I pressed send before I’d had the chance to overanalyze it and change the wording multiple times to essentially say the same damn thing. I locked the phone just as quickly as I’d sent the text. I refused to be the pathetic little girl who kept staring at her phone screen in vain. I would get a notification once he replied, right?
My thoughts shifted from Arthur, his biceps, and his kiss to my meeting with Henry once I began my walk from the station to the office. My feet hurt, though it helped that they were a little numb in the slight chilly weather. My eyes desperately searched for my friends, and I ignored the many faces that had been staring at me as I walked through the office.
Deb and David weren’t at their cubicles so I decided to take David’s seat and wait for them to arrive. I’d gotten to the office early, earlier than most people, like I always did. Too bad, my boss didn’t seem to notice that enough to promote me.
I glanced at my watch multiple times, wishing the meeting was right now, so I could get it over with. Instead, it was in an hour and it seemed impossible to keep my head straight until then. I wanted the band-aid to be ripped off already, I was tired of living in suspense.
David arrived before Deb did, and his smile told me everything I needed to know about what was going on in his mind. The big mouthed Deborah Denton had told him everything about my date. That girl simply didn’t know how to keep her trap shut when it concerned the two of us. I knew all the things that David had told her about himself, so it was only fair that he knew things about me too. And right now, I couldn’t complain because I needed a friend to talk to and Deb was late like she was almost every morning.
“So, how was it?” He wanted to know.
I buried my face in my palm and rested my pointer finger over one eyebrow.
“Can we not talk about that right now?”
His grin became wider. “What else would you rather talk about?”
“I’m just so nervous.”
A quivering smile appeared on my face when I said that, then nodded when David reached over and rubbed my shoulder.
“Trust me, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
I shook my head and asked him how he can be so sure, but all I received in return was an empty assurance that Henry was not going to kick me out.
“Maybe I fucked something up,” I shrugged. “You know I get distracted sometimes. Maybe I missed a deadline or an email…”
My head touched my thighs and David continued to rub my back till I sat up straight again.
“How can you be so sure though? Do you know something that I don’t?”
He bit his bottom lip and leaned in. He looked like he wanted to tell me something at first but then decided against it.
“All I know is that you’re amazing at what you do and there is absolutely no reason for you to worry.”
“Oh,” I said on a head tilt. “You definitely know something that I don’t.”
I squeezed his knee and the look on his face was as weird as before. David was nothing like Deb, but he too couldn’t keep anything resting in his stomach. It all came spilling out as soon as I said her name and commented that she was “later than usual.”
“Yeah,” he grimaced. “About that. Deb’s not going to show up today. She took a day off.”
I shook my head and sang, “Okay...”
Deb and I usually coordinated our off days so neither of us had to endure the hardships at work without each other. But that’s not what surprised me. It was the fact that she didn’t even tell me she wasn’t going to come in that day.
“She spoke to Henry for you a few days ago. She just barged into his office in between his meetings and told him that he needed to get his shit together and consider promoting you.”
I closed my open mouth with a gulp.
“I mean, not literally,” David continued. “She said it much more nicely, but Deb is Deb, right?”
“Right…,” I slow-nodded, trying to process. “Deb is also crazy.”
He chuckled. “That she definitely is. But you’re not mad, are you?”
I shrugged. “I am, not for me but for her. What if Henry had fired her for being out of line? You know the guy. He’s been on edge recently, and now I know why. He’s been trying to fight for the future of the firm. Deb is so stupid.”
I was just digging though my bag to look for my phone so I could call her when David held my wrist. “This is exactly why she took the day off. She knew you were going to overreact.”
“Overreact?” I whisper-yelled. “Are you insane? Deb likes to be all crazy and take such chances. That’s not me. I’ve got a daughter to think about. I can’t just have my boss be pissed at me for demanding too much.”
My jaw had clenched and I shook my head.
“See what I mean?” David smirked and my face softened.
“Whatever. I just wish Deb had also bullied him into meeting with me first thing in the morning while she was at it. This wait is killing me.”
“Henry is sitting with his cousin right now,” David said and nodded at his assistant, who was sitting by the door. “She told me about that meeting yesterday. I think he’s trying to get his cousin to take over the firm so he could retire in peace.”
“Jeez,” I rolled my eyes. “I could help him out with that if he wanted.”
I stood up and let David take his seat that had been temporarily mine for the last fifteen minutes. “Maybe one day you will become the Steve Jobs that you keep reading about.”
I smirked, but the thought pumped adrenaline into my veins. Few people were aware of the fact that I was more ambitious than most. It was what always led to me being the best student all throughout school, and then in college. Once I landed this job, I thought I would have all the time in the world to climb the ladder and reach new heights, but then my daughter happened and my marriage fell apart.
I no longer had Tyler’s income to rely on, and I wouldn’t take a dime from him even if I ended up on the streets. My sister, Heather, was the same way. We were both equally ambitious and she too, had wanted to climb the ladder at her first job at Initial Concept. She’d gone from being the boss’s assistant to a junior associate before she had to quit due to a rough pregnancy.
Luckily, things had worked out in her favor and she was living the life of her dreams with the man she loved. Bradley had even hooked her up with her dream job. She was doing what she loved. She’d broken the Clayton Sister Curse. Well, no, she’d shattered it for herself and left me by myself to feel pathetic.
Today would be the moment of truth. Maybe there was a shred of hope still left for me. I glanced at the wall clock in front of my cubicle as I counted seconds. I couldn’t wait for Henry’s cousin to leave so I could see him in his office. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I went over and over in my head what I was going to say to him. How was I even going to start the conversation? And what if he asked me about Deb and why I’d used her as my spokesperson?
I buried my eyes into my palms and shook my head, wishing for my nerves to settle.
8
Arthur
The best part of my day was rolling out of bed to the sound of my daughter demanding my attention. On the days that she spent with Sophie, I would lay awake in bed and stare blankly at the ceiling until I could wrap my head around the fact that I had no choice but to spend time apart from Megan. Over the last month, when the reality of my green card situation had really started to hit me, I’d become even more possessive about my time with my daughter than I used to be before. But, wrinkling my smooth relationship with Sophie was the last thing I wanted. I needed to play those cards right so I always backed off, even though every cell in my body would want to ask her to let me have more time with my daughter.
This morning was particularly hard on me because not only did I not have Megan’s smile to wake up to, but I didn't even have a morning text from Jessica. She hadn’t bothered to send me anything since we parted ways last night, and I assumed that it was the signal of the end of
whatever it was that had started between us. The truth was that the only real thing that we’d shared up until now was that kiss, which was so good that it practically felt unreal. It was enough to make me shamelessly hope I could get another chance with her.
The false hope that I had right now was making me feel as though I was insane. I unlocked my phone, seeing my own face on the blank screen when it decided to light up again. It wasn’t Jessica, it was Sophie.
I sat up against the headboard and cleared my throat as I answered the call.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Hey,” she said, then sighed over the phone. It was her guilty sigh and I could tell that she was about to ask me if I could watch Megan that morning.
“I’m pressed for time,” she continued in a low voice. “Do you have much going on?”
Actually, I did, even though I'd have loved to have Megan. I was scheduled to meet with Henry in an hour and fifteen minutes, but I wouldn’t miss a second with my daughter, even if that meant taking her to my cousin’s office.
Having never had a child of his own, Henry doted on her. I was certain that he’d be happy to see her, but my only concern was that Megan’s presence was only going to make him guilt-trip me into trying to scam my way to getting a permanent residency. Either way, I didn’t care.
“Sure. Are you going to drop her off?”
I got dressed as fast as I could and Sophie got to my place within the hour with all of Megan’s things. I never told her that I was taking her out, because then I would have to open up about my dilemma that Sophie had no clue I had. As far as she knew, I was leaving the country in a year and there was no way around it.
* * *
Henry’s office was huge and even though I’d worked at a high-level position in a beautiful office at my previous job, his space always fascinated me. It was mainly because he’d spent a huge chunk of time to decide on every single thing that was kept in there. Everything from the huge world map that spanned across the length of the wall to hundreds of books arranged neatly behind his throne of a desk.
One thing was for sure - Henry Bridge was a king and it was a little hard for me to believe that he was so ready to quit and move on to the next phase of his life already. I wouldn't have been surprised if he insisted working until the day he died, keeling over on that grand mahogany desk. Megan’s fingers reached for my lips when I sat down on his couch. I held her by the wrist and she jumped in my arms. My smile widened and I wondered if she knew that all eyes had been on us the second I’d walked into the building, holding her.
It might have been my own bias talking, but she was the cutest baby alive and most people who saw her weren’t shy to let me know that they thought the same.
“Little cousin,” Henry laughed when he entered and shut the door behind him. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
I stood and pulled him into an embrace, then let him take Megan from me.
“Cute as ever,” he grinned.
“You’ve been late to pretty much everything recently, haven’t you?” I commented, then sat back down, watching Megan pull on her uncle’s gray hair and black rimmed glasses.
“Did Lauren say anything?” He asked, referring to his wife.
He’d guessed correctly, but I just tossed my hands in the air and said that I didn’t mean any trouble. Though, I was positive that Henry wouldn’t care. It was no secret in our extended family that he was done with his high-profile life, and now wanted to enjoy all the money that he’d made in his career.
“It’s not like I have one of these to spend my money on,” he nodded at Megan. “Might as well buy a couple yachts and spend the rest of my life cruising.”
I didn’t blame him, though his wife might have a different opinion.
“Are you sure this isn’t some sort of a mid-life crisis?” I smirked.
He wetted his lips and shrugged.
“If you’re worried that I’ll regret giving up this life and my position, then I assure you I won’t, especially if I’m handing everything to my trusted younger brother.”
Well, technically we were cousins but many times we changed our vocabulary to more closely match the relationship we had. We had always been close like brothers, and we’d both realized that we only had each other to rely on in the absence of any actual siblings.
“So what is Sophie up to this morning?” He wanted to know, because I had Megan on a day that I wasn’t supposed to.
“I’m not too sure. I think she had a thing with one of her friends who was getting married soon. Either way, I was happy to take Megan.”
Henry nodded, still looking at my daughter who was thoroughly enjoying her uncle’s attention.
“You deserve it,” he said. “If you ask me, you’re a better…”
I held up my hand. “Stop right there. Sophie is a pretty incredible mother if you ask me.”
Henry filled his chest with air, then shook his head. “I’m not denying that she is. All I’m saying is that you’re a better parent.”
I threw my arm over the edge of the couch and rolled my eyes.
“Oh, come on. I know you hesitate to admit that because you think you owe her something.”
“Just… Let’s not go there, okay?”
The last thing I wanted to do was have my cousin tell me for the millionth time that I shouldn’t feel guilty about cheating on Sophie, because it wasn’t really cheating.
In his dictionary, no touching meant no cheating, but for me emotional cheating was as bad, if not worse.
“You’ve got to stop feeling guilty,” he said.
“Ah,” I groaned. “Here we go again.”
“Well, yeah,” he shook his head, walking toward me. “I’m so sick of you feeling like you somehow don’t deserve all the things that you want in life. Megan being one of them.”
I raised my shoulders. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You feel responsible for this little girl having to split her time between her parents. But the truth is that even if things had turned out a bit differently, your marriage with Sophie was over before it even began. And now, you’re backing out from a fight because you think you wronged your wife. Your… ex-wife. So, you’re willing to atone for your sins even if that means moving to another country away from Megan, away from Lauren and I.”
My eyebrows shot up. I’d always known that Henry saw right through me, but then sometimes his words would make me realize that he knew me more than I knew myself.
“I would never have put Sophie through a custody battle, regardless,” I retorted.
“Maybe,” he shrugged. “But if you didn’t have guilt clouding your judgment, you would have fought for your happiness, been a bit more selfish than you’re willing to be now.”
“You’re suggesting that I scam my way to staying in the country after the next twelve months are over?”
“Maybe,” he said again, this time in a singing tone. “And if you want to accept my offer, then you have two reasons to scam your way into obtaining a green card.”
“This position and my daughter…” I finished for him, then moved my attention to the door when I heard a knock.
“Yes?” Henry raised his voice with irritation.
A woman popped her head into the office, and I saw her blonde hair fall to the side as she spoke.
“Sir, you wanted to see me at 9 a.m.?”
Henry’s face softened and he jerked his neck back.
“Oh yes… I’m not done with this meeting yet but you’re free to come in and give us your opinion on the matter at hand.”
“I’ll just…” the woman stuttered, then looked to the right. That’s when I saw her face.
“Jessica?” I stood, eyes wide.
“Arthur?” She narrowed her eyes and walked into the room. “What are you doing here?”
Henry looked confused when he asked, “You two know each other?”
He pointed back and forth between us and laughed when we both sounded mo
re confused than he did.
"Kind of," Jessica said with uncertainty, looking like she wanted to disappear.
"Yes, kind of," I confirmed, in what I hoped sounded like a more confident answer.
“Kind of?” he smirked, repeating our unsure answers. “Okay then.”
“I’ll come back when you’re done,” Jessica said, holding up her hands and stepping back toward the door that had shut by itself.
“No, stay,” Henry laughed, pointing at Megan. “If this one wasn’t here, I would ask all about how you two really know each other but I’ll let go of it for now.”
He gestured toward the seat in front of him, and I watched as Jessica warily pulled it out and settled into it.
“What… can I help you with?” She asked, and I buried my eyes into my palms.
Henry shamelessly told her that he thought I should find an American citizen to marry so I could game the immigration system. Jessica wrung her hands while trying to process the awkwardness of the situation.
She was dressed more professionally than would be expected for someone at her level of position at the firm. I could tell that she was a hard worker, and a dedicated employee. Her job was everything that she’d described to me. But the thing that was really making it hard for me to curb my laughter was her earlier comments on her boss, now that I knew she was in fact, talking about Henry.
She’d described him as a grumpy old man who was so narcissistic that he could hardly get himself to think about anyone other than himself. I could have bet that she was really beating herself up for saying those things to me, now that she knew I was his cousin.
But with all said and done, one thing was for certain - fate wanted her and I to be together. There was no way that this woman would keep appearing in my life out of nowhere if it weren’t for that. And who was I to challenge destiny?
Henry continued to force an opinion out of her, but I beat her to it.
“I think I should go for it,” I butt in, and they both stared at me. “It makes sense. I think it would be the right thing to do for my career and my daughter. Jessica, do you agree?”
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