Good-bye, all dreams. Everything will go to hell. Everything will crumble around me. One little mistake, that’s all it took to undo my hard work. How is this fair?
Dirk’s words resound in my mind. That’s not my problem. Of course not. Why should he care? Shit, why did I have to lose my temper like that?
Wiping away my tears, I steel myself, looking for a solution. First things first, I need to convince Dirk to change his mind on that recommendation letter. Without that, finding my next job will be a nightmare. A six-year gap on my resume will raise eyebrows. I have to put my job at the agency down, and I must convince Dirk to support me when future employers call him. I’ll make him see reason. I’ve done great things for his company, even if I made a mistake.
The second thing I need to convince Dirk of is to give me that bonus. That’ll give me a safety net until I find a new job.
I dial him again, but he doesn’t pick up. Fuck you, Dirk the Dick. I need to fly to New York right now and do some damage control. The hours it’ll take me to get to New York will be enough to allow Dirk to cool off, but if I let too much time pass, it’ll become even harder to turn things in my favor. I’m about to go to Sebastian’s office, then remember he won’t be here for the day. I call him, but it goes straight to voice mail. Right, he probably shut off his phone during the meeting. Hanging up, I ponder what to do. I can call again, but my voice is too undependable to leave a voice message. I write him a quick e-mail.
I have to return to New York. Cancel the vacation. Sorry. Call me when you can.
I book myself the next flight to New York and head straight to my apartment. I pack all of my things as quickly as I can, then drop the key to the building administrator. I take a cab and stop at Sebastian’s place to gather the few things I have here. That’s when I realize I have to return his key. I stare at it in my palm, and then set it on the coffee table with a heavy heart.
On the way to the airport, I try calling Sebastian a few more times, but it goes straight to voice mail again. I really don’t want to take off like this, with just the e-mail I sent him earlier, but squeezing all that’s happened into a voice message will bring me to tears.
I also call Dirk a few dozen times, but he doesn’t answer. I do my best not to flip out, but I burst into tears several times during the flight.
My most important goal is to convince him to give me a recommendation. If I achieve that, I can sort out the rest. It’ll be a mess, but I’ll manage. I always do.
I can’t lose everything. Not after working so hard, for so long.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Sebastian
My last meeting ends at eleven o’clock at night, and I head straight to Ava’s apartment. We agreed before the show that she‘d pack up all the things she has at the hotel this afternoon and I’ll help her move them to my place. Thank fuck we’re leaving for the Bahamas tomorrow. She and I for two weeks. That’s exactly what I need. I knock at her door, calling her name a few times, but she doesn’t answer. I make a grab for my phone, and then realize I left it in the car. I go back downstairs. Maybe she decided to move the things by herself. It’s late, after all, and our plane leaves very early tomorrow.
The building administrator throws me a fuck-me glance when she sees me. Jesus.
“Did Ms. Lindt check out already?” I ask her.
She frowns. “Yes, shortly after lunch. She requested a cab to the airport.”
“What do you mean ‘to the airport’? There must be a mistake.”
“No mistake, I did the check-out myself. She said she needed a cab to the airport, but had to make a stop on the way.”
I slam my fist on the hard wood, swearing.
“You look like you need a drink,” she says. “My shift just ended, and I know a cozy bar downtown.”
“That won’t be necessary.” I barely keep my voice straight. She drops her eyes to the floor, and I add a quick, “Good-night.”
I stomp out of the building.
I want to call Ava the minute I’m in the car, and then remember my phone battery has be
en flat the entire day. Fuck. I hit the steering wheel hard, and nearly crash into a car on my way home.
“Ava,” I call once inside the apartment. No answer. “Ava, are you here?”
With horror, I realize she’s taken all of her things. There’s no trace of any belongings of hers. It’s like she’s never been here. The punch to the gut comes when I see the key I gave her lying on the coffee table.
She wouldn’t do this. Except. . . she did. There must be an explanation for this. Gathering all the calm I can muster, I plug the charger into my phone. The few minutes until the phone comes to life are excruciating.
She called me a few times, but left no messages. I dial her number, but it goes straight to her voice mail. I realize I haven’t checked my e-mails. Sure enough, I find one from Ava.
I have to return to New York. Cancel the vacation. Sorry. Call me when you can.