“Now I’m a bit worried,” Jude says.
“You should be,” Lisa warns. “Cats are diabolical. So… have you introduced Libby to your parents yet? It’d probably be best if she met them before her cat does you in. Less awkward at the funeral.”
I rescue him from the hot seat. “We haven’t had time yet for that. I’ll, uh, meet them when I get back.”
The last thing I need is for that topic to be resurrected. I’ve already told Jude I don’t want to spend the two days before I leave in some tense meet-the-parents scene in an unfamiliar house. I want him all to myself before I get on that train Monday morning.
“Anyway, ladies,” Jude cuts in, “sorry we have to cut it short, but I actually have some business to attend to with one more person. Favor for Gary, really. You wouldn’t mind fetching Leslie, would you?”
The two of them push away from the table. “We’d be glad to, as long as you’re firing her,” Lisa says ultra-sweetly. To me, she says, “Don’t be a stranger, sweetie. Kiss an Irishman for me. And stop by the office next time you’re in town. There or here. We wanna see proof that you’re happy and healthy.”
“Yes, Mom,” I tease.
Zoe blows me a kiss. “Send me some postcards so I can hang them in my cubicle and pretend I’m there with you.”
“You got it. See you guys.”
After they leave, I walk to one of the windows, where I look down the two stories to the busy street below. It’s a typical Friday night, groups of friends in their “going out” clothes, walking in clusters down the sidewalk, laughing at each other, sharing cigarettes; couples walking hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm on their way to dinner or to the nearest pub; and everyone generally enjoying the fact that they’re free to do whatever they want until Monday morning.
And while I’m watching them and already missing Lisa and Zoe, it hits me that I can do whatever I want until… whenever. I’m free. No responsibilities, no obligations (unless you count Sandberg, which he doesn’t, so I don’t), no constraints. I suddenly remember how it felt to wake up on the first day of summer vacation. My belly jumps thrillingly.
Jude interrupts my reverie with a subtle clearing of his throat and, “I need to talk to Leslie about something for Gary.”
“Oh!” I shake my head to clear it. “Sorry. I’ll wait for you in your office.”
As I move toward the door, he stops me. “No. I want you to stay.”
I cock my head doubtfully. “I don’t know. I feel weird. I really don’t want to see her.”
“This is part of your leaving present,” he insists. “But you need to sit over there”—he points to a chair in the corner—“where you’re not on screen. I could get in a fair bit of trouble if anyone finds out you were here during this.”
Intrigued, I do as he says, and he zooms the camera further in on himself to make sure there’s no chance of my being seen by anyone on the other end. “Here she comes,” he whispers. He nervously flaps the end of his tie and turns his body further away from me so I’m not in his line of sight.
“Jude,” I hear her say tepidly, uncertainty making her voice wobble a little.
“Lezlie,” he returns even more coldly.
Suddenly, I don’t feel very good. I mean, he looks terrifying and intimidating right now. I have no idea what he’s going to say to her, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be anything good. Is he going to confront her about the emails? My mind is racing, mostly screaming at me to get out of the room. I don’t know if I want to watch this. But it’s too late. There’s no way for me to exit the room without walking in front of the camera.
“You wanted to see me?” she prods.
He stares her down, making her squirm. Finally, he says, “Yes. Right. Gary wanted to be the one to tell you this, but he was unavoidably detained in client meetings this afternoon, so I told him I’d—what do you call it?—‘pinch hit’ for him.”
“Nothing bad, I hope?” She gives him one of her flirty girl giggles, and I change my mind, hoping this is what I think it is. Or even worse.
Fire her, I silently urge him.
“No, no. On the contrary, actually,” he surprises me by saying. His voice remains devoid of any warmth, though. He pulls a piece of paper from the inside pocket of his suit jacket, unfolds it, and glances at what’s written on it. “The company has acquired a small firm in Bismarck, North Dakota.” My eyes widen at this news, but I remain focused on what Jude’s saying. “Jake will be transferring there temporarily to help the staff transition into our corporate culture. And Gary’s chosen you to take the only administrative assistant position at that location.”
“Temporarily, right?” she says after a slight hesitation.
“No, permanently, as it were,” he says cheerfully, as if this is the greatest news he could be giving her. “Jake will be instrumental in helping everyone there get used to our ways of doing things, but everyone knows the secretaries are the ones who really know what’s what.”
I snicker behind my hand.
She laughs. “Well, this is flattering. Really. But, Jude,” she says a little too familiarly for my taste, “come on. Bismarck? I mean, what the hell’s in Bismarck?”
“Our new branch,” he says seriously. “Of which you’d be a vital member.”
“Hmm.” Smirking, she says, “Well, as tempting an offer as this is, I’m going to have to turn it down.”
Jude shakes his head and winces. “Yeah, I don’t think that’d be wise.”
She taps her acrylic nails on the polished conference table. “Thanks for the career advice, but I’ll take my chances for advancement here in Chicago.” Standing, she pushes her chair under the table.
“There are no chances left
