Page 26 of X's and O's
I fought off the looming panic attack and pulled on a pair of leggings and an oversized T-shirt that I liked to clean our apartment in. It had bleach stains on the hem and a hole in the sleeve. It wasn’t very professional, but I couldn’t afford to ruin any of my good clothes if Francine didn’t have another uniform that fit me.
I waved goodbye to Toby and checked the mailbox on my way out to the street, even though I knew it was too early for a delivery.
But today would be the day. By the time I got home, I would have a letter from him, either with the thumbs-up to meet next weekend.
Or with the news he wasn’t getting out.
I didn’t even want to consider that possibility.
I needed him. Wanted him. I knew I’d turned into one of those desperate prison groupies who thought she was in love, but I couldn’t help it.
The walk to Francine’s little office wasn’t far. It wasn’t in a particularly nice neighborhood. There was a laundromat and a greasy diner, as well as a bar with a terrifying clown logo on the wall, Psychos written between its razor-sharp teeth.
I shuddered, not needing the reminder of my own brush with a psychopath.
With my back to the terrifying mural, I let myself in the doors to the office I’d only been in a couple of times before. Once for my interview. And two weeks ago for my first staff meeting.
Francine glanced up from her desk when I entered. Her eyes were red, and she wiped at her nose with a soggy tissue.
“Oh gosh, are you okay?” I asked her.
She sniffed, waving me over. “Damn hay fever. I hate it. Miserable condition. I picked up all your clients yesterday, and the dust, my God, it’s really set me off. I’m glad I’m normally behind this desk. Are you feeling better?”
I almost felt guilty for nodding. “I am. I really am sorry about yesterday. I promise, I don’t make a habit of calling in sick.”
Francine threw her tissue in the bin, her pink-eyed gaze on me. “Where’s your uniform?”
Heat flushed my face. “Uh, I…” I bit down on my bottom lip and lied. “I was wondering if you had another?”
“One in a bigger size?” Francine asked, pushing back her chair and letting it roll away from her desk.
I felt like I’d been punched in the face. Did she just assume that because I was a bigger girl the only reason I might need a new uniform was because I’d put on weight?
But as usual, when people made these offhand remarks about my body, I said nothing, because I didn’t like confrontation. I just let Francine thrust a new uniform in my direction and thanked her for it.
The other staff were arriving for the meeting, so I took a seat in the back corner, tucking myself away where I hoped no one would notice me. Francine handed out the schedule for the next two weeks, and I ran my gaze down my list of names and addresses and dates.
Olympic Drive wasn’t on my list.
Francine cleared her throat. “Please make sure all new cleans are done to the absolute highest standard. We can’t afford for those new clients to have any reason not to hire us for ongoing work.” Her gaze drifted to me. “Violet, the new client you went to on Sunday chose not to continue the arrangement. So I haven’t given you any new clients for onboarding until we can get your skills up.”
I blinked.
The rest of the room, not realizing there was anything wrong, continued on, discussing their assignments, but my brain whirled a million miles a minute.
“Francine,” I blurted out. “I’m sorry, but who exactly told you the new client I had didn’t want to continue?”
She frowned at me. “Violet, please don’t interrupt meetings. There’s time for questions at the end. But if youmust know, Mr. Jeddersen called and said he no longer needed a cleaner.”
She went to continue her meeting, but I couldn’t make sense of any of this.
“Sorry,” I interrupted again. “He called you when exactly?”
Francine sighed. “I don’t know, Violet. I guess sometime Sunday night? There was a message on the voicemail when I got in yesterday.”
“Can I hear it?”
Francine seemed bewildered by my request, and I couldn’t blame her. I knew my questions didn’t make any sense.
