I set his breakfast down on my desk, power up my laptop, and clock in.
Hours pass before I look up and notice he still hasn抰 arrived.
Weird. I guess Shrek needed an extra day in the swamp to yell at somebody else.
My desk is in front of Linc抯 office, and we抮e secluded from most of the company. He likes it this way. He has fewer interruptions and more quiet, orderly space. But it抯 extra lonely over here today.
A few other C-level employees have offices near us, but they rarely poke their heads out. The CFO, an older man named Reed, flies past. He抯 oh-so-careful to keep his eyes focused straight ahead so he doesn抰 make eye contact with me.
By early afternoon, I抳e cleaned out the executive Inbox, which was oddly lighter than usual, and caught up on ad work.
With Lincoln out today, there抯 technically no one to assist in my EA role and I can抰 stand it here any longer.
So I pack up my laptop and head down to the main floor where the copywriters work. That has to be better. But even down here, people look away as I pass them.
Nice. Avoid eye contact with the freak who seduced the boss but couldn抰 keep him around.
She抯 a plague rat. Her drama might be contagious.
My stomach tries crawling up into my chest.
Why did I think I was brave enough for this again? Anna would抳e given me as much time off as I needed.
After a painfully long walk around the building, I sit down at my old desk beside Cheryl.
揇akota? Welcome back. I didn抰 expect to see you back for a while.?She flashes a friendly smile.
I don抰 know what to say, so I keep my mouth shut.
揌ow is Mr. Burns??she ventures.
揑 wouldn抰 know,?I bite off too harshly.
揙h.?Her face falls and she nods. 揑 hope everything抯 okay. He抯 hardly been back to work since the day your ex showed up. He came in very briefly the next day but ducked out fast, I heard. Everybody抯 freaking out about it because Burns never leaves early. And it抯 been years since he missed a single day of work…？
That does raise my eyebrows.
Is it possible the asshat feels a little guilty, but he抯 too proud to say sorry like a normal human being?
I mean, he did save my life, right before he stabbed me through the heart in a way Jay couldn抰。
揈h, I don抰 know. He probably hoped the drama would die down while he was out,?I say. 揕aying low makes a lot of sense.?
Will I ever learn? I will always attract guys who can抰 get their shit together梟ot even when they抮e billionaires. And I fall for them every time like the gullible, moonstruck romantic I am.
There抯 a tap on my shoulder, and I turn to see Anna.
揌ello, hello. Do you have a minute to talk to me in my office??
I nod and follow her.
She motions to a chair across from her desk and I fall into it.
What now?
If she抯 brought me here for a pep talk, I抦 not interested, even if she means well.
揑抦 proud of you for coming back,?she starts, glancing up at me with her head low.
Is she really? If I had an employee in this mess, I might hope they抎 stay away and save everyone the awkwardness. But I know that抯 my anxiety talking.
揧ou抮e a talented writer, and we can抰 afford to lose you. I just called you in to let you know we抮e behind you all the way. The whole marketing team and especially me. Whatever you need to make this easier, just ask. You want to work from home? Good. You want a private office? Also cool. I抣l be personally reviewing your copy before passing it on, so if he has a problem with anything, he can take it up with me directly.?
I nod, more than a little stunned at her support.
揑抦 grateful. Thank you.?I plant my feet on the ground and I抦 about to stand, hoping that抯 it.
But, of course, it never is.
Anna puts up a hand, urging me to stay. 揥ait. That was my little support talk as your boss.?
揟here抯 more??I ask quietly.
揇akota, as your friend, that was such a shit move he pulled.?She goes quiet for a moment and her face stiffens. 揌onestly, I抦 still floored by it. I抳e never seen him lose control like that. To be fair, he had to wrestle a guy with a knife, but it was way out of character.?
揧eah, I was there,?I say, trying not to sound bitchy.
揑 think he cares about you…but rejecting you in front of an audience like that was a low blow. I hope he comes to you on his hands and knees before you ever speak to him again.?She gives me a menacing look.
Harsh. Is this what抯 driving Lincoln into hiding? Hostile work environment?
揑 doubt that抣l be an issue,?I say softly.
揌ave you heard from him??
I shake my head, mouthing a no.
揥ell, probably for the best. He can抰 cause more drama that way, but I do hope he clears the air before he shows his face around here again. The tension is so freaking thick it抯 stifling.?
揟hat would be great, but don抰 get your hopes up, Anna.?
揌e抯 barely been back since the day it all went down棓
揑 heard.?
揌e came in the next day and left early in a rush. He hasn抰 been back since and he抯 never been out like this before. The message he sent was so vague. Some kind of 'personal emergency.' I sent a response to let me know if he needed anything, but he never even replied.?
My heart sinks in confusion.
I don抰 even know how to hash that.
揑 think he just wants the scandal gone before he comes back,?I say, echoing my conversation with Cheryl.
揘o point in waiting then. This weird extended absence after the incident has got people talking nonstop, especially since you were out for a few days, too.?She sighs like she抯 legit overloaded from the drama flying around.
I can抰 even blame her.
揇o you think people would look at me again and stop treating me like a pariah if Burns came back??I ask.
She lays her elbow on her desk and rests her head on her hand.
揘o one thinks you抮e a pariah, Dakota. They just feel bad for you and don抰 know what to say. We抳e never run into this situation before.?
揟hat抯 almost worse.?
She sighs. 揑 know. I抦 sorry. But to answer your question, I think it would lighten things up if he came back and restored some normalcy. It抯 pretty cowardly for him to let you deal with the aftermath alone. But like I said, the email was vague, and he抯 never been out unscheduled before, so something might be wrong.?
Something is wrong.
He doesn抰 want to deal with the dumpster fire he caused, and he doesn抰 care if it burns me alive.
揟hanks, Anna. I抣l keep working from here. We can抰 both be ghosting the place. But as long as he抯 out, I抣l be down here at my old desk. It doesn抰 make sense to linger upstairs with no one to assist while I抦 still doing Lucy抯 job.?
揌owever you want to play it. I抦 sure the acting CEO won抰 have a problem either if this turns into an extended absence on his part. Say, do you want a coffee before you head back out? I can order from the place up the street.?
揘o, I抦 well caffeinated.?
揋o be the best wordsmith ever so that jackass knows you抮e better than him,?she says with a ruthless smirk.
You抳e got to love her energy.
Somehow, I don抰 think I抦 a better anything than a princely CEO.
Once I抦 at my desk, I decide to get this over with and text the loser.
Yeah, I know.
I抦 supposed to wait. Let him come to me. Play the game.
I抳e already forgotten about him, but if Anna thinks his sorry ass returning will make people act normal around me again, he抯 going to hear about it.
Why aren抰 you at work? I send.