Page 44 of Up All Night
Chapter 11
Stone
One Week Ago
MyphoneringsonBluetooth, as I drive away from Lark.She wouldn’t say two words to me before I left her.I know that she’s distraught, I can feel it with her, and I’m not entirely sure that it’s all to do with me buying that house.We haven’t spoken in days, and I know that that can sometimes add salt to an open wound, even though things were fine the last time we spoke.Lark is a private person.But she is sometimes easy to figure out.I know that if it was a mistake, me buying that house, that she would’ve said so on the spot.Even if she sugarcoated it, she would’ve told me that it was a mistake.I think I know her well enough to come to that conclusion.Something else is going on.I know that it isn’t about us, either, because she would never have agreed for me to take her on a drive.However, whatever is going on with her, was definitely exacerbated by me buying that house.But it wasn’t the sale alone, I’m sure of it.
I’m on my way back to the hotel, to meet with my developers, when my phone rings on Bluetooth.It’s Axl Lennon, a man that I hear about all the time through my cousins and my brother, but I rarely hear from him directly.I press the answer button and greet him kindly.“I hate talking over the phone."Axl comments.“I thought we’d catch up.Can you spare me a half an hour or so?"
“Sure."I tell him what hotel I’m staying at.
“Yeah, I heard.I can be there in twenty minutes if that suits you."
“That works."
Axl.Now, there is a man that’s a mystery to me.He has been up and down and all around, and there’s never any telling when he’s going to go up or down again.There’s no question about his genius, though, and as much as we both work from different industries, it’s very enlightening to converse with him about business.I’ve always enjoyed chewing the fat with him.
I’m told at reception that the maids are in my suite at the moment, so I wait in the lobby.My phone rings and I see that Lucy is reaching out.“So, how did it go?Did you tell her the news?“ Her voice is odd.It’s not the happy tone that I heard earlier.
“It’s hard to say.I may have picked the wrong time to tell her.She’s in between meeting with some clients."
“Really.She called in sick this morning.”
It takes me a moment to digest that.“She did.”I confirm.My tone is more asking, not telling.
“I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, Stone.But she just called and asked to take her vacation immediately.Charles came to me, asking if I had heard anything from her.I told him that she had called in sick this morning, so that may have something to do with it."
Charles is Lucy and Lark’s boss.He’s a good guy.I’ve known him throughout the years.In fact, once when Lucy was off on sick leave, he assisted me with a sale.
“She what?”I’m confused, flabbergasted.
“You heard right.She’s got three weeks accumulated vacation.Even though she’s only been with us a short time, we use that as an incentive if you make a substantial sale in your first three months, which she did."
“And she just suddenly asked to take it?No explanation?"
“Nothing.Charles said she just asked for it via email."
"Jesus Christ.That's mind boggling."
She sighs and levels with me."Look, Stone.I know that you and Lark have something going on, and I need to know if you know anything.It's my ass on the line if she's flying the coop."
Suddenly, this is no longer a concern about discretion.This is about Lark.Her safety, her wellbeing."No.No, nothing like that.I'm sure of it.She adores you and her job, and it always comes first.That's' the truth."
"I figured as much."She mutters."Seeing as you two have been canoodling under my nose."
"I'm sorry.She was very worried that she'd get fired.Lark was adamant that her and I being together in any capacity would be unprofessional and unacceptable."
Lucy scoffs."What Neanderthal put that idea into her mind?"
"I'm not sure."
She's silent for a beat."Oh, God.I remember why now."She chuckles."It was her first day.This very attractive client of another partner who is no longer with this company, walked in, and Charles cracked a joke about sleeping with clients.He was joking, but Lark didn't know it.I'm sure that's what it was."
"Jesus.Fuck, I need to talk to her."
"Well, good luck.Her phone goes straight to voicemail.I've left a couple of messages and texts, but she's not answering.She sold to one of her new clients this morning, she said, and the other one is waiting for another property to be fit for sale, so she did pick the perfect time to go away.It's just the urgency that's alarming."
"I'm sure that she won't leave her clients hanging for long, Lucy."I assure her, although her calling in sick doesn't sound at all like Lark."Did she say why she was calling in sick?"
