Page 18 of Ivory Ashes

“I agree,” I say, “but I’d add cutest, sweetest, and funniest.”

Dante wrinkles his nose. “None of that helps in a race.”

I bend down and kiss his rumpled hair. “No, but it still makes you pretty cool.”

He seems pleased with that and spins like a top down the sidewalk.

I can’t just step out of my comfort zone; I’ll have to inch out of it. If we’re doing metaphors, then my comfort zone is a hammock and I’m wearing one of those inflatable sumo suits, but I’m prepared to wrestle my way out of it so we can have some semblance of a community.

I’ll do anything for that boy. Absolutely anything.

I’ll even forget about Mikhail.

6

VIVIANA

I practice my speech to Mr. Fredrickson on my walk from the train to work, but I don’t get any further than “I know I’m late again, but please don’t fire me. Think of the children!” before I walk through the front doors.

Cerberus Industries shares the building with three other businesses. I have no idea what the other ones are, but the first floor is a catch-all lobby space. Jackie waves from behind the front desk.

She’s been the main lobby receptionist as long as I’ve worked here. She technically doesn’t work for any of the companies that lease space. She’s also on the building’s payroll as a member of “security” even though she’s five-foot-nothing and can barely see over her own desk. Not exactly reassuring to the paranoid amongst us—a.k.a., me.

I wave back, but Jackie stands up and flags me down. Her eyes are wide. My boss must have called down to ask if I was in the lobby yet.

“I know, I’m late,” I say before she can. “I’m going to appeal to Mr. Fredrickson’s compassion. If that doesn’t work, I’ll appeal to his laziness. No way he wants to find a new personal assistant right now.”

“Based on what I’m hearing, he doesn’t need a personal assistant anymore,” she whispers. “He’s gone.”

“Like… dead?” I gasp.

I’m definitely going straight to hell because a small part of me thinks, At least he’ll never find out I was late again.

Jackie shakes her head, leaning in closer. “He’s out as CEO. All the executives are out. The entire board of directors has been replaced.”

I look around the lobby and notice that there are a lot more worried faces down here than usual. The men in suits typically march through the lobby straight for the elevators. They’re too important to waste time smiling or waving. No, business must be done. Industrial metals must be sold.

But today, they’re huddled together talking in low voices.

“Cerberus?” I double-check. “That’s where I work. That’s what you’re talking about?”

“I know where you work, Margaret. Five years you’ve been here. You think I don’t know you better than that?”

You’d be surprised.

“That can’t be right,” I insist anyway. “They would have sent an email or something.”

“There was no one left to send an email. They were all fired.” She says it slowly like it might help me process what is happening. “Security had to drag the CFO away from the doors at midnight last night. He was trying to get in to clean up his office, but he doesn’t have access.”

“Paul?” I wrinkle my nose. “God only knows what he kept on his desktop. Losing his job will be the least of his worries if they decide to go through his search history.”

Jackie snorts with laughter and then quickly swallows it down when she gets a nasty look from a passing suit. Today is a somber day.

“I’m sure your job will be safe,” she whispers. “There’s no reason to fire everyone. It would make too much work. They need people who know how this place actually runs. That’s definitely you.”

“Yeah. I’m sure you’re right,” I say, smiling weakly.

But by the time the elevator doors close, my smile is gone and a full-on panic has set in.

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