Page 10 of The Estate
Picking it up, she ate a bite, shutting her eyes to fully experience the burst of flavors on her tongue. The peanut butter and fluff were a perfect combination. And the tart raspberry jam cut through the sweetness, balancing the flavors perfectly.
When she opened her eyes, Lisa was just nodding at her.
“I know,” Lisa said. “I know. Amazing.”
“God bless, Mrs. S,” Rachel said before taking another bite. Her eyes closed again. She simply needed a moment with the sweet confection, sure it would fix everything that was wrong with her day.
The two sat quietly sipping coffee, enjoying the treat to the fullest. When Lisa was done, she leaned back with her hand over her stomach. “That sugar is going to hard wire me for hours.”
“Next time you see Mrs. S., can you give her my thanks? That was amazing.”
“Oh, I will! And I plan on seeing her very soon.”
“Planning another early morning?”
“Lord forbid! Don’t even put that out in the universe.” Lisa took her sleep seriously. “No, Mrs. S. is currently working on a new recipe, and I intend to be first in line when it comes out.”
“What is she working on?”
“A blueberry buckle.”
Rachel laughed more for the look of reverence on Lisa’s face than anything else. “What the hell is a blueberry buckle,” she asked.
“I haven’t the foggiest,” Lisa responded. “Pie, streusel, buckle, crumble, slump…who the hell knows? Delicious is the only name I need.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Rachel used her finger to pick up some crumbs before crumpling up the napkin. That was the most amazing blondie. Should she feel bad about eating it this early in the morning? Maybe. But it had, like, eggs and flour init. Or at least she thought it did. So it was like a muffin with peanut butter for protein. Don’t tell her she couldn’t justify a good dessert when she needed to.
They both stood and cleared off the table before Rachel went to top off her coffee. Lisa moved towards the door before turning back. “Hey, I like the outfit by the way. Have you been doing some shopping?”
Rachel looked down. “The skirt is new. Something a little different. I decided I wanted to refresh my wardrobe a little.”
“I like it. It looks great on you. I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks Lisa. See ya.” Rachel regarded her new navy pencil skirt. It was a departure for her, but so far she liked it. It was a little more form fitting than her usual work wear. Paired with the white and blue geometric patterned blouse and navy jacket, she still looked professional, but the cut of the skirt made her feel good. Stronger. More confident.
Grabbing her mug, she was heading out of the break room just as her boss Seth rounded the corner.
“Rachel, just the person I need,” he said. Not giving her time to reply, he added, “I need you to jump into a meeting.” He jerked his head, indicating she should come with him.
“Sure thing, Seth. What’s going on?”
Seth didn’t respond, but navigated them to Rachel’s office. He had a file in his hand, but made no reference to it. His silence was making Rachel nervous. Once they were in the office, Seth closed the door and sat down in the chair opposite her desk. Putting down her coffee, Rachel perched precariously on her chair, bracing herself for whatever Seth was about to say.
“Rachel, I’m simply going to lay some cards on the table,” he started, before checking his watch. “We have new clients arriving in under ten minutes.”
Rachel was surprised. Client meetings typically started around eight thirty or nine, but it was just before eight now. She said nothing, just filing away the fact that these clients were already unusual.
“Sarah was meant to be the lead on this account, and I just got a voice mail from her. She’s sick. As in violently ill. So she won’t be able to attend. Anthony is out on vacation, so we’re short-staffed. Now,” he paused and looked down briefly, causing Rachel’s stomach to clench. He continued, unaware of her nervousness, “You’re new to the team and your work has been good. If I’m being honest, I just haven’t gotten a good read on you yet.”
“Seth,” Rachel began.
He raised a hand. “No, Rachel. This is unrelated to your performance on this team or for the company. Your old manager’s recommendation was glowing, in fact. We don’t have time to dissect this, but I like to be a little more comfortable with people before I give them our larger or more important accounts. You’re just somewhat of a blank slate for me.”
Rachel’s breath caught in her throat. Hearing her ex’s words come out of her new boss’s mouth hit her like a gut punch. Unbidden, Matt’s last words floated back to her.
“Were you even in this relationship?” Matt’s eyes had bored into hers before he resumed his pacing. “You didn’t even show up. You’re so closed off.” She’d watched as he stopped moving to turn and accuse her. “How can someone so focused on others be so walled off? Even now, having been with you for over a year, you’re still a blank slate.”
Rachel closed her eyes, pushing back the pain that pulsed at the edges of her awareness. She couldn’t deal with this right now. She wouldn’t allow it.
