Page 31 of The Vegas Rerun
"Molly, breathe,” my mom says. Her voice is gentle but firm. "It’s fine. Autumn is already asleep. If you don’t get out until morning, it’s no big deal."
"I …" I start and then I stop, squeezing my eyes shut. My daughter is safe. My mom is with her. And she is perfectly fine about it. I need to calm down. "Are you sure it’s ok?"
"Yes, I’m sure. Now stop panicking."
That’s easier said than done for an overthinker, but I appreciate the sentiment.
I rub my forehead, exhaling slowly.
"Okay. I just … I hate not being there."
"I know you do. But you will be tomorrow. Just get through tonight."
I nod, even though she can’t see me.
"Ok. Thanks, Mom."
"Love you, sweetheart."
"Love you too."
I end the call and take a moment to breathe and then I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed, and my eyes are still open a little bit too wide, but at least I’m breathing normally again.
Get through tonight. That’s all I have to do. I can do that. I’m locked in my work building and Autumn is fine with my mom. There’s no disaster here.
Squaring my shoulders, I push open the door and walk out of the bathroom and head back toward Joshua’s office. He’s leaning against his desk, his cell phone still in his hand.
"The super is on his way," he tells me.
"Ok, That’s good." I say. I’m once more very aware of the fact we are alone together, and I get all awkward, unsure of what to do next. Work is a safe topic, and it’ll also give me something to do with my hands which suddenly feel like they aren’t a part of my body, and I don’t know where to put them. "Is there anything else to work on while we wait?"
Joshua watches me for a beat, then a slow smirk tugs at his lips.
"I think we’ve done enough for tonight, don’t you?" he says.
Before I can think of a response, he moves toward the cabinet against the far wall, opens it, and pulls out a bottle of amber liquid and two short glasses. I’m pleased he doesn’t seem to actually want an answer to his question. I mean what do I say? Yes makes it sound like I’m saying I’m done with this and no sounds like I’m brown nosing at best.
"Scotch?" Joshua says, smiling and showing me the bottle.
I hesitate. Drinking with my boss in the middle of the night in an empty office building? It’s probably not the best idea, especially considering what happened last time we dranktogether. I’m kind of worried that a couple of drinks in I will be asking him why he forgot me. But I also feel raw, my nerves still stretched thin from the panic, and the idea of something warm and numbing is more appealing than I’d like to admit. Ah fuck it. I can have one without risking saying too much.
"Sure, thanks," I say quietly, stepping forward as he pours the drinks.
He hands me a glass and lifts his own.
"To surviving an unexpected lock in," he says.
I huff a small laugh.
"To surviving," I repeat, and we both take a drink.
The first sip burns my throat and then all the way down to my tummy, but after a second, it becomes a pleasant kind of heat, warming me from the inside out. Joshua watches me over the rim of his glass, and something about the way his eyes move over my face makes my skin tingle. He really is handsome. If anything, he’s better looking than he was three years ago.
“Let’s sit,” Joshua says, and I follow him across his office to a small seating area consisting of a leather couch, two leather chairs and a low coffee table. I sit down on one end of the couch and Joshua sits on the other end. He turns slightly so he is facing me, and I do the same.
"So," he says, his eyes still on my face. "Why did you look like you were going to pass out when we realized we were locked in?"
My breath catches. I can’t tell him it’s because of my daughter. He might ask how old she is and then he will put the pieces together and resent us. But what can I say that doesn’t make me look like a weirdo? Ahh. He’s still watching me, and I can almost feel the seconds passing by. I need to think of something, and I need to be fast about it.
