Even if the truth hurt, wasn’t it better than living a lie?
The moment she entered, she glanced to the answering machine, expecting it to be full.
Dark.
No messages.
Had Trent broken up with her, but failed to let her know?
As she carried her tools to her basement, she had to admit such a behavior wouldn’t be beyond him. Yet, she couldn’t remember any argument even close to justifying a breakup. No. More than likely, Trent had ruined something, trying to run his business without her, and he didn’t want to tell her about it.
He’d never known how much she had done to make his days go smoothly. While she’d never met the new EA, she doubted the young woman could fill her shoes. It had taken Carrie over a year to anticipate Trent’s responses to all occurrences.
And still, you never expected him to replace you.
How many years would it have taken her to foresee such a disaster?
Chapter 12
Carrie slept until eight. She’d stayed up late waiting for Trent’s call. It never came.
After eating her breakfast, she drove into the city, arriving at 9:30 a.m. The guard smiled at her today, which cheered her up. Odd, how a small act of kindness could lighten one’s day.
When she entered her office, she sensed something off. Glancing around, she discovered the culprit. Behind her desk in the corner sat a credenza with a large cabinet below and bookshelves above. Its dark oak stain matched her desk.
Her heart swelled with love for Dan and Destiny.
A note lay on her desk.
Sorry we missed you. We’ll take you to lunch if you are still around at noon. Don’t forget to eat at ten.
D&D
She would definitely stay around to thank them. The credenza looked beautiful and, best of all, didn’t take up too much of her tiny space.
She hung two 14”x10” cubist genre paintings on the back wall. On the long wall, she hung a large painting of the New York skyline seen through a window.
It almost made her feel she had a room with a view. She placed a small, variegated philodendron in the opposite corner from the credenza. She glanced at her watch. 10:30.
Knowing Dan would ask when she last ate, she locked up her beautiful tiny office and hurried downstairs to buy a whole-wheat sandwich from the deli on the corner. She’d only be able to eat a quarter of it, but come Monday, it would no doubt be missing from the fridge. She hoped the food thief was Sandra, because the woman would soon be gone.
She returned upstairs and ate at her desk. Between nibbles, she placed her supplies in the empty drawers. Thinking she could hide the throw in the bottom cabinet of the credenza, she opened the door and stared at the black box taking up all the space.
Did Dan give her a refrigerator?
She tugged at the side and, sure enough, she had a small, functional fridge. Twelve bottles of green tea and a box of her favorite health bars resided inside.
Damn. She wished she could hug Dan and Destiny, because they had done so much for her this weekend.
Week.
If Dan hadn’t offered her a job, she’d be fretting about money and getting a new job or, worse yet, commuting to Trenton, terrified for her life.
Actually, being unemployed sounded better than commuting to Trenton.
Seeing a box of baggies in the triangular corner of the cabinet, she opened it and extracted one to keep her sandwich fresh. Plastic forks, spoons, knives, and a packet of napkins filled the other corner.
Their thoughtfulness brought tears to her eyes.
“Whoa,” a familiar voice declared.
Jeff stood in the frame of her door.
Remembering her chair couldn’t be seen, she panicked. “Close your eyes.”
Without inquiring why, he did as she asked while she covered her chair with the throw. She then sat back down. “Okay. You can look.”
He entered, shaking his head. “How did you get someone to renovate the room in one day?” He frowned at her desk. “What happened to the old junker you had?”
“It prefers to be called an antique now.”
“It’s gorgeous. For a moment I thought Dan had lost his mind and spent next year’s budget on your office.”
She intended to assure him Dan hadn’t spent anything, but then remembered her beautiful credenza and fridge. “The paintings, the rugs, the plants, the lamp, the chair, the trash can are from my home. I repaired the desk. Then Destiny helped me get it all done. So all I had to do today is hang the pictures and set up my desk.
“You did this.” His hand caressed the shiny wood top.
“Destiny helped.”
He shook his head. “I had declared your office hopeless, yet you’ve managed to turn it into the prettiest one we have. And it cost the firm nothing.”
She grimaced. “When I came in today the credenza and fridge had joined my no-cost version.”
He chuckled. “I recognize the piece. It’s Dan’s, although you shouldn’t tell anyone else, or they’ll want to go shopping at his house.”
He walked over and opened the cabinet and peeked inside her fridge. “Would you mind if I stored my lunch in here?”
“Not at all. Are they stealing your lunch too?”
“No. I put a stop to their food pranks years ago.”
“How?”
He chuckled. “You’d never do it. You are much too sweet.”
Destiny ran into the room. “You’re here!” Her eyes focused on the painting on the long wall. “Oh, God! The picture of a window is so freaking cool. I want one. Where did you get it?”
She noticed Jeff and turned beet red. “I’m going to get your computer. I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
Once she left, Jeff gripped the back of his neck as if stressed. “I need to return to my office. At the door, he met Dan. “Everybody will want theirs to look like this.”
“I’m discussing it in the meeting tomorrow morning. If they want to improve their space with their own money and sweat, they are welcome to do it.”
Jeff chuckled and walked out.
She smiled at Dan. “Glad you didn’t come earlier, or you would have caught me crying.”
His brow furrowed at her words. “Why?”
“Because this week could have been horrible for me, except you hired me first thing on Monday, then helped me fix up my office and now, you give me this beautiful piece of furniture.”
“It’s from my home. The fridge is from Destiny. She’ll want to store her food in there, as well.”
“Of course.”
He tilted his head and studied her. “So you cried tears of happiness?”
She nodded. “For the first time in my life, I don’t feel I’m on my own.” She regretted her words at once. “Sorry, I shouldn’t feel alone when I have Trent.”
Dan reached outside and pulled a square chair into the room. “I grabbed this from one of the empty offices. If you want to reupholster it, be my guest.”
She grinned. “I have the perfect fabric to go with my décor.”
Upon sitting in the chair, he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his face stern.
“I’m not surprised you felt alone with Trent. He’s too self-absorbed to give back what he so freely takes from you.”
Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. As Trent’s fiancée, she needed to object, perhaps even yell, but she couldn’t. Dan spoke the truth. But, to be honest, her boyfriend in college hadn’t been much different, and her father treated her mother as a servant. It seemed to her, Dan was the oddity, not Trent.
He sat up straight. “And I should mind my own business.” He stood and, upon seeing Destiny entering the door, assisted her with the armful of computer pieces.
Soon they had the credenza fitted with a three-in-one printer, fax, copier, and her desk sported a thin monitor plus a wireless mouse and keyboard.
Dan stood and glanced at his watch. “We need to eat now, or we’ll miss the show.”
Carrie couldn’t allow that to happen, not after such generosity in both time and gifts. Thankfully, she had dressed in pressed slacks and a knit top, so she wouldn’t embarrass them during lunch.
They ate at a restaurant close to Tiny and Tall’s theater, so Carrie didn’t have to worry about them arriving late.
She told Destiny about how she’d become friends with Tiny and Tall, then ran through the hysterical things Tiny did to the waiter and other customers.
When Dan excused himself to make a phone call, Destiny insisted on hearing more of Tiny’s antics, so Carrie continued.
Fifteen minutes later, Dan returned, looking very pleased with himself. “Are we ready?”
“Don’t we need to wait for the bill?” She constantly had to prevent Trent from leaving without paying, but for Dan to do it surprised her.
“Already taken care of.”
With her high opinion of Dan revived, she walked out with them. When they reached the crowd outside the marquee for Tiny and Tall, she hugged Destiny and, after a moment of hesitation, hugged Dan, as well. “You two have a great time. I can’t wait to hear about it tomorrow.”
“I wish you could come with us,” Destiny whined.
“So do I, but it’s all sold out.”
Dan gripped her shoulder. “I made a call, and it seems they can accommodate you if you don’t mind sitting in a chair placed beside ours.”
Carrie stared at Dan in wonderment and confusion. “I didn’t think the fire codes allowed chairs in the aisle.”
He chuckled. “Nor I, but a Mr. Baker assured me it would be so.”
“You spoke to Tall?”
“I spoke to a Hamon Baker, who has an extremely low voice.”
She hugged him again. “You did?” Then her eyes rounded. “It’s possible they will reward your kindness by making you part of the show.”
Destiny clapped her hands. “I want to participate.”
Dan’s brow furrowed. “I’d prefer not to, but we will take it as it comes.”
Chapter 13
When Dan reached the front of the line and explained he needed to pick up a third ticket for Carrie Hanson, the young man searched for her name, read a note, and called for someone in the back. A moment later, a gentleman in a black suit, who had ‘manager’ written all over his commanding presence, glanced at them through the window and motioned for them to move to the right.
Dan cut a path for Destiny and Carrie through the multiple long lines of people and soon they stood before the manager.
“May I see your tickets please?”
Upon receiving them, the man led the way to the front row and pointed to the two seats on the end. “We request you sit here instead. Miss Hanson, if you don’t mind standing until the remainder of the row is seated. A chair will be brought and placed here in the aisle before the show begins.
Both Dan and Destiny insisted she take their seat until then. Destiny hurried off to the bathroom to ensure she won the contest. Dan watched her go, his face full of love for his daughter. He motioned for Carrie to sit.
Instead of talking business, Dan shared his recent trips with Destiny. Carrie had just discovered Dan loved hiking and fishing, when her shoe inexplicably escaped her foot and disappeared beneath the curtain that trimmed the edge of the stage.
“Excuse me,” she said to Dan and lifted the black curtain to discover Tiny’s annoyed face.
“You have to sit in the alley. And whatever happens, don’t get up. Remain seated.”
“I will, I promise. But the manager hasn’t brought the chair yet and, even when he does, I’ve promised I won’t sit in it until the row is filled.”
For her reasonable explanation, she received her shoe back with a cheery smile.
She returned to the seat next to Dan. “Sorry for the interruption.”
“Did someone beneath the stage steal your shoe?”
She shushed him and then leaned in to whisper, “Yes.”
He turned his head and spoke softly in return. “But how? I sat right here and didn’t see a thing.”
“These two will astound you. They are masters of several arts, not just magic. Trent couldn’t explain how they did stuff when they used him as their audience participant.”
Dan leaned so close, for a moment she feared he intended to kiss her, which would not be good, so she pulled back and studied her fingernails. She had a boyfriend. Besides she’d learned from her turn-around of Lancaster Chairs ‘doing’ the boss undermined her credibility.
While far superior to the old staff, the new Lancaster employees, especially the women, went over her head and challenged her requests with Trent. To her frustration, he would, often as not, cater to their whims. She gave up trying to stop him from talking to them at all, and instead made him promise to discuss matters with her before making decisions.
Evidently sensing her need for space, Dan pulled back and, a moment later, stood, relinquishing his seat to Destiny.
“Turns out Carrie loves hiking and fly fishing,” he informed Destiny.
The girl squealed and hugged her. “No wonder I like you so much.” She looked up at her father. “Can we go hiking in Maine after my test next Wednesday?”
“Hold on. Carrie’s a new hire. She doesn’t have any vacation time for six months.”
Destiny groaned. “That’s so unfair.”
Carrie patted her arm. “Actually, it is quite reasonable. A new hire has a lot to learn, which can’t be done if he or she is hiking in Maine.”
“Then maybe we can go somewhere close, next weekend?”
“Shouldn’t you be studying for your chemistry test?” Dan asked.
Another groan erupted from Destiny as she grimaced and looked at Carrie. “I’m dying in the class.”
“As I recall, it’s mostly memorization,” Carrie said.
Destiny rolled her eyes and nodded in agreement.
“Then it’s a great thing to study while hiking. All you have to do is make a digital recording of all the stuff you need to memorize. After the question, leave enough time to answer it aloud, then state the answer. You can have a great hike and put it all to memory. Exercise improves your ability to learn. So, hiking and learning go well together.
Her suggestion earned her another hug from Destiny and a smile of appreciation from Dan.
As the lights dimmed, Carrie gave up her seat to Dan and waited for the manager. He soon arrived and placed a chair in the aisle next to the front row.
She noticed the three seats in the center if the front row remained empty and considered moving there with Dan and Destiny, but she didn’t dare. Tall and Tiny liked to mess with the audience at the beginning of their shows.
She glanced about, but didn’t see either man. Last time, Tiny had occupied Destiny’s spot.
Someone crashed into her. She almost stood up to get out of the way, but Tiny had told her to remain seated. Without warning, her world tilted backwards. She gripped the seat as the chair balanced on its back two legs. The audience laughed. Carrie glanced up to see Tiny poised upside down on the backrest in a one-handed handstand.
Dan’s reaction had been to reach out and steady her. His eyes rounded as he stared at an upside down man. Tiny’s precarious position did not stop the little fellow from slapping at Dan to keep him away.
Carrie didn’t dare move, less she send both her and Tiny tumbling, so she held onto her seat, hunkered down, and held on for dear life.
A giant hand came into her view and tilted her head up. However, to see Tall’s head she had to sit up which sent her and Tiny into a precarious tilt backwards, resulting in some wild rocking before he settled. Well, not exactly settled. He attempted to shoo Tall away with swats of his available appendages.
In his low, lugubrious voice, Tall said, “This is a code violation, so I’m going to have to ask you to sit in the middle.”
“May my friends come, too?” Somewhere a microphone amplified her voice so all could hear.
“Of course, friends are
the best thing in the world. You never want to lose them.”
Oh God! Poor Destiny and Dan will almost certainly disappear at the whim of Tall.
If not for the microphone, she would have begged him to take her instead.
Tall pulled her from her seat with such speed, Tiny had no chance to recover. Instead of crashing to the ground, he and the chair became a clunky wheel traveling up the aisle.
Tall seated Carrie, Dan, and Destiny in the three empty seats front row center and whispered something to Destiny while everyone watched Tiny.
Then, somehow, Tiny and his piece of furniture became a giant white inner tube and rolled down the aisle, hit the edge of the stage, and flew into the air.
The inner tube landed on stage, while Tiny soared toward the center front row—at Destiny, to be precise.
Dan moved to protect his daughter. Carrie gripped his arm, fearing his good intentions would get in Tall’s way. She trusted Tall to save Destiny from harm, but not if a protective father prevented him from doing so.
As Dan’s arm wrenched from her grip, Tall contained the protective father with a hand to the chest while holding up a chair identical to the one Tiny had rolled away with and caught the amazing fellow as he landed butt first in the seat.
The crowd went crazy.
Then the stage went pitch black.
A voice boomed from above. “Ladies and Gentlemen, Tall and Tiny present Dante’s Place of Business. If the person beside you has disappeared, have no fear. They have gone to work.”
Squeals could be heard behind her. She reached out to touch Dan, finding the pitch-blackness unnerving.
No Dan.
They had stolen her boss.
Again.
The last time she had come, they had taken Trent.
Worried Destiny might be frightened, she shifted to Dan’s seat and reached to Destiny. Damn it. They’d taken her too.
She moved back to her seat not wanting either of them dropped in her lap when the gig ended.
With no friends to worry about, she relaxed and listened to the audience. By the tension in voices behind her she feared the pitch blackness had people frightened.
Before anyone lost it, the stage illuminated in fiery orange. Rocks of pulsating lava glowed against the back and side walls of Dante’s place of business.
Coming To Reason (A Long Road to Love) Page 12