Chapter Thirty-Six\
Olivia
Thursday
I almost skipped into the office; happiness circled through me, and I was practically floating on air. Zack and I were solid now; we officially loved one another. Sure, there was a bit of an awkward moment yesterday where the press caught us together, but it passed rapidly, and we ended up having an amazing day. Lark, Drea, Meghan, Zack, and I. We were like this awesome little family.
I even had a discussion with Meghan later on in the evening about Zack taking me out on a date. I wasn’t totally convinced that she understood, but she seemed really pleased about it all the same. She adored Zack and liked having him around.
I didn’t think anything could zap the mood out of me.
“Olivia.” Oh, except that. The booming voice of Mike calling through the office the second I stepped through the door. “Can I speak with you please? I need you to come into my office for a moment.”
Uh oh. This was it. The minute that I forgot to dread. The minute I lost my job for fraternizing with the patients. The one thing that made me happy was also going to be the thing that took my job away from me. It truly was a catch twenty-two.
“Erm, of course.” I shot Tess a desperate look, but she could only give me a shrug back. She didn’t seem to know anything, either. “Yes. Sure, I’ll come right now.”
My knees knocked together as I followed Mike, and the room was filled with such a deathly silence I feared for my life. If this were a good meeting, then surely there’d be more of a celebratory atmosphere.
“Please, take a seat.” I didn’t comment on the fact that “Mike’s office” was actually Ms. Simms’ old office. That felt too weird to bring up now. I didn’t want to even think about her, anyway. “Obviously, I have a lot to speak to you about. I’m sure you can imagine.”
“Mhmm.” Should I apologize? Did I need to get my side of the story in quickly? Unfortunately, my mouth was far too dry for me to manage to say anything.
“I’m sure you’ve spoken with Mr. Taylor now about what happened?” His hands tapped thoughtfully together. “With regards to the reveal of his personal data.”
“Erm…” This wasn’t where I was expecting this conversation to begin. It knocked me off kilter and left me a bit confused. “Yes, I have.”
“And because of that, we’ve had to fire Ms. Simms. Of course, no one’s managed to speak to her since the article came out, but I’ve sent her an official contract termination letter, anyway. I’m sure she knows, but I have to do it in the right way.”
Was this his way of letting me know that my termination was on the way? Would I be handed my letter this meeting? I gulped loudly. “Right, okay, of course.”
“So we need someone to replace her.” Mike gave me a knowing look, but I couldn’t quite understand it. I didn’t get what he wanted to tell me. “Now, in my meeting with Mr. Taylor, he put in a very strong case for you to take over the job.”
“Me?” I squeaked. This was unexpected. I’d gone from thinking I was about to get fired, to discussing a potential promotion… If I was reading the situation right, that was. “He really said that?”
“Yes, you. At first, I said no because you’re too new to the company, but after speaking with the other therapists, they’re quite happy for you to take on the role.”
“Really? No one else wants it?” I couldn’t work out why this was falling on my lap, it felt like a dream come true. It was a bit too much.
“It would just be for a trial period, of course. I hope you understand that. But I’m willing to give you a try. Other people think you can do it; I just need to see it for myself.”
My heart skipped a beat. My own practice…in a way. It wasn’t exactly as I envisioned, but it was still incredible. I actually couldn’t believe it. “I won’t let you down,” I insisted. “Thank you so much for this opportunity. It’s just so… Wow. I’m so grateful.”
“I hope so. I’m sure you’ll do very well.” He actually smiled at me. “Now, obviously I’ll be around if you have any questions. I’m going to be a lot more involved in the practice until things are running smoothly again.” I went to stand up, but before I did, I had one last question to tackle.
“Erm, just one that thing. I know you’ve probably heard by now about Zack and me, and I don’t…” I sighed deeply. “I don’t want it to affect my position here. I can stop working with him if that’s what it takes.” I didn’t like the idea of another therapist working with him, not when I enjoyed our sessions so much, but I had to keep my job.
“How many sessions does he have left?”
“Not many,” I answered honestly. “He probably only needs one or two more; he’s improving really well recently. His leg is much stronger than when he first came to me.”
“You do it then. You might as well finish what you’ve started. I don’t have any complaints, and I haven’t heard anything about misconduct, so I’m sure you’re absolutely fine.” Mike grinned, his whole face lighting up with happiness. “Now, I’ll sort you out with the contract soon. You get back to work and have a good day.”
My steps were almost floating as I walked back into the office. Everyone’s eyes fixed upon me, but this time I could see that it was more of a nervous energy than a negative one. As the other therapists spotted me grinning, they smiled, too. It was as if my lips shattered the tense atmosphere so we could finally all relax again. Ms. Simms had truly left a mess; I needed to make it right again. I felt determined to make this work.
“Right, back to work,” I announced playfully. “No messing around with my watch.”
Laughter tittered around the room, making my heart soar. This was such an incredible opportunity. I felt like I could really tackle the world.
I made my way to my room and checked my schedule. Zack’s name sat at the top of my list – it was an appointment that I couldn’t recall making, but it made me very happy to see. I needed to thank him for his intervention in my life; he had no idea how much he’d helped me.
“Morning.” As if I’d conjured him up by magic, there he was, standing in front of me with a gorgeous smile on his face. God, I loved him. “I’ve got some bad news for you.”
“You have?” I pouted out my lips. “Because I’ve got some amazing news for you!”
“Oh well, I’ll go first. Get the bad stuff out the way first then we can celebrate. This, unfortunately, is my last session. I don’t think I need to come and see you anymore.” He gave me a cheeky smile. “Plus, my girlfriend is a physiotherapist anyway so that I can get free treatment. I don’t need to come and pay a fortune for it.”
I tutted and gave him a light slap. “Oh, you’re terrible. But I did think you were coming to the end of it, anyway. Your leg is so much better. I told Mike today that you’re done.”
“I feel stronger. But I am going to miss you putting through my paces. It’s been fun…most of the time. So anyway, what’s the good news?”
“Well, someone might have put in a good word for me with my boss, and someone might have been offered a promotion…”
“Oh my God, are you serious?” Zack was too excited to let me finish.
I nodded rapidly, unable to keep the large grin off my face. “Yep, but it’s only for a trial period, so don’t get too excited.”
Too late. Zack jumped up and spun me around in the air. As I slid back down to the ground, he kissed me hard on the lips, and I did nothing to stop him. We weren’t doing anything wrong anymore, everyone knew about us. And it felt good.
“Right, we better get to work before I tear all your clothes off,” I said while pinching his hip. “We can save that for later on.”
“Well, if you’re going to promise me that, then I’ll do whatever you need me to. But only because I love you.” He linked his fingers through mine and gave me that heart-stopping smile. “So very much.”
I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of those words. “I love you, too.”
***
I wearily sighed as I got to the top of the stairs outside my apartment. It had been a very long day trying to combine my usual work with learning the ropes of the new job. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I felt sure that it’d be worth it. I was willing to throw everything into it to see what I could do.
I was exhausted now, though, and all I wanted to do was relax.
As I slid the key in the door, I was shocked to hear lots of noise coming from inside. I didn’t even think that Drea and Meghan were home, never mind other people, but it sounded like a party was happening.
What the hell?
I pushed the door open to yells and cheers from the unexpected houseful. Meghan was sitting with Lark doing a jigsaw puzzle, Zack was in the kitchen cooking what smelled like a delicious meal, and Drea was practically sitting on the lap of a man that I’d only met once before. Zack’s father. I couldn’t take my eyes off them – it actually looked like they were flirting. Maybe she was a little too young for him, but they looked quite good together.
Unexpected, but nice.
“Erm, hi, everyone. This is unexpected.” I dropped my bag on the ground and looked at everyone in turn. “But it’s good to have you here.”
“Oh sorry.” Zack clapped his hand against his forehead. “I forgot to text you. I thought it’d be nice to have a family meal tonight.” He walked over to me, dusting off his apron, and kissed me in front of everyone. “We have to celebrate your promotion.”
“Yeah, it’s awesome. I’m glad. But it’s only a trial, don’t get too excited for me. I don’t want everyone to think it’s more than it is…”
No one paid any attention to me, they all cheered and acted like I’d created world peace or something. I laughed and went along with it, but there was a small piece of me that nervously feared I’d let everyone down if I failed at this job.
All the more reason to make it a success.
“Right, dinner is cooked!” Zack finally yelled. “Take a seat everyone.”
We all jumped into place around the table, Meghan next to Lark, Drea next to Zack’s dad, and me next to Zack. And as I looked at everyone, in turn, I really appreciated the family that I’d carved for myself in New York. I had come here alone, with only my daughter and some hopes, and what I’d managed to achieve was incredible. Even if I didn’t necessarily make it in this job, I still needed to feel pride.
I was a very, very lucky woman.