I get off the subway car at the stop that leaves me under my office building. I walk quickly up the stairs and to the turnstile at security. I open my purse to get my ID card and notice a small matchbook sitting against my wallet. It looks vaguely familiar, but I don’t remember taking it from anywhere.
I open it up. Only one match has been lit.
Lifting the flap, I read the writing on the inside.
The moment was real.
—Jesse
I bite my lip, and I run my thumb over his handwriting. He must have put this inside my bag while we were on the bus. The sneak.
I need to watch out. If I don’t protect myself, he might just steal my heart.
Then, I’ll be in real trouble.
Chapter Six
I sit at my desk at DeLuca & Associates, absentmindedly playing with the matchbook between my fingers.
“Did you hear me? Mr. DeLuca wants to speak with us,” Eric, one of my colleagues, says as he taps on his Apple Watch.
I drop the matchbook on my desk. Over the past few hours, I completed every task I was assigned, and I was just about to start on tomorrow’s work when the thought of Jesse infiltrated my mind for the tenth time. While I haven’t been myself today, not knowing we had a meeting with the boss startles me.
Looking at my calendar, I see there isn’t one scheduled. It’s the first time I’ve been called in for a surprise meeting since starting here three years ago.
I grab a notebook and start walking toward DeLuca’s office. “Do you know why?” I ask while Eric straightens his tie beside me.
“No, but it’s a small group, so that either means we’re being fired or promoted.”
“Well, I was just promoted …” I grimace.
He lifts a finger in the air like he just thought of the answer. “Or a bonus! He’s probably giving us bonuses.”
I don’t want to tell Eric he’s most definitely wrong, but he’s been here a hell of a lot longer than I have and seems to know the workings of the office.
“Special team meeting?” Sarah, an associate of ours, says as she comes out of her cubicle and joins us on the walk to DeLuca’s office. “Last time he called one of these, I was on an eighteen-month assignment in Los Angeles.”
“I could use some California sunshine. How about you, Amelia?” Eric asks me.
“That sounds okay,” I reply even though I have no plans to ever leave New York.
“Take a seat,” Angelo DeLuca, my boss, says as we shuffle into his office. Our boss stands by his desk with his barrel chest pushing against his suspenders.
There are no available seats, so I lean against the wall with my notebook and pen in hand.
“Eric,” DeLuca yells in his gruff tone, “stand up for the lady. Let Amelia sit.”
Eric pops up from his chair, and I’d argue, but I know men like DeLuca. He’s similar to my father, and any refusal of chivalry would be insulting to the human race. I sit down in one of the small leather chairs in front of his desk.
“Big news,” he starts, and everyone looks at him with great interest. “The New York State Gaming Commission is hosting the Mega State Jackpot next week, and they have hired us to audit the drawing.”
“The three-hundred-twenty-eight-million-dollar lottery drawing?” Eric asks, dumbfounded by this turn of events.
Mr. DeLuca claps his hands and excitedly rubs them together. “After weeks of no one winning, the jackpot has amassed to a fortune that is officially the largest jackpot in the history of the state.” He takes a seat on his desk and addresses the room, “Drawings are usually observed by another firm, but they’re in some hot water with the federal government, so if all goes well, we’ll have the contract. Imagine that! I can just hear the pretty lottery woman announce, Tonight’s drawing is being observed by DeLuca & Associates!”
“Very cool,” Eric says.
“Amazing publicity,” Sarah chimes in.
“And you three, along with myself, are part of the audit team.”
My colleagues and I look around at each other. Eric seems confused and then asks about special compensation. Sarah starts asking questions about what the assignment entails. I sit, surprised. For me, this is a huge deal. I’ve never been part of a selective team, nor have I witnessed a live lottery drawing.
“Why us?” I ask, making Eric and Sarah go silent. I realize I just put a damper on their parade by asking the question. “I mean … I’ve only been here a few years, where so many out there have worked here for decades.”
DeLuca doesn’t seem bothered by the question. “This will be a regular thing, so I have many opportunities to spread the love around the office. You three were the first names out of my hat,” he jokes with a big laugh.
DeLuca continues with some basic details about the drawing, and I listen on. When the meeting is over, Sarah and Eric file out, but I am told to remain.
“Amelia,” my boss says. He closes the door slightly, leaving it open a crack.
He makes his way behind the desk again, this time taking a seat in his large black office chair. He glances at the door, presumably to check that no one is there, and then locks his hands together as he leans forward and speaks in a quiet voice, “I hope you don’t mind that I put you on the audit team.” His eyes narrow in assessment of my reaction.
“I’m honored. This is a new experience for me.”
“Good. Good,” he assures himself. “I didn’t know if you would be here for the news. I need to know you’ll be there on the big day. I can’t have you sick … or away for family business.”
I smile at his odd comment. “Never.”
He looks toward the door again and then back to me. “I heard about what happened with your father. I’m glad he made it out safely.”
My smile fades. “I didn’t know it was public knowledge.”
“It’s
