Fight to the Top

by S. L. Gape

  “Thanks, Tay, you’re awesome.”

  “Hmmm, shame we can’t find any decent guys who think so,” she giggled, before hanging up.

  ***

  A little after seven, Erika heard the front door go, “Hey, I’m in the study,” she quietly called out.

  “Hey, are you not finished yet?” Taylor asked, kissing her cheek.

  “I’m done, I just need to spell check and send to her. I’m not going all out, screw it,” she said.

  “Ummm, okay then,” Taylor said questioningly.

  “Don’t say it like that. I am not doing it to be vindictive. It’s just I don’t know the woman, or the style she likes, and until I do, I’m not messing around with a ton of effort for her to throw it back in my face and say it’s garbage. When I learn more about how she wants things done, then I can go into a higher level of detail geared to her way,” she said sombrely. “Why don’t you go and open a bottle and I’ll send this. I’ll be there in five,” she said, turning back to her pc.

  Erika finished up and sent the email over to Georgia, happy she’d gotten it done earlier than expected. She quickly texted her mom and told her Taylor was over, so she’d check in tomorrow. She knew she’d be worried after today’s call.

  “Hey, sorry about that. Ohhh, is this for me?” she said, picking up the glass of wine. “So, what happened with last night’s guy?” she asked, laughing.

  “Don’t ask,” she sighed, putting out some pasta for them both.

  “How so? Come on, you gotta tell me, that’s why I called you over. I need this,” she laughed.

  “Why? What happened today? How come you left?”

  Erika sighed heavily. “Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it right now; I just kinda feel like I need a night off you know?”

  “Yeah, I do. But equally, you keep trying to deal with all this shit alone, you’re gonna walk yourself into a breakdown. Did you speak to your mom about any of it? Georgia? Dan? Dulcie? The more you keep hiding from it the harder you’re gonna make it for yourself. You’re going to just keep getting pissed over the shit and stress yourself out more, you know? I don’t mean to lecture Erika, but seriously, you are not gonna be able to do all this alone. I’m not in school right now, so I’m here to be a friend, a support mechanism. Jesus a permanent nanny if you need. But, seriously, you can’t shut everyone out.”

  “You’re already a full-time nanny,” she laughed.

  “Well, I actually meant if you wanted to have some time to get back on track I could take Dulcie, or I could move in and help out whilst all this is going on. I’m not looking for responses, so please don’t feel the need to do that. But, dude seriously, you gotta sort your shit out,” she said, rubbing her friend’s shoulder.

  “God you’re worse than my mom.”

  “Yeah, I know, you tell me frequently, but that’s why you love me. Ya know for an Italian you sure do cuss a lot.”

  “Whatever. Tell me about the date last night, and then if you make me laugh, and relax me enough, maybe I’ll talk,” she smirked.

  “Ohhh, goodie. I love it when I’m tasked with getting you drunk. It’s so fricking easy.” She smiled.

  “Get lost. C’mon already.”

  “Okay. So, he was nice, he was cute, super cute actually…”

  “But that always unnerves you.”

  “Yes, I know, right? So, anyways he was cute, nice, opened the doors, pulled the chairs out, insisted on paying, walked me home, and didn’t even try to come up,” she said, eating.

  “So then, what’s the problem?” she asked confused.

  “He’s Greek.”

  “And?” asking again, confused.

  “Have you never seen the movie my big fat Greek wedding?”

  “Ha ha,” she said sarcastically. “Yes funny. Okay, you did it!” Erika said shaking her head.

  “Huh? What you mean?”

  “Well, you’re poking fun at me, to get me to relax and make me spill.”

  “No, this is for real.”

  “Shut up. And you say I have problems? Firstly, my big fat Greek wedding is about a female Greek. Women are the ones who have the overbearing parents, not guys. Take me for example,” Erika smirked. “Secondly, it was a freaking movie, Tay. What the hell is up with you? Are you just a serial dater? You don’t actually wanna meet someone for real? Sheesh kiddo, you need to get a grip. Call him, ask him out again,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Whatever. I am an independent woman. I don’t want to get pushed into having thirty kids and a house full of Windex. Ok, I’ll call him, if you fill me in?”

  “Dude, you are killing me right now. Why are you so hell bent on me talking?”

  “Seriously, I’m worried. You’re my best friend and I have never seen you like this. I’m concerned, okay?”

  Taylor watched Erika walk out sighing. She lay her head against the back of the sofa. She shouldn’t push her, she should just let her get on with it. She’s a grown ass woman after all. A few moments later Erika walked back in with a couple tumblers and a bottle. “Wow, you got the hard stuff out, huh?”

  “I don’t know what you want from me. But equally I don’t know what anyone wants from me anymore. I just broke down today in the office, I had to call mom, and I’m so confused. I just feel completely numb, and I cannot move past this situation. More importantly I don’t know if I want to. I have been thinking about stuff and honestly I don’t know what I want anymore. I know it would go down like a ton of bricks, but I’m considering moving back home to Dallas,” she said quietly.

  “WOW, I completely didn’t see that coming. Look, Erika, I’m not gonna pretend this is awesome and everything’s okay, because I know crap has gone down for y’all, on a massive level. But you can’t run forever. You’re gonna have to learn to deal with that, not by quitting but by facing it head on. I mean, are you really prepared to throw out everything you’ve worked so hard for? Move Dulcie away from her family, her friends, Jesus her nanny?” she said pleadingly.

  “Her nanny will be leaving school soon, and walking into a big hot shot law firm, which is why I am not considering that.”

  “Whatever. Regardless of me getting a job, I love you guys and I would still have wanted to see you on weekends and evenings. How can I do that when you’re on the other side of the state? And then what? You just walk away from your job? What about Dan’s folks? You think that’s fair taking their grandbaby away from them?”

  “Hey, my mom is that exact same distance away from my daughter,” she retorted.

  “I know, Erika, but you’re not going home for your mom, you’re running from your marriage and your job, and more importantly, this whole situation. Look, I know you’re having a real rough time with it right about now, but seriously, is it not better that it all happens at once, rather than all at separate stages?”

  “I’m not running from anything, and no I don’t agree with that theory. I just hate all this shit. I hate everything that’s happening. I hate Mike for doing this to me. I hate Georgia for coming here and fucking this all up. She can go screw herself, they all can!” she said pointedly.

  “For the woman that doesn’t usually cuss, your cussing is telling me otherwise.”

  “Look, she can take the job and take the business to where they want it to be. Me on the other hand, I’m tired. I’m tired of it all. I have too much other stuff going on.”

  “You know what I think? I think you are being stubborn. You don’t want to like her or work with her just out of bullheadedness to the company. To Mike.”

  “Oh, you do, huh?” Erika said simply.

  They stayed there in silence for a long while, each sipping the liquor slowly. Taylor knew this was how her mom would deal with it. Sit quietly and let her ponder on it all. Her thoughts would get the better of her and make the guilt kick in eventually. Erika was a kind, caring and compassionate person, which was what everyone loved about her. So she wouldn’t be able
to cope with the realisation that she had been mistreating someone the way she had.

  ***

  Erika and Taylor spent the remainder of the night talking about everything but her earlier disclosure. Her head was still up in the air and she probably should have spent some time talking with Taylor properly rather than beating her down, but she just couldn’t face it today.

  “So look, I’m sorry about earlier,” Erika said coyly.

  “Come here you goofball. You are one of my very best friends, and there is no need to apologize. I know you know where I am when you need to talk, and it’s only because I know you and know how you think and worry and stuff. You can do this, ya know you can. And I’ll be there every step of the way. I think if you continue, and give it a shot, then you might feel better about it.”

  “Well, I can’t feel worse, can I? So I don’t really feel up to talking as you have clearly already guessed, but do you think you’d be game for a little pool party Saturday afternoon? Just the three of us, barbecue, cocktails, my gal putting her demands in? And I guess I will open up a little. It’ll give me an opportunity to have a few days of gathering my thoughts,” she said seriously.

  “Sounds awesome. We’ll get through this you know? All of it,” she said to Erika earnestly.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Georgia woke up ridiculously early again, unable to get her body onto this time zone. She was cringing as the previous evenings events flashed through her mind. Oh god, she was steaming, and she was crying to John and Emily. She wasn’t even ‘crying’, she was actually more inclined to say she was sobbing. She barely even knew them and yesterday’s events had got her that insane that she must have seemed like a flipping lunatic. Amazing, she’d probably lost the only friends she’d actually made here. Georgia was interrupted from her thoughts by the loud knock on her door. What the hell, it was just after five. And still dark. She threw her robe around her and rushed downstairs. She looked out the window and saw Emily. “Hey, what’s up? You ok?” she said, as she opened the door.

  “Yes, more to the point, are you?” she said, handing her some tablets and a bottle of water.

  “Yes, but what’s up? Thanks, I need this,” she said, taking the water and tablets from her.

  “Well, you said you wanted to join me on my early morning Pilate’s class, to get you through the day. So, I was coming to check if you were up to it? However, from the look on your face right now, I’m guessing you don’t recall that conversation,” she smirked at her.

  “No, no. I Erm… yeah I totally remember, when do we need to go?” she said confused.

  “You totally did not. I’ll be leaving in fifteen, that cool with you?”

  Georgia was laughing, “Whatever; yeah, I’ll see you in fifteen,” she said, walking back indoors.

  ***

  “I don’t know if that was the best or worst idea I’ve ever had,” Georgia said, splashing her face with water in the bathrooms.

  “Well, I can’t believe it made you sick. I’m guessing that may make you feel a bit better,” she said, giggling. “Here. Have some water, we should get going.”

  “Arggghhhh God,” Georgia said. “Why do I do it to myself?” she finished.

  Emily was laughing at Georgia, “Ohhh you poor thing,” she said sincerely, rubbing Georgia’s leg.

  “I’m sweating like a bitch. It’s disgusting,” she said, feeling her wet clothes.

  “Hmmm, now there was an over-share,” Emily laughed. “So, what are you going to do today? Do you feel any differently?” Emily asked concerned.

  “Nah, not really. I’m annoyed that I didn’t even manage to get through a week,” she said sombrely.

  “Look, I know I don’t know you too well, and you can totally tell me to mind my own business, but I stand by what I said last night. I totally think you should talk to this woman and tell her you’re leaving before you actually do. She’s clearly having some issues of her own and maybe she isn’t aware that you’re being made to feel this way. Equally, I think you haven’t given it sufficient time, you’re going to literally leave your company? This opportunity, seriously, in a month you could have no job, you could be having to give up your apartment and for what? Because, there’s a bunch of folks who don’t like what you’re doing here?”

  Georgia sighed lightly, “I know what you’re saying, but, really Em, outside of you and John, there is nothing for me here. After she did that yesterday, seriously, how can I contend with that? I have never experienced anything like that. I’m seriously flabbergasted, I can’t move past that, and I don’t want to. I don’t want anything to do with that, and I don’t want to associate myself with people like that. Additionally, I will never ever be able to work and have a trusting and respectful relationship with someone who behaves in such a manor,” she added.

  “Right, well I’m not happy. I only just met you and I don’t want you to leave. But I guess I can understand where you’re coming from. John’s upset, he thinks you’re his new buddy and was stoked at the prospect of you guys playing water basketball in summer. When will you leave? I’m assuming as you only just arrived you don’t gotta do a notice period?”

  “Honestly, I dunno. It’s Friday, so I’m not gonna do anything today and then I’ll call my boss back home over the weekend and find out what happens now. I mean, I don’t know if it means I’m actually completely out of a job or whether I can go back to what I was doing, or demoted, you know? So we’ll see what he has to say. He may want me to stay on for a bit whilst he speaks to the group. I really don’t know,” she sighed, looking out of the window.

  “Well, promise me we get to do something before you leave.”

  “Yes, of course. You know I’m really happy I met you guys, and I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality. If you ever fancy coming to the UK, you have totes got a place to stay at mine,” she said sincerely.

  “Ohhh that’s awesome, we’ve always wanted to go. You can’t forget about us, you must come back and visit us some time. After all you ‘totes’ have a place to stay with us,” she said, giggling at her.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Georgia felt bad, she’d said very little on the car journey to work that morning. Anne had tried to coax her into conversations with little success. She would go out at lunchtime and get her a little gift to thank her for the rides.

  Georgia looked up as she heard the knock at her door. “Hi, Mike. Are you ok?” she said as her boss walked into her office.

  “Yes, how are you? I was wondering if you completed the report. I only ask as Erika won’t be at work today, she will be working from home.”

  “Oh, right okay. Yes, I have just finished it now, I just need to catch up with marketing in her absence. Would you like me to do that and send it to you?” she asked him.

  “Yes, please if you wouldn’t mind. I am going to need to head up to the office next week, so I will run it past the investors there,” he said. “Thanks, Georgia.”

  She felt rubbish. She knew it would be hard, but now he was thinking that she was doing stuff to Erika. When actually, in reality, Georgia was the one being treated like crap. She’d never been made to feel this way, and she wondered if this would be construed as bullying. She’d always been popular and likable and never been in this kind of situation before, and truth be known she didn’t know of any other way to deal with it, bar this way.

  ***

  Georgia went and found the marketing team, but she wished she could just send it to Julia and get her to do it the way she always did. She’d heard that the marketing head was called Amber, so she hoped that it would be an easy enough task and that Amber would assist her without it being a big drama. But clearly, that was wishful thinking. Amber couldn’t have actually been any more unhelpful, to the extent that Georgia actually had to tell her that it was Erika’s work, and she was just helping her out as she wasn’t in work that day. However, Amber had all but told her it was the lowest of her prioritie
s and she would get around to it when she was able to.

  Georgia walked off frustrated and annoyed. Fucking amazing, Mike was going to be even more pissed off with her now. Seriously, she could do with going home herself and hiding from all this ridiculousness. At least it was nearly lunchtime, and she’d be able to nip out and get away from this hell hole, she thought.

  Georgia looked onto her phone screen feeling it vibrate in her pocket. Smiling as she answered it, “Hey you’re up? Bloody hell you have impeccable timing, you can’t even let me have a wee in peace now?” she laughed into the phone to Julia.

  Julia was laughing back. “Shit sorry, I can call you back,” she said.

  “Don’t be silly, I’m done. How goes it?”

  “Yeah ok, I’m a little drunk. It’s Friday and we’re out. How are you?”

  “Shit, to be honest. So, you know how I said I’d give it a month and see how it panned out? Well, I’m done. I’ve gave it a week, and I can’t do it no more. I’m calling Derek this weekend and saying I’m out.”

  “Fuck. What? Why? What the hell? What’s happened? George, you really think this is the right thing to do?”

  Georgia washed her hands and left the bathroom, “I’m sure. Hopefully, I’ll be home this time next week. Listen, I’m going to lunch shortly, I just need to sort a couple of bits out. Can I call you back when I’ve left the office? If you can’t speak I’ll catch up with you in the morning,” she said.

  “No, no that’s fine. Call me when you’re out and we can have a proper chat. Keep smiling lovely,” Julia said.

  ***

  “And you’re sure that’s what she said,” Tim said to Jane as she sat on the edge of his desk.

  “Yup, certain. I was in the bathroom with her. That’s exactly what she said.”

  “Hmm. This is good. So, all we really need to do, is, just…tip her over the edge this afternoon, so she doesn’t bail on calling back home,” he said, smirking.