by MJ Masucci
Mrs. Tremaine had always treated her with disgust. She was a woman of sixty who came from old money. Her children rarely visited her, and it was no wonder why. She was very unpleasant, always preoccupied with her dog and had been nasty since Ava moved into the building. Ava was too shy and meek to defend herself against this woman. It was better to be polite and nod your head.
Ava arrived at the office early again. She settled herself at her desk and checked her email. There was one from Xander asking her to come to his office first thing. She quickly rose from her chair and headed to his office. His door was open, and he was on the phone. He waved her in and mouthed “shut the door.” She did as instructed and sat down on the leather chair in front of his desk. It sounded like he was having a conversation with someone about a lease on his car. She tried hard not to pay attention and looked at her hands in her lap. He hung the phone up after a few minutes.
“Sorry about that. I’m having some problems with my lease agreement.” Ava said nothing, just nodded her head. Xander then got right to the point, letting her know why she was sitting in front of him.
“I am working on a case that requires your expert research skills. I need you to drop everything else you have. I might need you to work late a few nights if that is okay.” Ava thought about this for a minute. She decided it was fine because Liam was busy and she didn’t have much choice. She probably wouldn’t see Liam until the weekend.
“That is not a problem.” Xander came around the desk and picked up four very thick and heavy folders that had been sitting there.
“These are the files for the case. I have made notes and tacked it onto the inside folder of each one. I will need you to check this information for me, and I need it by the end of the week.” Xander moved towards the door with the folders in hand. Ava followed him as he walked down the hall to the research room on the other side of the building. She probably would be spending hours here from the size of those folders. He pushed through the door and plunked the folders down on one of the tables, making an echoing sound throughout the room.
“I will check on you later. Don’t forget to eat lunch.” Ava watched as he left the room. Strange that he had said not to forget to eat lunch. She set to work on the research based on his requests.
As Xander had predicted, she forgot to eat lunch. Her stomach was growling when she finally came up for air and looked at her watch; it was 4:00 PM already. She had been sitting for over seven hours.
Xander hadn’t come to check on her. She gathered up her materials and would transcribe her notes later. She dropped the materials on her desk and went to the breakroom, as there were always snacks in the cabinets. She opened one and found a granola bar. She took the bar back to her desk and checked her cell phone. Liam had texted her a couple of hours ago to ask her to dinner. Figures, he is finally free, and I have to work late. She sent him a text letting him know she had to work late and wouldn’t be able to see him. He texted back almost immediately saying he was disappointed.
Ava decided rather than go back to the research room that she would take her laptop, files, and notes to the alcove next to Xander’s office. She had worked there before. It was quiet, and the couch was a lot more comfortable than the chairs in the research room. She went to the mail room and got one of the carts used for mail delivery around the office. It had wheels, and it would be easier to maneuver down the hall then risk spilling everything on the floor. She loaded all the items into the cart and rolled it down the hall to the alcove.
No one could see her here, and she would not be disturbed. She turned on her laptop and began transcribing her notes. Ava typed quickly and had finished a good chunk of transcription when she heard the door to Xander’s office open and shut. She decided against getting up to see if he was coming into his office or leaving. A few minutes later she heard Xander’s voice, louder than usual. The walls between the alcove and his office were not very thick, and she could hear his side of the conversation. She didn’t want to listen, but it was hard not to when his voice was so clear. She stopped typing.
“Do you think this is easy on me? You are letting your career get in the way of our relationship.” There was a long pause,
“No, I can’t be patient. It seems that I am the only one in this relationship. I’m the only one trying. Is it too much work for you?” Another long pause.
His voice softened. “I just miss you. I don’t want to fight but when am I going to see you?” After a short pause, his voice got louder when he practically yelled,
“This is what I mean. You don’t seem to take my feelings into account.” Another pause. “Maybe we should just take a break. NO, it’s not what I want, but I don’t seem to matter to you anymore. Have fun on the Vineyard.”
Ava could almost hear the sarcasm in his voice. She heard a loud slam against the wall. Then Xander blurted, “Shit!” He must have thrown something. She heard the door to his office open and then slam. She kept very quiet because she didn’t want him to know that she had listened to his conversation. She heard his rapid footsteps as they grew faint down the hall.
She glanced at her phone and saw that it was well past 8:00 PM. She was tired, her neck hurt and she was hungry. She decided to go home for the evening. Riley wouldn’t be happy with just his bowl of dry food. She packed up her things and locked everything in her desk drawer, put on her coat, got her purse and went to the elevator. There were a few people still working, most of them attorneys. The office often had people working until the wee hours of the morning depending on their cases. Her uncle regularly left at about seven. She exited the elevator on the main floor and started to walk through the building lobby to the front doors; she heard her name.
“Ava, Ava.” Xander was sitting at one of the small café tables and drinking coffee. The café stayed open until ten at night to accommodate people in the offices. They sold coffee, sandwiches and all kinds of snack items. In a pinch, you could get a quick meal or just a candy bar. She waved and made her way over to him.
“I didn’t know you were still here,” Xander said.
“I was transcribing some of my notes on my laptop.”
“I went to your cubicle, but you weren’t there. Were you in the research room?”
Ava didn’t want to lie. “No, I was in the alcove around the corner from your office.”
His face tightened. “Did you hear?”
Ava’s stomach felt like a rock had been dropped in the pit of it.
“I’m so sorry. I…I…I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was in the corner and had no place to go without you hearing me. I thought that would be worse than me just staying put. I didn’t mean…” Xander put his hand up to indicate her to stop. She shut her mouth and waited for him to say something.
“It’s alright. It was a long time coming. I’m just sorry you had to hear.” Ava heard the sadness in his voice.
“Do you want to talk about it? I’m a great listener.” Ava said.
Xander took a deep breath. “No, I would rather not, but thank you for asking.” He stood up and picked up his briefcase.
“Have you had dinner?”
“Uh, no, but I need to get home. I have a kitty that is probably destroying my carpet because he is long overdue for his dinner.”
Xander laughed. “Okay, another time then.” He walked to the front door of the building with her. His hand was firmly pressed against her back. She thought to herself, Please don’t do that. She was affected by his touch even if it was through her jacket. She felt lightheaded. It was probably the fact that she hadn’t eaten anything substantial in so many hours. They said their goodbyes and she walked to the subway. It was breezy out, and she shivered in the cool night air. She had to hurry because her train would be here soon. She ran down the stairs and was able to catch it just before the door closed.
When she got home, sure enough, Riley was not a happy boy. Before she removed her coat she fed him; he rubbed against her leg as she prepared his meal. She was starving, and she looked
in her refrigerator. She had plenty of leftovers and decided on the veal from Vincente. She ate standing up, and when she was finished, she lay down on the couch next to Riley. She fell fast asleep within minutes and awoke well after midnight. She was so sleepy, but she managed to push Riley off her lap and make it into her bedroom.
The next morning, the sun streaming through her bedroom window woke her. Riley was nowhere to be seen, and a glance at her bedside clock told her that she had screwed up. It was nearing 8:30. “Dammit!” She practically yelled. There was no way she would make it work on time especially since she was already a half hour late. She jumped out of bed and rushed to her closet. She would have no time for a shower this morning. This week was turning into one big disaster. She ran to her closet and pulled out a silk blouse, gray slacks, and black heels. Then she rushed into the bathroom, washed her face, brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her hair. It wasn’t the greatest, but it would have to do. She pulled on her clothes, shoved her feet in her shoes and ran out the door.
On her way down in the elevator, she realized she forgot to feed Riley. “Oh fuck,” she said just as the doors opened on the main floor. She jammed her finger on the five button, and the doors closed. She ran out of the elevator to her door, opened it, ran to the kitchen and got Riley’s bowl. While sitting in a cab, she called the office and got an earful from Jessica, the firm’s receptionist about how her uncle and Xander were looking for her.
She hung up her phone and took out her compact mirror. She needed something on her face. She put on mascara and lip gloss. That was it. The bushy mess on top of her head would have to do until she got home tonight. I am horrible with time management lately. I need to get back to basics I think. I haven’t been late in two years.
When she arrived at Xander’s office, she was breathing heavy. The door was open, and her uncle, Jacob, and Xander were all huddled around his desk. They had her laptop. Her uncle was first to speak.
“You cannot lock files in your desk that we need. You need to bring them to the filing room and leave them there. No one has access when you are late.”
She waited for him to finish scolding her. “I’m sorry. I won’t let it happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t.” He patted her shoulder and left the office.
As soon as her uncle left, she saw that Jacob had a huge smile on his face. She mouthed, “You are an asshole.” Xander had his head bent over her laptop. Jacob took the opportunity to cross his eyes at Ava.
As Jacob passed by she reached out to poke him but he was able to dodge her hand, and he went out the door.
Xander spoke, and her attention went back to him. “I wanted to talk to you about what you heard last night.”
“I would appreciate if you would not reveal my discussion with my girlfriend to anyone. My father has been pressing me to get married. This is very personal to me, and it would be embarrassing if he found out. Do you understand?”
“I would never reveal your personal business to anyone.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Thank you for staying late last night. You got more done than I expected. Did you drop your work onto the server?”
“Yes, it should be there except for the research I haven’t finished transcribing.”
She watched him remove the top two folders and put them on the other side of the desk. He closed her laptop and stacked it on the other two case folders.
“I need you to continue to do research based on the requests I gave you. I need it to be completed by the end of day Friday, so that gives you today and tomorrow to get it done. I will be working the case over the weekend, and I need the research. You can take these now and get started.” He patted her laptop.
Ava wondered if she would have to work the weekend. Liam was leaving on Monday, and she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.
“Do you need me to come in on this weekend, too?”
“I don’t think that will be necessary, but I appreciate you asking. Do you need help taking this stuff to your desk?”
“No, I can handle it.” She slid the stack off Xander’s desk and balanced them in her arms. He came around to open the door for her and closed it when she passed through. She was not going to work at her desk; she had much more space at the tables in the research room.
She saw Sam as she made her way down the hall.
“Hey, I texted you like ten times this morning. I wanted to know if you want to get together this weekend if you are free? We haven’t spent any time together lately.”
Ava loved spending time with Samantha. She was always so bubbly and upbeat. She would have to fit her in when Liam went to London rather than face the third degree now, so she told Sam maybe.
Ava placed the files and her laptop on the table. Fortunately, no one else was in the room, which is how she liked it. She preferred to be by herself. She had spent much of her childhood alone even when her mother was still alive. She had a gentle personality and being overweight, wearing glasses and braces with low self-esteem did not help. When girls her age were going to dances and starting to date, Ava was home reading or in the kitchen with Natalia, their cook, and housekeeper. Her older sister’s constant bullying was detrimental. She never wanted her around, and Brooke’s nickname for her was the ugly duckling. Ava guessed it was true since her brother was handsome.
Brooke had always been gorgeous even during those awkward pre-teen years. She had tons of friends and had started dating behind her parent’s back at thirteen. Ava had caught her several times. Brooke had threatened Ava to secrecy, but she had told her mother. Brooke had gotten grounded each time and had all her privileges taken away.
Probably not the smartest thing to do but Ava didn’t care; nothing would improve her relationship with Brooke. Brooke made her pay for it by taking her favorite book and tearing out many of the pages. She also had stepped up her bullying and playing vicious pranks on her. Her mother always stood up for her, but when she passed away when Ava was fourteen, it got worse. She never understood why Brooke hated her so much, but she tried to keep away from her as much as possible. She became more introverted than before, and it had been hard for her to even stick a toe into social waters.
Samantha had helped by taking Ava under her wing. Of course by the time Samantha had met her in college she had lost weight, gotten laser eye surgery, and the braces had been removed. Samantha was the life of the party, and she would take Ava along to mixers and parties she attended. She even took her to get a fake ID so they could get into the clubs around the city. But some things had changed. She had a boyfriend now, and she felt more comfortable in her skin though she was still quite shy and a virgin. She still dealt with some anxiety, but it had improved with the help of various therapies.
Ava wrote away, paging through various law books she had stacked on the table. She checked the time on her phone and noticed it was nearing two in the afternoon. She didn’t want to stop working, so she decided to bypass lunch. Her stomach was growling, but she ignored it. By six, she had gotten through the requests page in the third folder and decided to sit in the more comfortable alcove to type up her notes. She would drop the folders off in Xander’s office before she got comfortable. She packed up her things and emerged. The entire floor had gotten quiet. A few people were waiting for the elevators, and several more were at their desks putting on their coats. She passed by them and walked the long hallway down to Xander’s office.
His door was open, but he was not in his office, so she dropped the file folders on his desk and went to settle herself in the alcove. The couch was much more comfortable than the chairs in the research room. She opened her laptop and searched for the file she had previously worked. While locating the file, she noticed that one of the JPEG files she had saved from last New Year’s Eve was missing. Did she accidentally delete it? She checked the Recycling Bin on her laptop; it wasn’t there. A group of friends had gone to a party at Samantha’s brother’s loft which was where the picture w
as taken. It was a huge space and it overlooking the East River. She had had a wonderful time, and Sam had sent her the picture. It had the backdrop of lights from the surrounding city, and she had to admit, she looked pretty in it. What happened to it? She loved that picture, and if she couldn’t locate it, she would have to ask Sam to send her another copy.
Ava started typing her notes when she heard Xander enter his office. The smell of food wafted over to the alcove. OMG, it smelled delicious. Her stomach was growling loudly, and she tried to figure out when the last time she ate was. Wow, I haven’t eaten since dinner last night. I’m starving. Ava couldn’t take the smell anymore she would have to see what snacks they had in the break room. If she had more time, she would have gotten a sandwich from the café downstairs. She remembered seeing a papaya yogurt smoothie in the refrigerator. Since it was Wednesday, the snacks were slim pickings as they were filled on Thursdays. She hoped the smoothie was there or she would have to settle for another granola bar. She saved her work and put her laptop on the table next to the couch. As she passed by Xander’s office, he called to her.
“Have you eaten dinner yet?”
“No, I was just going to get a snack from the break room. I can wait until I get home.”
Xander persisted.
“Come on and share this with me, do you like Mexican food? I got this from Filipos.” Ava loved that restaurant, and she was starving. She might as well see what he had.
“If you have enough I guess I could share with you.” Ava went into his office, and he had a nice spread of food. He had fish tacos, chips, guacamole, beef tacos and rice with black beans. The smell was incredible.
“Do you have plates and forks?” Ava asked.
“Yes, they gave me a few plates and utensils. This is a lot for one person, and I guess they thought it would be for more. I was so hungry that I just kept ordering without realizing I would be taking a lot of it home.”
“I’m starved. I forgot to eat lunch.” Xander frowned at this.
“I hope it wasn’t because I told you that I needed all this finished by Friday. You have to eat, or you will pass out.”
