Chapter 138

Monday in the office, I keep my head high as I sit at my cubicle. My second date with Hugo went well. Selena hasn’t called me back. I’ve gone back to purposefully avoiding any news of Selena and Miles.

Life, as far as I am concerned, has moved into a new normal. Perhaps this version isn’t as exciting as when I was secretly meeting Miles, but it’s more stable. More mature. More suited to a woman – a mother – my age.

Running around at all hours of the night to secretly meet my younger lover, was never a sustainable life. Not for me.

In my cubicle, I settle at my desk. After placing my purse under the desk, I turn on the PC and wait for it to boot up.

My other co-workers file in, some looking they had much longer weekends than me with much later nights. Only Sabrina truly seems bright eyed this morning.

Kimberly is already in her office, typing away at her computer.

Because of that, I’m not terribly surprised when my messenger software finally loads, that I already have a message from Kimberly.

You’ve been requested for a special assignment, but the details will come later. The bosses are discussing it. Leave your afternoon open.

How odd. I’ve been selected for special assignments before, usually by executives who liked my work on other articles and wanted to see that work replicated with a different lead. But it’s never been something that needs discussed.

Either I’m in trouble somehow, or this is a really big story. I’m not sure what else could be cause for discussion.

I send Kimberly a quick reply, Ok, and get started on work, determined to finish as much as I could before that afternoon.

Just after morning break, when I’ve returned to my desk with fresh coffee, Kimberly comes out of her office and swings by my cubicle.

“Esther. With me. We have a meeting in Hugo’s office.”

“Can I bring my coffee?” I ask, but she’s already gone. Best to leave it for now, I suppose. With the potential seriousness of this meeting, I don’t want to appear disrespectful by sipping on coffee the whole time.

With a sigh, I grab my notepad and pen, then hurry to follow Kimberly. I meet her outside of Hugo’s office. She gives me an expressionless glance that I cannot hope to ready. After, we enter the office.

Hugo is alone in his office. This catches me by surprise, though perhaps it shouldn’t have. I expected the executive who requested me to also be present, but it makes sense for Hugo to deliver whatever news and orders need passed on to me.

When Hugo sees us, he stands. He comes around his desk as he so often does when I enter his office.

Kimberly closes the door behind us, then moves to my side, just as Hugo does. Both are looking at me strangely, almost with pity in their eyes. Hugo’s expression is more pronounced, but now that I see it beside Kimberly’s harder one, I can recognize the similarities between them.

They are about to deliver some bad news.

“What is it?” I ask, bracing myself. No use talking around it. I’d rather they hit me with all the bad news, then let this nervous anticipation fester like it is.

Hugo recognizes that. He must. Because he opens his mouth and says, “Selena has personally requested you for an exclusive interview with her and Miles.”

“Absolutely not,” I say, the words leaving my mouth on instinct.

Hugo’s features harden. “I thought you would feel that way, so I’ve spent most of the morning trying to convince our executives and then Selena to select a different journalist. I even suggested Sabrina, who has been working with them in the past couple of weeks. I’m sorry, Esther, but Selena is insistent that it be you.”

The only reason I can think of why she would be so insistent revolves around our phone conversation. Is she trying to force the issue by bringing Miles and I together? Does she hope that putting us in the same room might rekindle something between us?

So long as he remains engaged to her, that will never happen. He needs to remain engaged to her for the sake of his campaign, so their break up will likely never happen.

Miles and I simply are not meant to be.

And I have Hugo now. That’s my focus.

Well, that, my kids, and my work. The latter of which seems to be in some kind of jeopardy now.

“Am I being forced to do this?” I ask. “Do I not have a choice?”

Hugo frowns. “You have a choice…”

“This could be so influential for your career, though, Esther,” Kimberly says. “Interviews like this help solidify you in the public consciousness. They will more eagerly read your articles. They might even ask for you to appear on the television broadcast.”

Hugo nods. “That is something to consider. As I spoke with the executives this morning, they were impressed by Selena requesting you. They remembered Miles requesting you before. This opportunity has every chance to spring your entire career forwards.”

I hesitate, trying to process everything they are saying. “So… if I conduct this interview and somehow survive it, I might be considered for promotion?”

“You will be,” Hugo says. “I know this will be difficult. I would never force you to do this, and I will stand behind you in any decision you make. But if you’ve truly moved on from Miles, and you want to focus on your own career, this is your best chance to make a name for yourself.”

“Some journalists go their entire careers without being offered an opportunity like this,” Kimberly adds. “It’s just something to think about.”

I swallow down my nerves. “How long do I have to think about it?”

“We will need an answer first thing tomorrow,” Hugo says. “That’s the longest I can give.”

That night, I sit alone in my empty house. The girls are at Garnar’s tonight, which leaves this big house devoid of life other than me. It’s lonely, and the silence isn’t helping to stop the echoing of my own troublesome thoughts.

To stop the void from eating me alive, I retrieve my cellphone and call Cynthia.

“I was wondering when I’d hear from you,” Cynthia says, her welcome voice pushing back the dark thoughts. Talking to someone, especially a friend, helps me feel less like a ghost in my own skin.

“You’ll never believe what’s happened now,” I tell her, and share the story of the day. I end with the decision weighing on me. “I have no idea what to do.”

I’ve already shared everything about Selena’s strange phone call and request to me. This is just one more puzzle layered on top of that last one we hadn’t solved yet.

“What are you leaning towards?” Cynthia asks.

“I don’t know. I want to do what’s best for my career, but…”

“You’d have to see him again,” Cynthia says.

“Yeah. On the other hand…”

“You’d get to see him again,” Cynthia says.

“Yeah,” I say miserably.

Seeing Miles again is a huge problem, exactly because I want to see him again so badly. Part of the reason I don’t want to do this interview is because, if this is Selena’s plan to get us back together, I’m worried it might actually work.

“I shouldn’t do it,” I say.

“Maybe,” Cynthia says. She hums as if considering something. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I don’t think Selena and Miles are actually in a sexual or romantic relationship?”