Rather than spending the night pounding her, I pounded the pavement, running six miles to Cayuga Inlet and back. It felt great, but I’d rather be balls deep in a certain someone.
It gave me a chance to sort things out, to piece together how I would present my nightmare of a past to a woman who I wanted in my future. Not to mention, I had to figure out the logistics of dating a chick hundreds of miles away. I could always find her a job with my contacts, but deep down, I knew she’d never accept my help.
Stressing over it wasn’t helping matters, another nightmare terrorizing me in the early morning hours. It was so vivid a tumbler of Bowmore was the only thing that cleared the taste of sulfur and smoke. I laid in bed after watching cat videos, frisky felines stirring laughs and blocking out pain.
I headed into the office early, hoping to catch Elena before anyone came in. It was risky to chat in the open, but if no one was in, we were golden.
She wasn’t in her cube, so I retreated to my office, settling into call one of eight for the day. First up was a manufacturer for Corporate, a circuit board producer with a niche line that could be lucrative.
The call dragged on with no headway, the production manager of the plant less than impressive. He wasn’t willing to commit to anything. For a million-dollar stocking proposal, he could at least offer me something to chew on. Anyone would if they wanted the business.
By nine-thirty, I cut the call short, heading out to the sales floor to stretch my legs.
Okay, maybe I wanted to peek at Elena, too.
I was excited to see her, more than ready to get it over with and let it all out. She’d likely be disgusted, shocked, and maybe even heartbroken, but I knew she felt our bond the same way I did. She looked at me with admiration and respect, two things I always longed for in a partner. Sure, the truth would strip away a little of both, but in time she’d understand. If there was anything Elena was, it was compassionate. It was a lot to dump on her, but she could handle it. I felt it in my bones.
As I strolled in, it surprised me to see both Elena and Lee’s stations empty. Weirder, both sets of monitors were off. It was too early for lunch, but they could have been grabbing a coffee together.
She only mentioned playing hooky for one day. Two wasn't like her.
I headed to Marty’s office, stuffing my hands into my pockets. We avoided one another leading up to the trip, but I needed an update on the projects I’d assigned him while out of town.
He wasn’t worth much, but he could at least handle the oddball tasks that didn’t require too many brain cells. Best of all, they were all things he couldn’t fuck up.
The office was quiet, though a few whispers escaped here and there as I walked through, employees not even trying to hide that they were looking my way. When Elena said the place had a gossip problem, she wasn’t kidding. It felt more like a high school than a multi-million dollar business.
As usual, Monica was chatting loudly on her cell, but I didn’t feel like bothering with her. I had more than enough to toss her. Marty was the one that would do it, though.
The offices in the salesroom were more exposed than mine, small windows punched out to keep tabs on the sales floor. It also made peering in easy, and I caught Marty playing games on his phone dozens of times. It was petty, but nothing made me happier than tapping on the glass to watch him jump.
This time he was leaning in his chair, back to the window as he faced a calendar. Hoping to catch him in the act again, I rapped my knuckles on the door and waited, the nervous man waving me in through the window beside it.
I entered to find him hanging up his desk phone, sweating profusely, the usual caffeine tremors in full swing. Shockingly, no cell phone was in sight.
“Everything good, bud?” I asked, worried I’d have to call an ambulance one day if he kept up the coffee guzzling.
He grabbed a tissue and dabbed at his face, the flimsy material instantly soaked through. He grabbed another and another, tapping away to no avail. At a glance, you’d think we were standing in a sauna.
“No...” he trailed, red-faced. “Elena Julian is in the hospital.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, positive I misheard him.
He had to have his names mixed up. Elena was fine. She was probably making what she called a cup of coffee–too much sugar and a splash of cream.
“Elena. She was injured in a fall.”
She hadn’t answered me.
Did she twist her ankle? Break a foot? She loved those damn heels. They were definitely sexy but also a death trap. I’d burn them all if I could, especially if they’d hurt her.
“Is she okay?” I asked, frozen in the doorway.
Why didn’t she tell me? Even if she couldn’t call, she could have at least texted.
“She has a head injury. That was Lee letting me know.”
My vision tunneled in and out, forcing me to steady myself against the doorjamb.
A head injury? Like a concussion? A cut? Images of bashed skulls flashed through my mind, Elena’s beautiful hair matted with blood.
“Holy shit,” I murmured, heart pounding. “What happened?”
If she fell in heels, they were definitely going in the trash.
“No clue,” he said, shaking his head. “That poor thing. She can’t catch a break.”
I swallowed hard, trying to maintain my cool. “Keep me posted.”
“What can I help you with?”
