Taryn sat staring at a large black wooden door. She was in an empty waiting room outside her boss’ office. It was before the clerical staff were due to clock on, so it was only her sitting in a sea of hard orange plastic chairs. The black and white carpet went up the hallway as far as the eye could see. Black and white was the predominant color scheme of the entire building. When she’d arrived, she didn’t know who to tell she had arrived. She wasn’t about to knock on the devil’s mouth without a direct invitation, so she simply took a seat and waited. Taryn heard the buzz of a camera mounted in the far corner and assumed someone had seen her sitting there.
Taryn had spent her Sunday not answering the phone and tramping around her own small apartment in her pajamas. Taryn didn’t put on make-up, didn’t brush her hair, she just threw it up in a messy bun and flicked the remote for a chick flick binge for one. She’d lost count on the amount of times that Kylee and Payton had tried to call. After the weirdness that happened the afternoon before, she wasn’t interested in any more girl time.
As Taryn sat, her mind wandered back to her friends and what had made her feel uncomfortable enough to go home early. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was directly, but when the two men had arrived, she suddenly felt like she was under a microscope. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, making her nausea feel worse. Add to that the thick smell of lemon in the air and she didn’t know whether she wanted to eat or vomit. Taryn had told the girls she wanted to go home, insisting they stay and enjoy the rest of the afternoon’s frivolity. She gathered her bag and started for home, stopping at the small convenience store on the corner, grabbing some ginger ale and dry crackers, hoping they would settle her stomach.
Payton and Kylee had given up trying to call her and turned up at her apartment mid-afternoon. Taryn remained quiet in her room. She didn’t answer the repeated beeping from the intercom at the front of her building. Taryn couldn’t explain why she needed some space. It wasn’t like she could just tell them she was a wanted woman, and not in a ring-a-ding-ding way either.
Hey girls, I’ve known you nearly a year now, but guess what? Funny thing happened back in the States. I’m wanted for murder and am on the run… she snorted to herself. Yeah, that would go down beautifully.
Having people look at her, really look at her like those men had, made her skin crawl. She’d managed to stay out of people’s sights for nearly three hundred days, and she wasn’t about to jeopardize it now.
If it cost her the friends she’d made with Kylee and Payton… Taryn’s thoughts stopped as she swallowed past a growing lump. So be it, she said to herself.
“Ms. Miles?” a voice broke her from her thoughts.
Taryn looked up and saw her boss standing at the now open door. She was a very tall woman and had a graceful elegance about her. The woman’s blonde hair was neatly placed in a bun at the base of her skull. She was wearing a fitted black skirt and a crisp white blouse. Taryn stood and attempted a smile of confidence.
“Follow me…” The woman turned and glided like she was ice skating. Taryn watched in awe of how this woman moved on incredibly high heels. She knew her own were tall, but these were a step higher again. Catching the door that she hadn’t waited for Taryn to grab before walking off, Taryn took a deep breath and walked into what felt like the lion’s den.
“Sit,” she said as she walked around an absurdly gigantic desk, and took her own seat in an equally large office chair.
Taryn watched her boss sit in what would only be described as a white leather throne. She hurriedly moved to the smaller chair on the opposite side of the desk and sat. Crossing her legs at the ankles, she placed her hands in her lap.
“You’re not working today?” the woman asked in a lifeless voice.
“Pardon?” Taryn tilted her head, looking down at her casual jeans and T-shirt appearance. “Oh, this?” The woman nodded at Taryn’s question. “I’m most definitely working, ma’am. My costume is in the dressing room. It’s a newly designed one, so I wasn’t able to get dressed before I arrived.”
“A new one?”
Taryn smiled. “Belle has a new pimped out image. The costume designers took all my measurements a few weeks ago for an idea cooked up in some office somewhere.” Taryn lightly laughed. “I’m employed to look pretty for photographs not for decision making.”
“Hmmm…” The sound was one of judgment as she asked, “Do you enjoy it here, Ms. Miles?”
Taryn sat up straight. “Oh yes, Ms. Cinders,” she said her bosses name for the first time in the meeting. “I like it very much.”
Her boss leaned forward, placing her elbows on the desk, her fingers interlaced and tapping against her bright red painted lips. “Then why am I getting a few strays sniffing round my business dealings?” Ms. Cinders continued without a breath, “When I offered you a job here, it was because you had a look I’d been hunting for. Now when a girl’s normally that eager to leave a country, it’s because of something bad.” Ms. Cinders got up and walked to her window, she took a moment to look out onto a city already awake and bustling with workers. “I know what it’s like to need to run.” She turned to look at Taryn. “You aren’t the first woman who’s been caught up with an abusive partner.”
Taryn let out a breath she’d been holding. She sent a small prayer of thanks to whoever allowed this woman to assume she was running from domestic abuse. Taryn lowered her head and nodded, it was partially true after all.
“Thing is, Taryn…” Ms. Cinders glided over and propped herself up on the front corner of her desk. It was an attempt to appear more approachable by coming out to the front of the desk. “When ghosts from your past come sniffing around my past…” she tilted her head, “… that makes me nervous. Do you understand?”
“Yes ma’am,” Taryn stumbled on her words. “I was unaware this was happening.”
“Apparently…” Ms. Cinders stood up and returned to the throne, swinging it round to look directly at Taryn. “That’s why the meeting. Now you know…” she leaned forward, her eyes flashing a dangerous warning as her voice lowered to a new threat level, “… make it stop.”
“Make what stop?” Taryn asked tentatively.
“Doing things that draw attention to yourself. I don’t… we don’t want people, I don’t know, poking around our business.” Her boss’ voice got louder with every word, the power bounced around the clean white pictureless walls. “I may have helped you run from whatever you were running from, but know this…” she stood and leaned forward on the desk, letting her energy fill the large office so intensely it left barely enough room for Taryn to exist, “… I will wipe you from my books without a moment’s hesitation if I feel my world is in jeopardy.”
“You’re world?” Taryn’s forehead creased.
“Oh God, how dumb can one woman be…” Ms. Cinders sat back down with a rush of air being expelled from her throne. “You aren’t the only one running from things. I will do anything to protect my world, even if it’s throwing you to the wolves,” her boss said. “Bottom line?”
Taryn looked up from the floor, and her boss delivered the ultimatum. “Stop the junkyard dogs from sniffing around, or you will be terminated.” Ms. Cinders took a breath and calmed down. “Look, Taryn, I can’t risk my ghosts resurfacing, not for anyone.”
Taryn nodded, hoping that her boss meant job termination only. She stood up. “I understand. I wasn’t aware of any of th… this…” her voice broke, she was clearly shaken. “I will work out what’s going on, and stop it.” Taryn had no idea how she was going to do that, but it seemed like the right thing to say.
“Excellent!” As Ms. Cinders smiled, her eyes held a hidden threat under a guise of workplace pleasantries. “Excellent! Then enjoy your day, Taryn.”
Those words signaled the meeting was over, so Taryn turned and walked out of the office. The waiting room was now full of people, and the noises of phones and chatter between co-workers was quite loud.
Taryn didn’t know how she made it to her dressing room. She had no clue how she got through the day or even got home. She stepped into the shower, turning on the water and standing under the head. Feeling the water hit her skin and begin to cascade down her weary body, she finally broke down. Her tears came on fast and furious, falling like a rainstorm from her eyes.
How was she going to find out who?
How was she going to stop them?
How was she going to stay free?
Taryn fell against the wall of the shower and slid down. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she huddled into a small ball and cried until there were no more tears to shed.