Page 76 of The Write Off

It had taken less than a minute when I called my father this morning to explain what was going on. I’d given him a brief highlight reel and could hear the jingle of his keys before I was finished telling him what happened. He and my mother arrived an hour ago.

Not wanting to stare at him while he reads, I stand and wander into my kitchen. My mother, arms clad in rubber gloves that extend past her elbows, scrubs the sink aggressively. Her hair, normally carefully styled, is gathered up haphazardly in a butterfly clip. Several pieces have escaped and she looks downright disheveled.

“You don’t have to clean, Mom.”

“I’m almost done. You must have hard water; these stains are stubborn.” She doesn’t look up from her task. “Do you have any ammonia, Dear? I’ll tackle your stove next.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Hmm. Maybe Betty does.”

Betty, Josh, and Logan have ventured out in search of baked goods. Or at least that’s what they said they were doing. I think they wanted to give my dad and I some time to talk through things, though I could tell that Logan was hesitant to let me out of his sight. They tried to persuade my mother to accompany them, but she insisted on staying here.

“Why don’t you have a seat, Mom? I’ll make us some more coffee?”

“I’ve had more than enough already, but thank you.”

She still hasn’t looked at me, which is so unusual. When she arrived, she couldn’t take her eyes off of me. She’d scanned me thoroughly, attempting to detect any kind of injury.

But now, she just seemed irritated. Being the most patient woman I’ve ever met, it was making me feel uneasy.

“I might go take a shower,” I say, giving up.

Shower.

Oh shit, the shower. Today is the baby shower for my cousin, Megan. Mom had given up on convincing me to go with her, but I know she still planned to attend. Her sister was coming all the way from Philly, no wonder she’s annoyed with me.

“Mom, I’m so sorry you’re missing the baby shower. I forgot all about it until now. I didn’t mean to screw up your weekend, if I had known–”

The words are barely out of my mouth before she abandons her cleaning and wraps me in a hug. I hug her back, inhaling her scent. She’s been wearing the same jasmine perfume since I was a kid and it never fails to transport me back to puzzles on rainy days and the gentle pull of having my hair braided.

“I’m not upset about the shower. I’m upset because of what that man’s done. I’m upset because he’s probably done it before. I’m upset because he may do it again. And I’m furious that after all these years, after all the efforts towards equality, egotistical men with important-sounding titles still feel like they can coerce women to do what they want without fear of repercussions.”

I bury my face in her neck and squeeze her tighter. I know if I try to say anything I’ll be crying again, and I’ve shed enough tears over that asshole, Bryce.

“I’m so proud of you for fighting back, Darling. I’m just sorry you have to.”

Me too.

***

“How long did you say he’s been there for?” My dad asks while he’s reaching for another pastry. Mom swats his hand and he retaliates by pinching her hip.

“We started around the same time,” Logan says from where he’s sitting on the floor. There are too many people in the apartment and not enough furniture to go around. “So almost eight years.”

“And you haven’t heard about any other complaints against him?”

“Nothing. That being said, I’m not exactly on the social committee.”

Something pops into my head. “Alix. She looked uncomfortable in the meeting yesterday. I got the feeling she didn’t like being around Bryce.” The telltale signs had all been there; her sunken posture and the way she had trouble looking at him even when he was addressing her. I’d been too preoccupied with what she was telling me about marketing to put two and two together.

“I could ask Ingrid,” Logan suggests. “She’s one of the editorial admins. If anyone knows anything, it’s her and her team. They have eyes and ears on every level.”

It makes sense, but I’m hesitant to involve any more people than necessary. What if things go badly? I don’t want anyone else’s job to be in jeopardy.

“What if she tells someone you were asking about this?” Bryce could have been bluffing about firing Logan, but if word gets around that he’s looking into him, he may decide to act against him.

“If the company doesn’t address this as soon as we file the complaint with HR, I won’t be staying with them.”

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