Chapter 39

By Thursday, I’d convinced Jenny she could leave me alone. That I would be okay. That Jay wasn’t going to turn up at my door.

Fortunately, I’d already done up my resume from before Calvin got fired. I debated whether to include my promotion, but realized two weeks in a job I’d slept my way into didn’t belong anywhere near it. I sent it off to Marla and waited.

Maybe I should leave Chicago. Start over some place new. I could go somewhere warm, like Miami or LA. But Jenny was right. There was no hurry, I could take my time. I had to take my time, to make sure I made the right decision instead of rushing into something stupid and making things even worse.

Except there was nothing to rush. Marla didn’t get any nibbles, let alone any bites. Each day the weight in the pit of my stomach grew and grew. I cast my net wider, sending out my resume to every online job site I could find.

After ten days, my intercom buzzed. I was home alone and I panicked it was Jay. Instead it was a woman with a team of men carrying flowers. I let them in, and they replaced all the old flowers with fresh ones. She directed them and went around to each vase until every display looked perfect. Who knew what she thought of all those perfect flower arrangements crammed into such a tiny condo. Maybe I shouldn’t have let them in.

Ten days after that, they came back again and repeated the same thing. I let them in willingly this time, at this point the flowers were the only thing keeping me sane.

Three weeks after the email, there still had been no hint of a job. Not even a tiny sniff.

And no word from Jay either. Nothing. Other than the flowers there had been no expensive gifts. No texts. No silver envelopes. Good, that was what I wanted. He’d gotten the picture. I did not want him in my life.

After four weeks I realized I hadn’t been outside in a month. Jenny and Sam had come nearly every day and brought me everything I’d needed. Kept me company. Comforted me in my freakouts and meltdowns.

But now I needed to get outside. To breathe fresh air. To walk. If my legs still remembered how after all my sitting around.

* * *

Autumn was closing in fast, and I opened my coat closet to pull out a fleece. As soon as I’d opened the door, my eyes fell on the Burberry trench coat. I’d forgotten all about it. And the rest of the gifts. Blocked them from my mind. Even the diamond jewelry. I had to send them all back to him. Perhaps Sam could do it. Bundle them in her arms and drop them on his desk. Cheaper than a courier service, anyway.

My fingers stroked the smooth fabric, and I considered wearing it out before moving my hand to my fleece.

I grabbed my keys and left to go nowhere in particular. I wandered around, walking for twenty minutes. I went into a store to stock up on chocolate bars. Because I lived so centrally, I was in the midst of the hustle of the city.

The store was busy with the lunchtime office rush and I was sure people were looking at me. Sniggering and pointing. Laughing at what everyone knew about me. But beyond them, I noticed a man in a Cubs ball cap who I swear I saw near my condo when I first exited the building.

I grabbed my purchases and sped walked home. By the time I reached my condo, my heart was pounding and my breath ragged.

* * *

I was greeted by a roomful, no, a condo full, of massive vases. I guess they’d become invisible in my month holed up with them, but now they were plain to see. They were big, empty, pointless. Like me.

My life was over.

I was still sitting on my sofa days later, stuffing my face with Snickers bars, when my phone rang.

“Hi Marla,” I said.

“Hi sweetie. How are you doing?”

“As you’d expect.”

“Well, I have great news. I’ve lined up a job interview for you!”

I swallowed my chocolate and sat up. “Really?”

“Of course, really. And it’s a great job at a great company, CQ Francis. It’s the same level as your most recent one. And a similar role. You’d be in charge of all investigative reporting.”

This was it. My chance to move on with my life.

“Thank you so, so much, Marla.”

“Anything you need, Abbie. I’ll help you any way I can.”

I hung up the phone and relaxed back into the sofa. Maybe life would be okay.

* * *

I walked out of CQ Francis and punched the air like a sports star. I’d been to three interviews over the span of two weeks, but now I had a signed employment contract tucked in my bag.

Immense relief poured over me. I didn’t realize just how severe it was until it had lifted.

My new boss, Laurie, seemed nice and friendly and didn’t once ask why I had left Force McAllister. Presumably she knew, which was probably better because that awkward revelation was out of the way from the start.

I texted Marla, Jenny and Sam:

I got the job!!!!! I even have two weeks to relax and get my condo back together before I start!

They all texted straight back. Every day I remembered how lucky I am to have them.

Drinks on me this weekend. We’re going large Friday.

It was the least I could do after everything they’d done for me. Besides, I could always hock the diamond earrings Jay gave me. I’d never given the gifts to Sam to throw on Jay’s desk. Somehow it had always slipped my mind.