The Eleventh Floor by Kylie Orr

Author:Kylie Orr [Orr, Kylie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781867227298
Published: 2023-12-27T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

There was no sign of Sass when I woke up. I rubbed my neck, stiff from sleeping on the floor. My mobile rang as I mashed Weet-Bix into warm milk for Theo’s breakfast.

Sass.

I let it go to voicemail and listened as soon as it beeped.

I’m so sorry for being a dick last night, Gracie. I don’t have any excuse for my bad behaviour aside from martinis and wine and Sia. I’ve been feeling so bad for you guys. Joe looks like crushed roadkill and I know you’re both going through some heavy shit and me being a drunken arsehole didn’t help. I’m truly sorry.

Regret billowed through me. This was where our friendship had ended up? Sass should not be stuck in the middle, forced to support both parties. It drove home how much I’d fucked up every important relationship in my life in one single night.

If I told Joe about Tom’s priors, maybe it would soften him. But bending my mind towards the reality of rape proved harder than I expected. All those seeds of self-doubt wormed their way in. Was I simply making excuses for my poor decisions? Looking to blame Tom when I’d gone to the bar, flirting and drinking, relaxing my standards and leaving myself open?

I promised I’d say all of that, and to be the best friend, wife and mother I could be as soon as I got the DNA results and fixed my current predicament. I checked my emails while Theo finger-painted his breakfast all over the highchair tray. Nothing from the DNA place. Although premature to be checking, I’d hoped the results would be in because I had paid—well, Tom had paid—for an urgent turnaround.

An email from Lia sat buried below junk mail and promotional emails selling me everything from discounted makeup to baby toys. I needed to clean this account and unsubscribe from all this stuff that only created white noise. She’d sent the email on Friday, but in the lead-up to the birthday dinner, I hadn’t had time to scroll through my inbox. The full-time position I’d held prior to having Theo was available when I was ready to return, but a temporary position going for three days a week also needed filling. Sales Force Solutions had secured a contract with a leading jewellery brand that was expanding their sales team and needed a dedicated trainer for the next five months. And the biggest drawcard? It was based at the Melbourne office. No interstate travel.

My body perked at the potential of returning to work. This was being presented to me on a platter. These jobs never came up! I pictured myself standing in front of a room again, with an audience engaged in what I said, listening to my expertise.

I’d call the childcare centre to see what my chances were of three days. Or maybe Ruth could come and stay overnight on a Sunday and mind Theo on Mondays? That would mean I only needed two days of care, but it would also mean my mother-in-law would be in our lives every week, scrutinising and judging.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.