“Why?”
“The working conditions are not something I am comfortable with.”
“You can’t just leave.” He sounded a little panicky.
“I am afraid I can. I will make sure I hand you a detailed report on what I am working on so you will be up to speed.”
“You cannot take a joke?”
stared at him in shock. “A joke? You have done nothing but undermine me every chance you get. I must assure you, Mr. McGowan, that I do not take what I do lightly.”
“Think about it before you decide. I am not going to open this envelope. Just give it a few days and then come back,” he pleaded.
“I have made up my mind. Please excuse me.”
She left hurriedly before he could say anything else to her. She had thought about it for the past two weeks and she was resolute. She had to leave! It was not just him but the memories of Jason kept coming back to her and she had to put it behind her!
*****
“What did you do, Bart?” Jason demanded. He had been stuck in the UK for the past two weeks and things were not going as well as expected. Now to hear the news that she was leaving!
“I did not do anything,” he said defensively. “She is thin skinned, man.”
“What did you say to her?” he persisted. He was tired and his head felt as if he was coming down with something. He was miserable and out of sorts and was having a hard time concentrating.
“She is a very beautiful woman and I just asked her out several times.”
Jason swore loudly and felt his head spin. “You need to fix it.”
“She has made her mind up.”
“I will be there in a couple of days and we are going to talk.”
It was about three in the afternoon where Bart was but it was approaching ten there and he was still not able to sleep. He missed her dammit and he had to acknowledge it to himself. It had been a mistake to leave and the biggest one was the fact that he had pushed her away. He could not stop thinking about her! He dropped down against the chair in the hotel room and rested his head back. His entire body was paining him and his head felt as if it had grown double its size. He had taken something but it did not seem to be working. With a trembling sigh he stumbled out of the chair and went into the bathroom to find some relief. He drank down the Nyquil thirstily before stumbling back to the bedroom to drop on the bed. Within minutes he was fast asleep.
*****
“Where is she?” Jason demanded. He had told Bart that he would be there in a couple of days but that had turned into a couple of weeks as he had been unable to function from the debilitating illness that invaded his body and had him delirious and out of his senses for the past two weeks. His brother had called to check up on him and had flown over to take him to the doctor. As soon as he was able to travel, he had jumped on the plane and headed back against his brother’s and the doctor’s advice. He had to find her and talk to her.
“I tried to get her to stay and she refused. What was I supposed to do?” Bart was sweating at the look on the younger man’s face. “Look, man, if you had told me that she was important to you I would have backed off.”
“The fact that she was not interested meant nothing to you?” Jason glowered as he prowled the length of the office. “She is not answering her phone and I went to her place and she is not there.”
“Maybe the secretary knows,” Bart said hopefully. “I know that they were kind of close.”
Jason looked at him balefully for a moment and then walked out of the office.
“Mr. Collins.” Lacy got to her feet as he came into her office. “Good to see you back.”
“Thank you. Have you any idea where I can find ?”
“She left.”
“I know she left,” he said impatiently. “Where is she?”
“I think she was going to her mother’s for a little bit.”
“Where is that?”
“In the UK somewhere.”
“I was just there,” he said impatiently. “Never mind. Thanks.”
“She is coming back tomorrow. She told me she has an interview on Wednesday.”
“Thank you.” He nodded at her.
“You are welcome, sir.”
*****
had come back with a virus which had her in bed and feeling miserable. She had an interview tomorrow and it looked like she was going to call and tell them that she was too sick to make it. She struggled out of bed and went into the kitchen to get herself some juice and take some more medication. She had just finished downing the orange juice when she heard the pounding at the door. At first she thought it was the pounding inside her head but as she listened she realized that it was someone at the door. Who on earth could that be, she thought as she made her way to the door slowly and looked out the peephole. She stepped back in shock! Maybe she was hallucinating but there was Jason Collins standing at the opposite end of her door! She took a deep breath and opened the door pulling her old coat around her shivering body. “What’s wrong?” he asked as soon as he saw her.
“I am not well so whatever it is you have to say – you had better leave it until another day,” she told him hoarsely.