Change Of Plans by Cindy Ras

Author:Cindy Ras [Ras, Cindy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-ONE

Ember

It’s official. I can never show my face around here again. I’m spiraling as I speed walk home. I don’t even care that it’s the middle of the workday.

My phone vibrates, eliciting a sigh before I can even check who’s calling.

“Oh, thank God. Hey, Vee.”

“Is someone chasing you?”

“No, I’m just walking.”

“Oh. You sound out of breath. I’m on my lunch break, so I called to tell you about my blind date last night.” She pauses while I continue my heavy breathing, checking my surroundings. “Okay, but it sounds like you’re really struggling there. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yup, just speed walking home after embarrassing myself beyond repair. I’m serious, Vee. I really did it this time. There’s no coming back from this. This is it, I’m quitting. I can’t go back there. I’m gonna look into that teaching English online thing. And the plus side is that I can work in my sweatpants. That alone is enough of a reason to do it.”

“Em, just back up a bit. What are you talking about?”

The mortification isn’t lessened as I recount the events of the entire day for Ivy. It feels worse hearing myself retell the story.

“I’ll email my resignation and tell them I had to relocate. I think I might need to actually relocate, though. I live too close. There’s too much of a risk of seeing someone from the office. I’ll miss Opal and Gail, but it has to be done. It’s my only option. Colton must think I’m the biggest freak on the planet. I behaved abominably, Vee. You know I don’t use that word. But this was truly abominable. You can’t even make this stuff up. You should have seen—”

“Emberleigh!”

I gasp at her audacity. She’s bringing out the big guns. “You didn’t,” I seethe, pausing at the top of the steps to my apartment block.

“Oh, yes, I did. The occasion called for it. Now listen up missy, you will not resign! You will put your big girl panties on and walk in there with your chin up.”

“What if my big girl panties are of the granny kind, and I’ll only die more?”

“Good thing you can’t ‘die more.’ You’re either alive or dead, and you are very much alive and capable.”

“I hate when you’re right,” I admit with a sigh. “But I’m avoiding everyone for the rest of my life. I’ll find a closet to move my desk into. My skin might turn vampire white, while people refer to me as the ‘weird one who works in the back,’ but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

“Atta girl!”

“I interrupted your story about your date. I’m sorry.” When I unlock my door, Nicolas is on the arm of the couch watching TV.

“Eh, your thing was more urgent. You’re fine. What’s my boy Nicky watching?”

I plop my body down beside him on the couch, stroking him under the chin. All I get is a tail flick in return.

“NCIS,” I tell Ivy.

“I’m so proud of him.”

“His dedication is admirable. Now, tell me about your date.

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