Page 87 of The Cabin

Oh. That’s way better than the extremes I was imagining.

My whole body relaxes. “Oh, okay. No problem. What time?”

He relaxes too. His features are soft and warm, if not looking a little guilty. I just want to slip myself right into his arms and bury my face in his chest. For him. For me. He feels like…

Yeah, I’m not going to say that. I am not going to say he feels like anything. Especially nothome.

He shakes his head. “Forget it. No, I’m sorry I even asked. I’m going to go and set things straight. I’m not dragging you into this. I should’ve never come up here. It was selfish. Sorry I interrupted your day.” His hurried, dejected steps take him all the way down the hall and around the corner.

I may not be able to physically comfort him because it feels too intimate. Or do anything that would show how much I’ve fallen for him, like tell him I want to be interrupted by him all day every day. For forever. But I can do friend things for him. And I’m going to that lawyer’s office.

—

Wow. New York is fucking expensive.

I silently cry inside my head when I type in Grayson’s lawyer’s address into Uber and see how much it’s going to cost to get there.

That’s one of those things that comes from living with someone who you spend all of your time with and who is going through what you’re going through. I know his lawyer’s name. I remember because we were laughing about how ridiculous his last name is. Beekahkdian. Sometimes I’m no better than the middle schoolers I teach.

Between the traffic, the price, and the nerves, I want to rate this ride a zero out of five stars, but unfortunately, Uber doesn’t have an option to ratethem,just the driver. And my driver was perfectly lovely and amazing.

I am bouncing in my seat feeling very anxious and overwhelmed. I don’t want to miss it. I don’t even know what time it’s at. But it took some time getting out of the hotel because a) I was a hot mess and b) I had to figure out how to make my ratty t-shirt wardrobe work for business casual. I’m actually kind of impressed with myself for pulling it off. Going out to buy a hot outfit wasn’t one hundred percent a bad idea. Just mostly. Especially because of what it led to.

Thankfully we get close enough that I can just get out and walk the rest of the way.

With a frantic, “Thank you!” thrown over my shoulder, I power walk (trip and stumble and roll my ankles) to the building I need and burst inside. It is extremely sophisticated. Very elite. Very high class. Your voice would probably echo in the space because there’s really nothing to absorb the sound. My lawyer’s office is essentially a janitor’s closet that I think he also lives in.

I look around, suddenly feeling way less confident in my magic outfit abilities.

There’s no time for second guessing, so I march up to the front desk and attempt a business woman, bad ass smile. “Hi. I have an appointment with Mr. Beekahkdian.”

The secretary nods and starts typing. “Name?” he asks, never glancing up from the screen.

Mmm. Do I give him my name or Grayson’s? “Um. My presence was requested for a meeting with his client Grayson Stoker.”

“Name?” There isn’t much life in his eyes.

“Sol Vatner.”

Silence. I’m sweating. Why am I sweating? I was literally invited to come here.You’ve got this, Sol.

“Someone will be waiting for you on floor number nine to escort you to the conference room. Elevators are just around the corner to your left.”

“Oh! Uh. Okay. Great. Thanks!” I’m feeling a bit manic and it’s clear by the secretary’s face that I look it too.

In the elevator, I take the time to pull myself together. I need to go into work mode. Into ‘I don’t have any problems I have a job to do’ mode. I’m very good at that.

I step out onto the dark, shining, hardwood floors and am greeted by a small blonde woman who is shorter than me, even wearing her heels.

“Ms. Vatner? Welcome.”

“Yes. Um. Hi.”

She smiles and motions with her hand that we should start walking. “You’re the first to arrive. Everyone should be in momentarily. Mr. Beekahkdian is very strict about starting on time.”

I follow her around the office until she stops at a large, imposing door. Everything in this building makes me feel so out of place. Like I’m a woman who was raised by wolves trying to fit into a white-collar society.

“Can I get you a coffee or a tea?”

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