Knox

It’s almost five o’clock, but my workday is far from over. I’m swamped with unanswered emails, and we have a pitch for Purina tomorrow morning that needs at least another hour of polishing. I grab my coffee mug and make my way to the kitchen-there’s no way I’ll make it without another shot of caffeine.

People are heading towards the elevator in pairs, chatting and laughing. I try not to be distracted, but when I see Jason from the corner of my eye, I duck quickly out of sight. I texted him last week to try to clear the air between us, but he ignored me, so I’ve been keeping my distance.

I’ve replayed our last conversation in my mind endlessly, and every time I come to the conclusion that I’m the biggest asshole on the planet. I’ve spent the last 8 years trying to forget that time in my life-the grief over my father, the fear for my mom and sisters, the heartbreak of losing Jason. But now that I’ve allowed myself to remember, I feel the pain and loneliness as sharply as I did at 22. And the guilt over the way I treated Jason makes my chest throb with dread.

Coffee in hand, I make my way back to my office, only to find Rose standing behind my desk when I walk in. It’s clear she’s been shuffling through my files, and I stop short, almost spilling my coffee on my shirt. As much as I’ve tried to be open-minded, there’s something about Rose that rubs me the wrong way. Finding her in my office after a long day at work is not a welcome surprise.

“Oh…hello.” I clear my throat and try to put on a pleasant expression. “Did we have an appointment?”

“No, I just saw your light on and figured I’d stop in and see how the Purina pitch is coming along.” She takes a seat in my desk chair, leaving me to perch on the edge of a file cabinet.

“It’s going great, I’m just wrapping up a few loose ends. The pitch is set for 10 a.m. tomorrow if you’d like to join us.” God, please don’t join us.

“Oh, no, I leave pitches to the creatives,” she laughs. “Is everything else running smoothly?”

“Sure, just busy. Which is good, of course.” I raise my coffee cup in a salute to being busy, but Rose turns her attention back to my messy desk.

“How are things going with you and Jason?” she asks, picking up a drafting pencil and tapping it on my message pad.

“Umm, fine…great. He’s doing good work on Millennial. And he’s really helping out on Hilton. I think the accounts will be in good shape when Gerald gets back from medical leave.” She nods her head in a vaguely supportive way, then leans forward a bit.

“Word around the office is that you and he had words last week. Anything I should be aware of?” Tap, tap, tap.

Well, shit.

“Creative difference, but it’s been resolved. No worries.” I give her a weak smile.

“I hope so. We can’t have the new Creative Director scaring off our best people. And Jason is one of our very best, Knox.” She says it pointedly, almost like a warning. I’d laugh at her flair for the dramatic if she didn’t creep me out so much.

“I’m well aware of that, Rose.” I stand and take a sip of coffee, hoping she takes the hint. Luckily, she does.

“Terrific. Then I’m going to leave you to it.” She leaves with a smile and a wave, and I’m left wondering what her angle is. She clearly loves Jason, which is understandable, because everyone does. But what’s up with the snooping? And the heavy-handed warnings? If I had actual friends at this place, I’d ask around to see if anyone else shared my suspicions. But I’m new, and I’m the boss, and Jason hasn’t exactly shown me the love, so most people have kept their distance.

An hour later, deep into my second proof-reading of the Purina pitch materials, Rose’s visit is still bothering me. And maybe I’ve had too many cups of coffee, or not enough sleep, but I type out a text and hit send before I can stop myself.

     Hey, please don’t delete. I need to talk to you about Rose.

I go back to work, not really expecting a response, but within five minutes my phone pings with a new message.

     Fine. Meet me at the Atomic Lounge in an hour.

So, I guess we’re meeting in an hour.