by Dena Blake
Just as they walked onto the pier, she heard Jordan behind her. “Not so fast, little sister. You don’t get to come in late and take off with the most beautiful woman at the party.” There it was again, the charm and charisma of her older sister snatching Carly away from her once more.
Carly’s cheeks reddened, and she focused her attention on Jordan. It was just as well. Wynn wasn’t good company tonight. Her mind was far from romance. She had to figure out a compromise at work—how she could improve revenue without letting people go.
Chapter Ten
Wynn bolted up in bed and scanned the room. She looked at her chest and saw the same lime-green T-shirt as she saw the previous days. Oh my God. Not again.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, and she saw the notice for a voice-mail message from Jordan on the screen. Same shitty phone. She typed in her code and immediately began typing a message to Carly.
I feel like something weird happened between us last night.
The same answer from yesterday appeared on the screen. I think this text might be meant for someone else.
Carly was probably pissed, and rightly so. Sorry about the kiss. I shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye.
She watched and waited as the bubbles appeared on the phone. Again, not me. Some other lucky girl. The bubbles appeared again, and then, Maybe we can talk tonight popped up.
What the hell? The name Carly Evans stared at her from the top of the screen. What had happened last night? What was happening tonight? Where was tonight happening?
Definitely tonight. Where is that again?
The Waterbar @ 7:00. See you there.
She listened to the message from Jordan. “Hey. I need your help at a fund-raiser tonight. Call me back.” Holy fuck, she was going crazy. Her phone rang, and Evelyn’s name appeared on the screen. It was the same day again. “This can’t be happening.” She threw the phone across the room, flopped back onto the bed, and squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened her eyes, nothing had changed. “What the fuck is going on?” She was in a Groundhog Day time loop.
She retrieved the pieces of her phone from across the room. Totally dead. She’d have to pick up another on the way to work. By that time Evelyn would be completely pissed that she hadn’t responded. Shadow met her on the floor with a piece of the phone in her mouth. “At least you know what’s going on.” Shadow climbed into her lap. “You probably need to go outside.” She stood with Shadow in her arms and started down the hallway but turned around and slipped on her flip-flops. She wasn’t taking any chances with stepping in accidents this morning.
She let Shadow outside, then made the coffee before she filled her food dish. She took the box of Froot Loops from the pantry and poured some into a bowl. That and coffee would be her only savior today. The day was destined to go downhill from here. She let Shadow back inside and then found her laptop and searched for the notes she’d written last night. Gone—everything was completely gone. She opened a new document and retyped as much as she could from memory, which was most of it, since she hadn’t gotten drunk and purged it all from her head this time. Once she finished her notes, she headed to the bathroom to shower. She felt for the light switch but caught her finger on a wire instead. She yanked her hand back when a zap of electricity shot through her. Fuck! She’d forgotten about the bathroom remodel. She shook her hand to relieve the pain. It was clear this crazy phenomenon wasn’t a dream.
Even though the guest shower was smaller, the warm water felt good as it washed over her. It had been forever since she’d actually enjoyed a bath. It seemed like she was always in a hurry to be somewhere. Not today. She knew precisely how the day was going to play out, and even though she couldn’t find her exact notes, she remembered how she had intended to change her plan.
After she got out of the shower, she dried off and then assessed herself in the mirror. She was thinner again. The extra weight she’d put on in the past year was another side effect of working too much. As she spread the hair product through her hair, she also noted that she didn’t have even one strand of gray hair on her head. Was the job really worth it? She spritzed herself with cologne and then went to the closet and took out the black, notched-collar Express suit she’d worn the day before. If this day moved forward, she’d remember to keep this one. She tugged on the slacks and slipped on a white button-down to go under the matching jacket.
Before leaving the house, she typed the coffee order into the app on her phone and hoped she could make it in and out of the shop without Sally coffee-bombing her. She erased her name and typed in a fake one on the order just to make sure.
When she arrived at the coffee shop, she watched through the window and waited until Sally was out of sight to slip inside. It looked like she’d gone into the back room, which would give Wynn enough time to retrieve her order from the pre-order area at the counter.
“Don’t think I can’t see you.” Sally ran from the other end of the counter as Wynn grabbed the tray of coffees and bolted to the door. “Coward,” she shouted. Sally was probably right about that, but Wynn wasn’t up for trying to make a bad situation with her work any longer than necessary. Having to watch what you did and said every moment was exhausting.
Wynn zipped out and to the parking lot faster than she’d run in her life. She stopped and sucked in a deep breath before she got into her Jeep. She was seriously going to have to find a new coffee shop.
The stop at the cell-phone store had gone quicker than she’d anticipated. She’d paid whatever the asking price was, even though it seemed extremely exorbitant for an older model iPhone. As soon as she got into the Jeep, she punched in April’s number at Sexton Technologies and waited for her to answer.
“Miss Jamison’s office.”
“Hi, April. It’s Wynn. Can you transfer me to Jack Spencer, please.”
“Let me look him up.” She heard a few clicks of a keyboard. “Hang on. I’ll transfer you.”
She heard a few clicks as the call transferred. The phone rang a couple of times before he answered. “Sexton Tech, Jack speaking. How can I help you?”
“Jack, this is Wynn Jamison. Evelyn Cantor wants you in her office in thirty minutes.”
“Okay. Did she say why?”
“Nope. She’ll explain when you get there.” She didn’t wait for a response and hung up. She was going to have to haul ass to get there before he did.
* * *
After seeing the Baxters to the door, Carly went to her desk and dropped into the leather chair. If only half of the couples she counseled were as proactive as Mike and Sara, she would be out of a job. She felt confident they were on the right path and would most likely have a successful marriage, as long as neither of them discounted the other’s needs.
Carly pressed her fingers to her head. She’d woken suddenly this morning from a dream she couldn’t recall. Something was off this morning, and she couldn’t quite figure out what. Maybe it was a migraine coming on, but it didn’t feel like it. She grabbed a bottle of medicine from her desk and took a pill anyway. She had a big night tonight and couldn’t let a headache get in the way.
Instead of checking her schedule herself, Carly picked up the phone and dialed Stephanie’s extension. “Is that it for today?”
“Yep. You had me clear your schedule this afternoon because of Suzanna’s event.”
“Great. My head is splitting, so I’m going to head home and lie down for a while.”
“I have something for that if you need it.”
“Already took something, but thanks.” She hung up the phone and gathered her things. Maybe a nap would help her recall the dream. She’d been on the edge of remembering a couple of times this morning, but just couldn’t bring it into focus. If nothing else, a little sleep should help relieve the headache.
It was weird. She’d been fine until she received the text message from Wynn. She hadn’t seen Wynn last night and had no idea what she was talking about, but she felt like she’d lost a conversation with
her somewhere. Wynn’s text led her to believe she was confused as well. Her dreams had been vivid, as usual, but her memory of them was gone—completely erased. In recent years, she didn’t remember as much of them as she had when she was younger, but she usually retained bits and pieces to ponder.
Today she recalled nothing except a familiar feeling about Wynn, a warmth she couldn’t explain. Was it possible for them to have had the same dream? No. That was ridiculous unless she was playing a starring role in a supernatural film. She’d see Wynn tonight. Hopefully she’d elaborate on her text this morning. Odd how her stomach clenched at the thought of Wynn kissing another woman. They’d never dated or even flirted, not that she hadn’t thought about it more than once. Wynn was everything she’d dreamed of in a woman but always seemed just out of reach. She’d find out tonight if Wynn’s involvement with another woman had completely eliminated the possibility of having something with her.
Chapter Eleven
Wynn was prepared for George, the security guard, this morning, her badge hanging around her neck and visible. She held the badge up to the card reader by the door, the light changed from red to green, and the doors swung open. “Good morning, George.”
He glanced at her badge. “Good morning, Miss Jamison.” His eyesight must be perfect to read the tiny writing. “I hear it’s going to be a stormy day in the office today.”
“Not if I can help it.”
He grinned. “That’s good to hear.” He sounded perky. “It’d be a shame to break up the family.” He seemed sincere. “Have a nice day,” he said in the exact same chipper tone he had yesterday.
She took the stairs and went straight to Evelyn’s office, where she found Jack already there. He was early, of course, and both of them were confused as to why she’d asked him to meet her there.
“Where the hell have you been?” Evelyn rounded her desk and whispered, “And why the hell is Jack in my office?” She plucked one of the cups from the drink carrier.
“We have work to do before today’s presentation.” She offered the last cup of coffee to Jack. “Black, right?” She had no idea.
“Sweet and light,” he said, looking thoroughly confused.
Evelyn reached into her drawer, took out a handful of sugar packets along with a couple of containers of creamer, and dropped them on the desk.
Wynn motioned them to the conference table in the corner of the office as she took out her laptop and several stapled bundles of paper. “Leadership is not going to go for your plan.” She tossed a printed copy of Evelyn’s presentation in front of each one of them. “They’re going with mine.” She tossed a copy of hers in front of them.
Evelyn narrowed her eyes. “You have a proposal?”
“Of course I have one. You don’t listen to anyone else’s ideas.” Wynn hadn’t been doing that herself in recent months.
“I do too. I just think mine is better.” Evelyn was a total narcissist, so getting her to recognize that her plan would never happen wouldn’t be easy.
“What the hell?” Jack thumbed through Wynn’s presentation. “You want to cut my entire team and outsource support.”
She nodded and blew out a breath. “That was part of my proposal.” She tossed copies of Jack’s improvement plan on the table. “I want to change it, and I need you both to help me fix it before we meet with leadership.”
“What’s this?” Evelyn picked up the stapled papers.
“It’s Jack’s plan. I never passed it on.”
“Seriously? You arrogant—”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” She turned to Evelyn. “Jack is my neighbor, and I didn’t even realize it until a couple of days ago.” The sight of him in the future, standing on his porch with the headphones around his neck, flashed through her head. “I’d hate for him to turn out to be a divorced, unemployed gamer in the future.” She glanced back to Jack. “By the way, there’s a sweet chocolate Lab at the animal shelter you need to adopt.”
“Probably not. My wife’s not a fan of dogs.”
Buttercup’s sweet face came to mind, and sadness filled her. “We’ll convince her.” She cleared it quickly. She’d have to deal with that detail later.
She retrieved the easel from the corner, balanced the oversized drawing pad on it, and picked up a marker. “We need to work together as a team to combine all of these ideas for a solution that leadership will accept so no one loses their job.”
* * *
Wynn went over the proposal in her head as they stood in the elevator waiting for the doors to open on the executive floor. It was a good plan, and no one was going to be let go, not even George, the security guard.
“Ready?” Evelyn fidgeted as the elevator doors opened.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She stepped into the hallway, and Evelyn and Jack stepped out of the elevator behind her. Evelyn had reluctantly agreed to let her run the presentation, with each of them joining to present in different areas.
“Just take a breath and follow my lead. It’ll all be fine.” She said the words but wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. This plan was totally different from the one she’d presented last year.
After entering and exchanging niceties, Jack connected Wynn’s laptop to the large HDMI TV mounted on the wall of the CEO’s office.
As soon as they finished presenting, she knew upper management’s reaction wouldn’t be good. Straight-faced frowns had remained on their faces throughout, and she’d heard several grumbles as well.
The CEO cleared his throat. “I asked for immediate money-saving actions. You haven’t given me anything I can use.”
“I’m aware we’ve made no staffing cuts, but I think we can turn this place around within the next year without taking such drastic measures.”
“I don’t agree. We should have a workforce reduction.” His voice was firm.
“You can’t just let people go.” Her stomach clenched, and the desperation in her voice escaped involuntarily. “You’ll lose too much internal knowledge.”
“I can and I will.” He pulled his brows together. “I thought we were on the same page here.” He tossed the paper packet to the desk. “Apparently you misunderstood me.”
“No. I didn’t. I just realized the people that work here aren’t machines. They have families and responsibilities. I guess that’s where we’re different.” She surprised herself. She’d been just like him the last time this happened.
His eyebrows flew up. “Sounds like we’re moving in different directions. I’m sure you can find employment elsewhere.” He pointed at Evelyn and Jack. “As can the two of you.”
“Are you serious? We’re all you’ve got to make this work.”
He raised an eyebrow before narrowing his eyes. “I want you out by close of business today. Do I need to call security?”
“No. I’ll go, but please don’t penalize Evelyn and Jack for my bad judgement.”
Evelyn put her hand up. “I’ll be out in an hour.” She turned and walked to the door, and she and Jack followed.
When she reached the door, she spun back around. “Short-sighted…” She shook her head, disgusted with leadership as well as herself. She’d just gotten a glimpse of what a heartless bitch she’d turned into over the past year.
They were silent until the elevator doors closed.
“I’m sorry, Jack. If they’re looking to cut, your team is getting outsourced first. Service-desk contracts are the easiest to engage and the most available. PC support will be next, and developers after that.” She leaned against the elevator wall. “It’ll take them a few months to find the right company to handle it, but it will happen.” She remembered the process well.
“I need this job.” Jack raked his fingers through his hair.
“I know. I’ll do everything I can to help you find another one.”
They stepped off the elevator and went to Evelyn’s office, where she immediately took her purse from the desk drawer, rummaged through its contents, and slid a cigarette package o
ut.
Jack eyed her. “You can’t smoke in here.”
“The hell I can’t. I can do anything I want now. I don’t work here anymore and don’t really give a shit.” The tip of the cigarette brightened as she lit it, took a drag, and blew the smoke from her lungs slowly.
“That’s going to kill you, you know.”
“I suppose you’ve seen that in my future as well?” Evelyn held her elbow in the palm of her other hand as she let her arm rest across her waist.
“Maybe.” Wynn took the pack of cigarettes and dropped them into the trash can. Evelyn hadn’t seen it, but her action might urge Evelyn to stop if she thought she had.
Evelyn held the cigarette in front of her eyes and then pulled a small, round, trinket dish from her desk drawer and snubbed it out. She appeared to smoke in her office often.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go. I need to figure this out.” Davis was up next and would present her original plan, and everything that happened the year before would happen again, with the addition of herself, Evelyn, and eventually Jack losing their jobs. Now she just wanted to start this day over again, but she still had a party to attend tonight. The woman of her dreams would be there.
* * *
Wynn got home, went to the mailbox to get her mail, and just as she turned to go inside, here came Mrs. P right on cue. Just like yesterday and every Thursday since they’d started their weekly ritual. “You’re home early.”
She really was living the day over again. She shook her head, still trying to make sense of it all. “I got fired today.” Losing her job was new, though.
Mrs. P motioned her over. “Come have some tea with me, and tell me what happened.” She took her hand and tugged her toward her porch. Her frail hand felt like butter in her own.