Page 130 of Straight to Me

He hasn’t needed me or tried to contact me for almost a week. Sometimes I can’t believe it’s only been a week, then at other times it feels like forever and a day has passed without him.

I excuse myself from the table, embarrassed this is happening right now. “I need to see you,” he says.

“Don’t,” I gasp and my heart stops. I close my eyes holding my fingers to my head. “Just, don’t.” Taking a steadying breath, I can feel the tears starting to well at the back of my eyes. “I can’t talk right now. I’m working. I’ll call you later.”

“Mads, wait!”

I hang up. My heart beats wildly and my hands are shaking. I walk back to Lauren who has her headphones in still eating her lunch.

“Sorry Lauren. That was unprofessional of me.”

“Don’t sweat it, Miss.”

“Look, you can call me Madison, or Mads, whatever. You don’t have to call me Miss. Makes me sound old.” She smiles. For the first time she actually smiles. Her pretty and bright face drags me from my funk.

“What are you, like, thirty-five, forty?”

“Forty! Do you really think I look forty? Cheek of it. I’m thirty-one. Almost thirty-two.”

“Yeah see, that’s old.” I laugh, searching through my bag on the table.

“Here, I printed this for you. It’s a timetable.”

“Wow, you shouldn’t have,” she mocks.

“Don’t hate on it just yet. I’ve written it all down for you, letting you know where to be and when. Anything highlighted means I’ll be there too.”

“That’s a lot of highlights.”

“Yeah, get used to it kid, you've got me for a while.”

“Yey.” She jokingly raises her hands up and down above her head as I stand and tuck in my chair.

“Alright, well that’s me finished. Let me know how the rest of the afternoon goes? I’ll be back to meet you here in the morning?”

“Okay,” she says. I nod, then turn to walk away. “Oh, and Miss?” I turn back to her. “Don’t forget about the bike.” She smirks, winking at me.

Faking my best smile in reply, I wave and leave the school.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Back at the office, I finish my afternoon by making a small desk area mine. I set up my work email and fill out various pieces of paperwork that require my attention. I feel that my first day has been quite easy, minus the sudden communication from Dean.

I leave the office at four as Lauren messages saying she’s had a good afternoon and she’ll see me in the morning. I feel pleased that both of us had productive, successful first days.

Since I’m holding my phone, I make the call I don’t want to make. But the one I said I would. “I didn’t think you’d call,” he answers, his voice hoarse and splintered.

“I’m not sure why I have, Dean.”

He pauses. “I need to see you.”

“You said that already.”

“Mads, please.” He sounds like he’s been crying. Although I’ve never witnessed him cry, the way his voice sounds, so dry and croaky, it’s clear something isn’t right.

“Why now? What’s so important that you need to see me?”

“I can’t say it over the phone.”

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