Page 4 of Before the Night Falls
Deb came out of her drama as quickly as she entered it and began shuffling papers again.
Olivia had done many stories in her career with Static Entertainment. Mostly interviews, but she also covered events. Her favorite had always been the features. Stories highlighting the opioid epidemic in Hollywood. Stories exposing the power hungry who trampled anyone who got in their way.
This assignment was a little much—mostly because it lasted forty days.
That also meant forty days without seeing Lyle.
Those twice-weekly therapy sessions helped Olivia keep her sanity.
A year and a couple of months after her abduction and escape, Olivia’s fears still overwhelmed her at times. Sometimes, she had to force herself to leave her house. She could only sleep with a nightlight—two, just in case one failed.
But the nightmares were the worst. Even though The Admirer was dead, it seemed her fear would never go away. On occasion, she felt as if someone was watching her when no one was there. Whenever she saw roses, her blood went cold. And being in the dark? It sent her into a panic.
Olivia had to get through to Deb and make her point.
Walking closer to her boss’s desk, she laid a firm hand over the pile of papers Deb was working on.
Deb raised her eyes in surprise at fun-loving Olivia’s unusual show of aggression.
“I hate exercising,” Olivia articulated slowly and clearly. “I love foods that are bad for me.I’m not the person you want for this story.”
Deb looked at her with a steady gaze, and Olivia really thought her boss was reconsidering.
Then Deb shook her head. “Face it, Olivia, you’re a perfect fit. You’re young and single. You’re not tied down. You don’t even have pets to worry about. It will be good for you to get out of the city, breathe some fresh air, and learn about fitness and nutrition.”
“But—”
“I’m not changing my mind.” Deb turned toward her filing cabinet.
Olivia crossed to the other side of the desk and followed her. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the opportunity. I do. But I don’t want to be a liability to this story. I have klutzy tendencies, Deb. Trust me. Me exercising on camera? It won’t be pretty.”
Deb turned and looked her in the eye. “You’re going. End of discussion. Your plane leaves for North Carolina tomorrow at nine a.m. Chandler and Wes are going with you.”
Chandler Cain was a producer, and Wes Marks her cameraman. She knew Wes better than Chandler, but she enjoyed working with both men. They all had a good relationship and had gone out for pizza together many nights after work.
Olivia raised an eyebrow. “Do Chandler and Wes know they’re going with me?”
“Of course.” Deb practically snorted. “They’ve known since last week. Now, stop procrastinating. Go home, and pack. And before you ask, I waited to tell you so you wouldn’t have time to come up with any valid arguments.”
Olivia swallowed back her rebuttal. Deb knew her too well.
However, once Deb got something in her mind, it was useless to try to talk her out of the idea.
“Well, if I’m going to be tortured with healthy food for weeks on end . . .” Olivia plucked a chocolate bar from the candy dish on Deb’s desk. “I’d better eat this while I still can.”
“Olivia,” Deb called as Olivia turned to leave.
She looked back over her shoulder as she ripped open the wrapper.
“You’ll do great.”
In response, Olivia bit off a huge chunk of the candy bar.
Unfortunately, the small act of defiance only made her feel marginally better.
Maybe getting away from New Yorkwouldbe good for her. She had so many bad memories here. Everywhere she turned, she saw reminders of The Admirer.
But how could she be around someone for forty days without letting them see her PTSD? She tried to keep it carefully hidden. Being around people for only short periods of time allowed her to do that.
