into my office like her arrival didn’t bring in a dark cloud with her. Lainey jumps to her feet, nearly toppling on her heels as she does, wobbling slightly as she gives our boss a little curtsey. Embarrassment coats the tips of her ears, I rub my temples, and Victoria chuckles as Lainey speeds away.
“I’ll be at my desk if you need me,” she calls back, turning her head just as she pulls the door closed and mouths,“Why did I do that?”behind Victoria’s back.
I smile, feeling marginally better since Lainey dropped that Phoenix bomb. That is, until Ms. Wright lowers herself into a chair opposite my desk. Her platinum blonde hair is pulled neatly into a bun at her nape, her sharp but elegant features only emphasized by her long slender neck and the suit she’s wearing hugs her sculpted body like it’s been painted on. She is the ultimate cover girl for women in finance. How she manages to be the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company, have three children under fifteen, a doting husband,andstill finds the time to fit in a workout is beyond me.
“Morgana,” she sing-songs my name. “I must say, I have been impressed with your work recently. Very impressed, actually.”
An unsteady smile tugs at my lips, unsure of the correct response to such an unfamiliar concept.
Compliments are for the weak and those who need validation. Alders do not need such a thing.And yet, it’s funny how my dad’s career in the public eye requires him to have their approval. Almost like hecravesit. With his second term as State Attorney General ending, it wasn’t a surprise when he announced he was running for Governor.
Victoria cocks her head, looking at me funny.
“Oh, thank you,” I say when I realize I lost focus… in front of mybigboss—good one, Morgana.
She smiles, clasping her hands on her knees. “And all this work has made the partners take notice too.” Sitting a little straighter, I brace for impact. “Signing Bank of America was great for business. Because of the implications of dealing with such a big client, we would rather send you to their headquarters for the external audit instead of doing it remotely.”
“Wow,” I whisper.
“Wow, indeed,” she beams, mistaking my disappointment for delight. “Phoenix is beautiful, and I’m sure after four months, you’ll never want to leave.”
This is happening. Phoenix for…
“Sorry, Victoria.” My hands fidget on my desk. “Did you sayfourmonths?”
She smiles, the little crow’s feet deepening at the edges of her eyes. Nausea grips the muscles in my stomach, making me go from queasy to downright nauseous, heading for a total vomit fest any second.
Four months in Phoenix.
Four months away from my friends, my apartment, my bed.
Four months stuck in a city, peering over my shoulder, constantly looking for that one person who broke my heart—more like shattered—into a million teeny tiny pieces.
Did he really break your heart, though?
Okay, fine, it wasn’thisfault. But still, my heart broke that day too. Misplaced panic joins my unsettled stomach. Deep breaths, Morgana, he might not even be there. It’s not like you asked his mom to find out.
He moved back, you dumbass. His parents might not have come right out and said it, but he’s there.
