Page 28 of Now and Forever
Checking her hair in the door's gold reflection, she patted down a wrinkle in her blouse and smiled to herself as the doors opened to the fourth floor. She noticed that Mrs. Baker's desk was empty. Did she say her doctor's appointment was today or was it something to do with her grandchild? Golden couldn't remember.
Walking past the desk toward Grayson's office, she stopped when she heard a laugh. A woman's laugh. Golden felt a jolt of cold awareness zing through her veins. Quietly, she crept closer to the partially open door and peered in.
Inside, a woman stood in front of Grayson on the other side of his desk. She was leaning against it in an inviting pose that accentuated her tall, lithe figure in a tight blue dress. Her beauty was like daggers to Golden's heart, it was undeniable—her long, glossy hair fell in endless waves around her shoulders, and her eyes sparkled with an unsettling mix of intelligence and clear seduction. Her smile was all confidence. Every bit of her exuded an aura of self-assured grace that Golden had never once possessed in her life.
The woman openly flirted with Grayson, who sat impassively in his chair staring up at the woman with an unreadable expression. But she wasn't fazed. Her body language wasrelaxed, her posture inviting. She laughed again at something he said, a melodic sound that seemed to wrap around the room, and lightly touched Grayson’s arm, her fingers lingering just a moment too long.
Pain and jealousy surged through Golden as she backed away from the door, her heart aching. She turned and quickly walked away, her mind racing to process the scene she had just seen.
Leaving the package on the desk, Golden scrawled out a shaky note. "Saw that you had company, left early."
Not risking the ding of the elevator, Golden slipped out through the stairwell door. Within minutes she was out on the street walking swiftly to the bus just pulling by. More than thankful for its good timing, she paid the meter and rushed to the back of the empty bus.
As soon as her back hit the seat, the tears she had been holding back finally broke free, streaming down her face in hot, silent torrents.
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t put herself through the disappointment, no matter how unjustified her feelings were. She wouldn't survive watching him date other women. The ache in her heart was unbearable, and they weren’t even anything to each other!! Everything she had imagined between them was clearly a one-sided illusion. The bitter realization of that stung, making her feel foolish and exposed. Like a fool, Golden had allowed herself to let a silly childhood dream turn into hope, but reality had come crashing down around her, shattering those fragile dreams, and she could see things clearly now.
Golden wiped at her tears, taking deep breaths to steady herself. She knew she had to face the truth—whatever she felt for Grayson, it was not reciprocated. The connection shebelieved they shared was nothing more than the workings of her imagination. She had to let this fantasy go once and for all, to protect herself from further heartache.
Staring out the window, everything inside of her seemed to hurt.
Her phone in her lap vibrated and she looked down to see a few notifications from friends. She stopped at one from Gaige. It was one from earlier that morning that she had forgotten to respond to.
Gaige: Hey sunshine, how's the new job treating you? Still trying to keep your heart eyes for my dad under wraps?
Pain shot through her and she tried to steel her heart as she typed in her reply.
Me: Think I'm gonna quit.
Chapter thirteen
Golden decided not to go home. The thought of sitting there in her own misery sounded awful. Watching her stop pass by, she rode the bus until it stopped near Stardust Cove town center. Getting off, she squinted at the hot afternoon sun.
Around her, the shops bustled with activity. The town center was designed around a large fountain that sat in the middle of a small park. Surrounding it on four sides were charming little storefronts. Mom and Pop stores that had been there as long as she could remember. Despite not having any large retail chains, there was nothing the small town lacked. There were a handful of little boutique dress shops, a florist, artisanal bakery, antique stores, and two cozy bookstores that waged a small but friendly war with each other. But her goal was the quaint coffee shop next door to the hardware store.
Walking across the square, Golden gently pushed through the café door. A melodic chime signaled overhead and the woman behind the large counter lifted her head to greet her. The woman's eyes widened as recognition sank in.
"Golden!" she squealed, coming around the counter with her hands up.
Golden smiled, despite the lingering pain still in her chest, and embraced the girl back. "Hey, Lydia."
Lydia Dolton was one of the first friends Golden made when she moved to Stardust Cove years ago. Together they made it through elementary and junior high and even participated in summer Sing Camp. Golden had been the only one to receive an exception to attend Stardust Heights High School for their musical program. Thankfully their friendship never waned. Despite the distance, the new set of friends, and even college, they maintained a constant back and forth.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, girly? I thought you and I were meeting up this Saturday for brunch?" Lydia asked coming around the counter.
Sitting down at one of the tables, Golden shrugged. "I decided to see you earlier."
Lydia cocked her head causing her short black bob to sway to the side. Her gaze held hers, the suspicion growing with every second until Golden was forced to speak.
"I also wanted to get away from my boss," Golden admitted in a small voice.
Lydia nodded sagely. Although they had never once spoken of Golden's crush on the older Rosebank, Golden always suspected her friend knew.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket and Golden sighed. It was no doubt another flurry of texts or calls from Gaige demanding her to explain her last text about quitting. Glancing at her phone, her breath caught at the name on the screen—Grayson. Swipingaway the call, her heart clenched at the sight of five missed calls from him alone. Putting her phone on silent she stuffed it back into her purse.
Looking back up to Lydia, she gave her a big smile. "Let's do your Holter plan," she said, throwing the suggestion out like a Hail Mary.
All suspicion vanished from Lydia's face, replaced by wild excitement. "Oh my God. Do you mean it?!"
