Page 11 of Mailroom Delight
Maybe it was loneliness. I wasn’t sure.
These days my life was one where I got from one day to the next on a whim.
I just did the best I could to make each day count.
And today I was working from home. There was no way I was going to any damn meeting with that man to discuss my column.
He’d get the shock of his life at four when he’d see that I’d left for the day.
There was one person I had to call though.
Bernice’s phone nearly rang out to the voicemail again. I was about to hang up when she answered.
“Paige.”
“Bernice you are a terrible friend.” I screamed down the phone. “You left me at work to sleep when I went to the damn mailroom to cheer you up. Do you have any idea what I’ve been through in the last few hours?”
It was my embarrassment and frustration coming out. I couldn’t help it.
To my surprise I heard her giggling and then there was a man’s voice in the background saying, “Come back to bed, baby.”
“I will, give me a minute. This is my best friend.” Her voice sounded faded like she’d moved the phone away from her ear.
“Bernice, who is that?”
“Paige. I took your advice.”
“What advice?” I didn’t know what she meant.
“I found the hottest guy and made sure he saw me. We’re at the Four Seasons.” As she spoke the memory of what I’d said came rushing back, and I bit the inside of my lip.
Jesus Christ, I wouldn’t have given her that advice if I wasn’t drunk.
Thinking clearly now I would have just stuck with what I’d said first about her doing better than Cody, and simply forgetting him. But all that other stuff I said was definitely anAsk Paigeresponse. It was juicy and absolutely what I would have told my readers if someone wrote in.
Bernice giggled again. “I won’t be at work today.” Her voice came across the line and then faded again.
“Bernice.” I panicked because I didn’t know if she was safe. She couldn’t just go to some random place and pick up some guy. But she did because I told her to.
“Paige, I have to go.”
She hung up before I could respond. The line simply went dead.
I was left open mouthed and more shocked than what I’d gone through with his majesty, Jason Dempsey.
I couldn’t believe Bernice actually took my advice.
I closed my eyes, sighed, and moved over to the sofa where I sat and gazed out the window.
Damn it. What a messed-up day.
I had Jason on my back and poor Bernice was off with some guy at the Four Seasons.
I sighed feeling frustrated and stood up.
I needed that bath. A long, hot bath where I could soak.
I was going to push aside all the craziness for today and tackle it tomorrow. I suspected I would have Jason to deal with first thing and I would need my energy for that.
