Page 4 of The Attraction File

We both watched her bump into a few people on her way out, and my heart skipped a beat in that moment. That was love. A mother for a child and a child for a mother. Not everyone understood its depth and unfortunately, some who need to understand it the most didn’t. But it existed. Only the strong could grasp its power and responsibility.

I loved my mother, but it’s not like I made the decision to have her as my mother. My mom understood what came with becoming a mother and she was tested many times in her life, but she stayed strong. She was my hero and I don’t think I could have handled the life she had led. In fact, I know I couldn’t handle some of the things we went through together.

Maybe that’s why I had decided a long time ago to keep any love for men at a distance.

As I watched Tiffany go, I realized there wasn’t much I could do for her but give her a shoulder to cry on when she needed it. But there was something I could do for my friend Morgana. I grabbed my leather work bag and stood from the booth.

“I just realized there’s some work I need to take care of. Can you get Drake to show up next week for SWIM Meet? I would ask her myself but she won’t return my calls.”

“I can try; but she basically lives on our couch now, refusing to go outside. The two firings really got to her. She hasn’t even mentioned her birthday next week. Maybe if I bring it up she will come out for that,” Aria said.

I could have sworn Morgana’s birthday was next month, but I didn’t have time to think about that now. Nodding, I turned toward the door. After a five-minute walk on the salt-covered sidewalks with the icy Chicago night air working hard to penetrate my winter coat, I made my way back to the Mimir building.

Once the elevator doors opened and I emerged onto the twenty-eighth floor, I turned toward the HR department. As I made my way toward my office, I noticed something strange—my office light was still on.

“Hello?” I said with no response.

I never left my office light on. In order to keep track of the uncertainty life threw at you, I found that being organized and having routine helped keep things straight. Therefore, I always put things back where I got them from and turned off things when I was done.

Placing my bag on the desk, I shook my head and wondered if I needed more sleep. First, I didn’t realize Morgana’s birthday was next week, and now I left the light on in my office? Maybe I needed a vacation.

Taking the keys out from my bag, I open the locked filing cabinet. Thumbing through the important files, I reached for the fourth file back under the A section but it wasn’t there.

My breathing picked up. I felt nauseous and sweaty at the same time.

“No.” The word was a quiet exhale.

Where could it be? I always put it back after I was done with it. No one knew of this file except me.

Oh, God. There were things in that file that could get me fired and even worse, could destroy the company.

Calm down, Evaleen. You just misplaced it.

I needed to go home and sleep. But first, I had to find that folder.

I examined the lock on the cabinet but it didn’t appear to be tampered with. Bringing my attention back to the files, I opened every one there but nothing contained the contents of it.

Dread and possibly fatigue had me scanning the room. Did I leave it on my desk or a chair?

I quickly checked every drawer in my desk but it wasn’t there. My eyes began to burn as I was about to give up hope. Going back to the filing cabinet, I reached in to remove some folders and that’s when I saw it.

Laying at the bottom of the drawer was the Attraction file. It must have slipped and fallen when I put it back last time.

I grabbed it and brought it to my desk, opening it to make sure everything was there. It was completely intact. No one was being fired and Mimir was safe.

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