Page 46 of The Muse
“Thank you.” I put on my best mask and follow him out of Earlwood and down the front steps.
“Will you be needing me to wait, Miss?”
“No, that’s fine, Geoffrey. I have several errands. I’ll be back later this afternoon.”
“Very well.”
The rest of the journey is quiet, but my head is busy running over everything I could possibly say to him to make him understand, or at least listen. That’s what my goal is today. To get past this wall of silence, and make him see that what we have is real.
Traffic is slow, but we finally pull up outside of the building that houses The Foxton Herald. I take a fortifying breath before I push open the door and make my way to the reception desk—The Herald name emblazoned on the wall behind.
“I’m here to see Scott Foxton.” The lady on the desk looks up at me and then proceeds to answer her next call. I turn around and see the flight of stairs to my right and decide to go and find him myself.
The first floor opens onto a large open plan office space with lots of cubicle spaces. People are talking a hundred miles an hour, chatting on the phone, talking to each other. It looks like organised chaos.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for Scott Foxton,” I ask a girl who looks about my age, as she juggles a tray of coffee.
“Down the hall.”
Smiling at her, I turn around to notice a few offices on the right, so I head in that direction until I see Scott’s name on the door.
“I wouldn’t bother. He’s not in.”
“Oh?” I turn to see a man in a suit with a cup of coffee in his hand.
“I can take a message.”
“When did you last see him?”
“A few days ago, now.”
“Is Lissa in?”
“Strike, two. Sorry. She’s not with The Herald any longer.” He turns away and walks back towards the main office.
Damn it, Landon.
I walk from the offices over to Scott’s apartment and wait, like I did the first time, to sneak in the front door. A few minutes later and an older woman walks out at speed, giving me the opportunity I need. Luckily, that means I don’t look like a crazy girlfriend. Although, after this, I’d have to reconsider that evaluation.
“Scott!” The heel of my hand bangs against the door in case he didn’t hear the polite knock I started with. “Scott, please!” I continue my barrage, but there’s no movement, no magic entry to his apartment and no show from Scott.
“Lady, I don’t know who you are, but give it a rest, would ya.” An older gentleman pokes his head out of the only other apartment door across the corridor from Scott’s.
“I’m sorry.”
“Take the hint.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“He doesn’t want to see you. He threw you out, or are you another girl who’s after him? I can’t keep up.” The man chooses this moment to hide back behind his door, but the words he uttered do stop me in my quest to make Scott see sense. Perhaps I am just another girl in a string, all destined to be left hanging. He did say he didn’t do repeats. And when I come to think of it, Scott’s warned me that he’s not usually a nice person.
Me being here and pleading my case will fall on deaf ears, just like the first time. Scott won’t be told by anyone. He wouldn’t reprint his review. Once he’s made up his mind, that’s it. He’s a stubborn man. It doesn’t matter if I’ve seen a different side to him than the rest of the world, he’s got his pride. Would he ever back down to me?
I turn around and head back out of the building, reconsidering everything I came here to do. But I hope, in a weird way, he’s at least feeling as pained as I am.
Once again, I return to Earlwood with nothing accomplished. Geoffrey’s car is parked in the driveway as my Uber approaches, and I cast a weary glance towards it. If the car is in, someone is home and will be needing Geoffrey’s services.
And I don’t want to see any kind of someone.
