Anagram

by Sienna Grant

  I happen to glance into Margie’s office and see her watching. I swear I see a smirk on her face, but I can’t be sure. I can’t go accusing, that’s for sure.

  Grabbing my cell out of my purse, I send a message to Everett: Does that job at your firm still stand?

  I sent it as a joke, but if I don’t get that account back, I’m fucked. No one will employ me when Terry is finished dragging my name through the mud.

  I’ve seriously had enough shit for one day. I want to get through this meeting and go to Mom’s for dinner, then take a shower, crawl into bed, and not come out until I have to.

  My cell chimes with a message and I see it’s from Ev. What the fuck? What do you mean? What’s going on?

  It’s way too much to explain over text message, so I drop my phone back into my purse and go through any emails I’ve missed. I don’t have the energy to explain to him right now anyway.

  No more than half an hour later, I hear someone knock on Margie’s office door. All I see is red. I stand up and look through the glass. Red roses. Margie smiles and knocks on my door.

  “Come in.”

  “These are for you.”

  “Red roses for me? Who are they from?” Lifting them to my nose, I smell their sweet scent as she shrugs.

  “I have no idea. The delivery guy didn’t know either. All he said was that they were to be delivered here to you. They were done online; they never left a name.”

  My fingers dive into the mass of flowers and I dig out the card… “Thanks.” Maybe they’re from Ev. To Reagan, from a special friend.

  I don’t think any more about who it could be. Instead, I find a vase, fill it with water and put the roses in it for now until I can take them home later. I throw away the card, I can ask Ev later too.

  I begin to prepare for the meeting and write out some bullet points. I’ve barely eaten anything today and I’m starving. I call Margie and ask her to order some lunch from the deli and get back to it. Getting up, I close all the blinds, as I don’t want to be disturbed for the rest of the day. This is the only way I can make people understand.

  About four p.m., I hear a male voice asking if I’m here. Right away I know who that is.

  “Is she in a meeting?” Everett. The voices are right outside the door.

  “No, the blinds are closed when she doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

  With a weary sigh I get up and open the door. “Ev?”

  “What the hell’s going on? What was that message and why didn’t you answer?”

  Closing the door behind us, I tell him to sit down. My finger sits against my lips as I tell him to be quiet. “I’ve had more than enough shit today; I don’t need any more drama.”

  “Nice flowers. Red roses. Aren’t you popular?” He smirks, obviously trying to bring me down off the ledge. “Who are they from?”

  “What?” I frown.

  “The roses. Where did you get them?”

  “You’re funny. But I really can’t deal with your sense of humor today, Ev. I’m too tired and way too stressed. Thank you though, they’re beautiful.”

  Now it’s his turn to frown. “Why are you thanking me? I didn’t send them.”

  “You didn’t?” I go to the trash can and take the card out. Once I’ve read the words, I hand it over.

  To Reagan, from a special friend.

  “Well, for one, we’re not special friends. I’d like to think we were more than that. And why would I do that? If I was going to send you flowers, I’d sign the card or hand deliver them myself.” He gets up and stands in front of me. “You’re not exactly the hearts and flowers kind of woman, are you, Rae?” He smirks and I hit his shoulder playfully.

  “How do you know?”

  “Babe,” he whispers, “I think I know you pretty well now.”

  “Know it all. Actually, I love flowers. And you’ve sent them before.”

  His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer. “You got me there. But did I sign the card?”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “There you go. Now, what time can you finish?” His palms cup my neck and he moulds his lips to mine in a sweet kiss, sliding his hands down my arms.

  “Not yet. I called a staff meeting. Then I’m at Mom’s for dinner.”

  “So get out of it. You are tense, you need to wind down.” He kisses me again. My breath hitches at the back of my throat and my mouth goes dry.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Okay. We’ll talk later about everything else.”

  “Yes, sir.” I salute him, grinning.

  “Remember that later.” He winks and walks out. I hear him saying goodbye to Margie, and for the first time today, I actually smile. A true, honest smile.

  “He’s such a hunk, isn’t he?” She appraises him as she watches him leave through the office, leaning her shoulder against the doorframe. If I could claw her eyes out for even looking at him, I would. “You’re so lucky, Reagan.” Her sweet and innocent voice doesn’t cut it with me anymore.

  My gaze fixed on hers, I force a grin. “Don’t you have work to do?” I shut out the smug grin plastered on her face by shutting the door. I’ve been having my doubts about Margie for a couple of weeks now, but I thought that maybe it was just me. Hearing Ruby voice her opinion earlier and realizing that everything centers around Margie makes me wonder if I ever should have trusted her in the first place.

  I pull out my clip and give my head a rub, letting my hair fall over my hands. My scalp is hurting from my hair being up all day and my head is beginning to ache. My fingers slide across to my temples, rubbing in small circles. My eyes close with the relief I’m already feeling, but the more I think about Everett’s offer of winding down, the more appealing it sounds.

  Grabbing my phone. I apologise to Mom and tell her I’ll stop by after work, but it won’t be to stay for dinner, and how sorry I am to have to let her down, but it’s been a bad day. Then I send one to Ev, telling him he’d better prepare something good and relaxing for me because I’m coming over after this godforsaken meeting.

  I need air.

  I have to get shit straight in my head. I can’t think while cooped up in here, and I need to be focused. I have to have a clear head to deal with what’s happening. Grabbing my cell, I head out of the office. I don’t look at Margie as I pass. Instead, I stare straight ahead as I walk out of the office. Once I’m out on the concrete staircase, I take every one of the five flights until I’m pushing on the heavy door of the roof. I find a bar to wedge open the door so it doesn’t close, otherwise I’m absolutely screwed.

  Once outside, I feel free. Sucking the breeze into my lungs and being so far up feels liberating. I stretch my arms out wide and let my head tip back until I can feel the cool air on my face.

  A bang from behind me startles me. I look around for a second, but I know there’s no one out here with me. Taking tentative steps back to the door I see the bar is still in place, the door is resting against. Weird. It couldn’t be the wind, it’s not strong enough to move it. My body shudders with a strange feeling and I’m suddenly cold.

  With both hands I push my fingers in the small gap between the door and frame and push on it until it’s open enough that I can get through. I push the bar away with my foot and the door shuts with a loud bang, echoing off the abandoned walls as I take the steps back to my office.

  Still feeling a little spooked, I sit at my desk, shuffling papers before clipping them together and filing them away and locking the cabinet. I check my email and upon seeing there’s no new mail, breathe a sigh of relief.

  It’s time I got to the bottom of this shit.

  Forty-Seven

  Margie

  Reagan walks past me with her cell in her hand, she doesn’t speak or even look at me. She walks right through the office and out the doors, turning right as she closes the door behind her.

  I’m curious as to where the privileged bitch could be going.
All there is that way is the fire escape and the stairs leading up to the roof.

  When she’s disappeared from sight, I take the receiver off the hook and walk as quickly as I can to the door. I catch Reagan as she disappears from sight through the fire escape door. I wait until I know she’s disappeared, then slip off my shoes, putting them in one hand while holding the handrail with the other, and head up the stairs.

  When I reach the top, I find the door to the roof wedged open.

  Standing behind the door and out of sight, I peek through the gap.

  What is she doing?

  Why is she on the roof?

  Squatting down, I watch her for another few minutes. I always wondered where she went when she walked out of the office. She was never too long either, about ten or fifteen minutes and now, I know.

  Reagan has a secret hideaway. Interesting.

  Smirking, I push the door open and let it spring back. The bar that’s in place to stop it from shutting clunks against the steel of the door. If I move that now, I know the door will close and she’ll be stuck up here.

  Peeking back through the gap, I watch her look around her. Standing up, I run down the stairs and through to the escape door, dropping my shoes on the ground and slipping my feet in them before straightening my posture. I push back my shoulders and walk back through the sales office and into my office, closing the door and quickly replacing the handset.

  As soon as the receiver is set back down, the phone rings. Sucking in a deep breath, I blow it out before answering in my most professional voice.

  It’s my turn to ignore her as she comes back into the office, and I act like nothing’s happened. She shuts her door, glancing through the glass partition as she picks some paperwork up.

  Leaning back in my chair, I take my cell from the drawer in my desk and see a message: Hey babe. We still on for tonight? I can’t wait.

  I reply: Of course we are. I can’t wait either.

  Locking my screen, I place the phone back inside the drawer and turn back to my computer. Tonight is going to be epic.

  Taking the files from the cabinet that she asked for in our briefing this morning, I knock on the window of her office. She looks up and calls me in. “Here are the files you wanted.”

  “Thanks. Just drop them on the desk, please. I also want all the files for the active accounts so I can go through them for the meeting. I need to send as much information as I can to Terry.”

  I nod and watch her carefully. “How’s your mom? I hope she’s well?”

  Her brow creases in a frown. “Yeah, why wouldn’t she be?”

  “No reason. You just don’t talk about her much.”

  She frowns again. “That’s because she’s my mom and my personal life is private…”

  “Oh, of course.” I attempt a smile but it comes out more of a sneer. “Well, I better get back to work.”

  “If you could. I want to be done by five today so we can get this meeting over and done with as quickly as we can.”

  I nod and go back to my own desk. Is it so hard for her to be fucking nice?

  We’ll see who’s nice when I’m finished with her.

  I’m getting sick and tired of this bitch. I’m not sure how long I can keep this up.

  Forty-Eight

  Reagan

  With the staff meeting done and the meeting with Robert Walker on my mind, I’m glad to be going to Mom’s. Maybe I could tell her about all this, and she could give me some advice as to how to approach the situation.

  Pulling up outside the house, I parked against the curb. Mom’s car is in the driveway, but Hayden’s isn’t here. My brother always decides at the last minute if he’s coming home for dinner, even though we both promised her when dad died.

  Locking my car, I head for the front door, letting myself in. The house is quiet. I place my keys on the table near to the door. “Mom?” I call out. “Hey, I’m here.”

  Nothing.

  “Mom?” I shout a little louder, but it just echoes in the empty space.

  I go into the living room and place my bag on the sofa before going into the kitchen.

  The house is still. Usually, my mom meets me at the door when I come in.

  Where is she?

  A weird feeling starts in the pit of my stomach, but I ignore it. The loud noise of the coffee machine echoes through the silence of the four-bedroom, three-bathroom house. Just as I’m about to take another sip, I hear voices.

  Three different voices.

  Mom, Hayden, and…someone who sounds familiar, but my brain isn’t reacting quick enough. I can’t place it. For some unknown, reason my heart is pounding out of my chest.

  Tentatively leaving my spot in the kitchen, I turned the corner and came face to face with Mom.

  “Oh hey.” I smile. The beat of my heart slows down a notch and the overactive part of my imagination eases.

  “Reagan, sweetheart. I didn’t realize you were stopping by. I thought you couldn’t make it tonight.”

  “No, I said I couldn’t make dinner, but I’d stop by to see you for a little bit. My meeting finished up earlier than I thought it would and I stayed a little longer to do some paperwork.” Margie, like the other employees, was out of there as soon as the meeting was finished though. In all honesty, I enjoyed the peace of being on my own. “Your car was outside though so I thought you were here, but I didn’t see you.”

  “Yeah, um, Hayden picked me up and we went to that new steakhouse that just opened in town.” Her gaze flickers to the empty doorway before turning back to meet my eyes.

  “Oh cool.” I hear the boom of Hayden’s voice from behind the door. “Is he not coming to say hello?”

  “He’s just talking to someone. He’s a bit nervous.” Her hands wring in front of her.

  “Why would he be nervous?”

  “Hayden,” Mom calls out.

  I can’t wait to see what he was so nervous about.

  Putting my coffee on the table, I walk from the dining room and into the hall. “Hayden, stop being a tool.”

  I turn the corner and abruptly come to a stop.

  My fists clench and unclench over and over, my nails digging into my palm.

  Our gazes met. She smirks and I feel my eyes widening. My mouth drops open and I’m sure my chin hits the floor. What the fuck is she up to?

  I feel Mom stop behind me. “Reagan,” she whispers. “It’s rude to stare. Come say hello to our guest.”

  “Margie.” I nod once, I trying to be polite, but I’m struggling. Why is she here? “What’s going on?” I look between all three of them, but no one gives me any answers. Butterflies are doing somersaults in my stomach. My nerves are shot.

  I don’t understand at all.

  “You didn’t tell me that Margie was seeing Hayden.” Mom nudges my arm softly with her elbow.

  “I…I didn’t know.” I shake my head and look at Hayden; his eyes were solely on her. I bite back my surprise and wonder how the hell they could have met. Did she plan this? How the hell did she know he was my brother? “I knew he was seeing someone, but he never told me her name,” I say quietly to Mom. “Come to think of it, Margie never said anything either.”

  Mom’s eyes light up as she looks between us all. “Well, this is great.” She claps her hands together. “I mean, you two know each other, I’ve already met her—it’s perfect.”

  This is far from fucking perfect. I force another smile onto my face as I look at her. She finally shifts her gaze away from my brother long enough to look at me. She gives me what everyone else thinks is a smile, but there is definitely nothing genuine about it. I know better than that.

  I feel sick to my stomach.

  “Hey, Reagan.” She wiggles her fingers in a little wave at me. “I can call you Reagan, can’t I?”

  “Oh, don’t be silly,” Mom replies, cutting in. “We don’t have any formality in this house.”

  My teeth clamped togeth
er, and I force out another tight smile.

  Breaking herself away from Hayden, in a few small steps she’s in front of me. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. Hayden and I thought it would be best if we kept it a secret for a while.

  “Yeah, I bet.” Shifting my focus past Margie and over to Hayden, he just smiles and shrugs. “Oh, we could do double dates. You could bring Ev, and we could go out, the four of us.”

  Hayden’s eyes widen and he gives me a knowing smile. The urge to correct her and tell her to call him by his proper name is so strong. It pissed me off. That’s mine and only mine to use.

  “I have to go.” I shake my head in disbelief. I have to get out of the situation I’ve just been thrust into. Suddenly, I feel like I’ve been plunged into a maze and I’m going in circles looking for the exit. I need air.

  I walk into the living room, grab my purse, and go back to kiss my mom on the cheek. I pass Margie and Hayden without a word and leave Mom’s house.

  Once I’m in the sanctuary of my car I rest my head against the seat back and sigh. I have no idea what the fuck she’s up to, but with her antics recently and the change I’ve noticed in her, it could be anything. I have to get Hayden alone at some point and talk to him.

  I thought Penny was bad, but at least she only cheated on him. Margie could end up doing a whole lot worse.

  Hayden and Margie together…I can’t get my head around it.

  Looking out my window, I watch the house for a second and try to get my thoughts in check before starting the engine and going to Everett’s. Margie and Hayden being together never left my head for a minute, but I know I have to shake myself out of it. It doesn’t matter what I think about it, but I have to watch out for him. Everett won’t think this is a big deal, he doesn’t think her dressing like me or even dyeing her hair like mine is a big deal. So, I’ll have to figure it out by myself. Or I’ll just call Ruby tomorrow and discuss it with her.

  Forty-Nine

  Everett