Die Cut by Nelle Heran & C. Morgan Kennedy

Author:Nelle Heran & C. Morgan Kennedy [Heran, Nelle & Kennedy, C. Morgan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reality Optional Press

It was a good thing that PJ and I decided to forgo the alcohol last night, because the next day at work wasn’t anything I could have faced with a hangover. As it was, everything had a vaguely unfocused quality, as if my mental eyes needed glasses. I’d experienced that before, so I knew exactly what the cause was.

I’d lost a friend.

While I might get involved in answering emails or polishing my product launch presentation, momentarily forgetting what had happened, I’d suddenly flash on Ava lying facedown in her closet and things would go blurry again. Then I’d feel guilty for not feeling worse. Yes, Ava’s death was a shock and a sorrow, but it didn’t completely debilitate me. She hadn’t been family or even a particularly close friend. If, heaven forbid, something had happened to PJ, I wouldn’t be able to function with even a hint of normalcy. As it was, Neal didn’t notice anything at all when he popped into my office just as I’d finished the final numbers for my launch forecast. Either I was better at hiding my feelings than PJ claimed, or else Neal chalked it up to the usual aftermath of customer drama.

With a tink, tink, tink he knocked on my metal door frame to announce his entrance. “Good morning, Tash.” He glanced at my monitor. “Sorry to interrupt you while you’re neck deep in a spreadsheet, but I need to borrow you for a minute or two.”

Right. A minute or two. I resigned myself to Neal’s usual half hour of sidling up to his point. I saved my work and swiveled my chair to face him. He didn’t sit down, which was… ominous. Instead, he rocked on his heels and alternated finger snaps with driving his right fist into his left palm—a sure sign he was about to ask me to do something that wasn’t remotely connected to my job.

“What can I do for you, Neal?”

Snap snap punch. Snap snap punch. “The thing is, Tash, morale is down.” I made a noncommittal noise. “We need to raise everyone’s spirits. Fire people—”

“Fire people?” The hairs on my neck lifted. “How do layoffs boost morale?”

Neal laughed a little too long. “You’re such a kidder, Tash. Fire people up. Get ’em excited.”

“Excited about what?”

“About their jobs. About the company. You know, put the fun in functional.” He beamed at me, clearly waiting for a response.

I had nothin’. I just blinked at him.

“Right.” Snap snap punch. “Excellent. Glad we’re on the same page. Give me your recommendations by… shall we say… end of the week?”

Maybe I was still disoriented by Ava’s death, but Neal was making even less sense than usual. “Recommendations about what?”

“Morale boosters, Tash. Excitement builders. Fun!”

I took a steadying breath. “Neal, you do realize that I’m in the middle of a major project launch and that our biggest trade show is only two months away?”

“So? It’s not like this is work. You do this kind of stuff all the time.”

“Neal—”

“Just think about it. I’m sure you’ll have a dozen ideas before lunchtime.

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